Ooh…did someone mention prop blades?

Your father in law appears to have been involved in the production of Weybridge blades for Rotol propellers. The drawing numbers of early Weybridge blades used a different prefix to other types of Rotol blades. Most Rotol blades had a drawing number starting with the prefix RA and ending with a suffix which would tell you the type of covering used. In Weybridge blades it’s the prefix that tells you about the covering, which will be why he has only noted the number of the blades he produced as they could have had a number of coverings applied.

So what are they?

Your IDs for 739 and 1140 are correct. As for the rest…

D?220 No idea!
DR230 Master I
DA291 Hurricane I, II, IV
DR291 Hurricane I, II, IV
DR531 Hurricane I, II, IV & Fulmar
DR902 Oxford
DS940 Barracuda & Defiant II

Sorry, no Mosquitos as only a few variants used Rotol props (mostly Sea Mosquitos) and deHavilland and Hamilton Standard props were the norm.

Hope this helps.

Anne

So, the question is; metal or wooden Rotol blades at this stage?

I don’t actually know (I suspect Magnesium) but the one thing I can tell you are the drawing numbers for the blades.

Stealing from Beaufighter Mk.VI’s Table.

Spitfire I RX5/4 magnesium blades RA.640
Spitfire II RX5/1 magnesium blades RA.640
Spitfire II RX5/3 Jablo or Hydulignum RA.675

What is beyond doubt is that Rotol props with wooden blades were over Dunkirk but fitted to Hurricanes with RX5/2 props with Weybridge DR.291 blades or possibly RX5/5 props with Jablo RA.4067 blades.

One last pedantic point. These are Rotol propeller assemblies, Dowty/Rotol did not exist until the 1960s.

Anne

Sounds very much like a Sansenich prop. These people should be able to help you out.

http://www.sensenichprop.com/

Anne

Here’s a link page from one of these groups.

http://soldierblue.homestead.com/links.html

Or you could ask here.

http://www.livinghistory.co.uk/forums/

Anne

Not a Type E and not quite a straight Type D but a Type D Wired (22C/969 for size 1 to 22C/972 for size 4, yours being a size 3 22C/971). Type E helmets were made from Aertex while the Type Ds were made from a cotton twill fabric. It wasn’t unusual for the neck flap to be removed so all you need now is a pair of rubber and chamois ear cups, common to most Type C, D & E helmets, and you have a complete helmet.

Not bad for a quid!

Anne

Right then, the last couple of “not sure what it is photos”!!

This we were told is a Halifax but after a comment by someone I am now having doubts, anyone have any idea what it is from?

Not sure why they would have said that as it’s their Stirling!

They do have bits of Halifax but that’s not them.

Sure you’re not getting confused with Halifax section they got from CARG?

Anne

When I asked, they told me that they keep the ark in their radioactive store.

Interesting place and nice to see some of the ‘other’ items they have in store.

From the top and repeating some of the previous IDs.

1) DH.89 Dragon Rapide
2) P1121 Model
3) SUU-23A, a 20mm M-61A gun pod used on the Phantom
4) Martin Baker MB.2 Canopy
5) Airborne Lifeboat Mk.3 (Shackleton)
6) Airfield Lighting Training Aid (no airfield in particular)
7) SARO Princess Float with Wurzburg radar dish behind
8) A whole load of ZPU-4s
9) Seafox Float, Suderland Float, Lightning Ventral Tank and the 1435 Flight Phantom tail fin behind.
10) Sidewinder below and some Test Vehicle (possibly Fairey) above.
11) Two variations on the theme of Gipsy Queens
12) Yellow Sun Mk.2 (H bomb)

Anne