Spitfire props

kilpicki · Post by **kilpicki** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:03 pm

I came across a Sensenich wood prop in a pawn shop today and in conversation the guy said that Spits had wooden props during the Battle of Britian.

Does anyone know of a site where I can get info on what props were on the Spitfires.

Thanks

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:01 pm

Early Hurricanes had wood props, maybe the very first Spit Marks had wood; they were certainly fixed pitch, but if that really was a Spit prop it would be large - and it would most likely be a Rotol, or at least another British make.

How much does he want for it? How big is it? My guess would be Stearman, Moth, maybe a Cornell...it would still be worth having if the price is right.

kilpicki · Post by **kilpicki** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:35 pm

thanks Ill try to find more info on the early fighters.

I know its not from a fighter but I want to prove the guy wrong and that Spits didnt have wood props.

this is small a 72CK-22 and Ive looked at the Senenich site

I may go buy it for my shop.

Driving Rain · Post by **Driving Rain** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:59 pm

http://216.219.216.110/supermarine/spitfire.html

Structurally the Spitfire was a straightforward design with a light alloy monocoque fuselage and a single spar wing, with stressed-skin covering and fabric-covered control surfaces. The Spitfire was adapted from Reginald Mitchell's aesthetically pleasing 1925 F.7/30 design. To preserve the clean nose-cowling lines originally conceived by Mitchell, the radiator was located beneath the starboard, wing with the smaller oil cooler causing some asymmetry beneath the port wing, and the carburetor air intake under the center fuselage. A DeHavilland two-blade wooden fixed-pitch propeller was employed by the prototype, and the first Spitfire I's had the Airscrew Company's wooden fixed-pitch two-blade. Later a DeHavilland three-blade, two position propeller was adopted after trials on the first prototype. The new propeller gave a 5 mph increase in speed. In 1940 DeHavilland three-blade constant-speed propeller were substituted. Production Spitfires had a fixed tail wheel, and triple ejector exhaust manifolds.4 The PV.12 engine which became the X80 HP Rolls-Royce Merlin II and later the Merlin III engine was installed

I want to prove the guy wrong and that Spits didnt have wood props.

That might be impossible because they did have wooden props.

twotter · Post by **twotter** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:11 pm

Checked around a bit and this is the best I could find for you.. Didn't have the actual model you referenced but some are close..

http://www.modernwoodenpropellers.com/sensenich.htm

Good luck..

kilpicki · Post by **kilpicki** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:44 pm

Driving rain thanks, guess Ill have to eat crow on this one.

Twotter thanks also for the site I think it must be a 72CK-42 and not 22

But did the Battle of Britian Spits employ wooden props??

Driving Rain · Post by **Driving Rain** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 8:52 pm

http://www.k5054.com/#legacyr

scrole 1/2 way down the page and read this...

Operation Eagle - The Battle of Britain
Fighter Command pilots flying Spitfire Mk.I's and Hawker Hurricane's (the RAF's other front-line service fighter) found themselves pitted against the cream of Hitler's undefeated Luftwaffe veterans, in a desperate and almost hopeless attempt to maintain air superiority over their vital forward airfields and radar stations.

If this is true than it is possible that the early marks 1s were still with wooden props during the B of B. I would imagine that as soon as they could they outfit them with a metal 3 blade 2 speed props.

ScudRunner · Post by **ScudRunner** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 12:04 am

My Personal Favorite the MK 14

kilpicki · Post by **kilpicki** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:06 am

Thanks guys

DR I see the Machines on the site have wooden props.

Dang now Im going to have to pay marked price on the prop in the hock shop.

rigpiggy · Post by **rigpiggy** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:19 pm

I saw a picture of a later model seafire that struck the deck on landing. nothing left but wooden splinters in the prop hub

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:41 pm

More info:
"...Details of Propeller and Range of Tests.--The
propeller tested was a two-bladed version of
the Rotol compressed wood design. This propeller is of 10.75-ft. diameter..."

Check out this site - there is a photo of a Spit wooden prop...http://www.aeroclocks.com/Catalog_pages ... orsale.htm

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:52 pm

The first Grumman Widgeon I ever flew in was owned by Carl Millard and it had Ranger in line engines swinging wooden props.

That was a few moons ago, as we north american savages say .

Driving Rain · Post by **Driving Rain** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:23 pm

kilpicki wrote:Thanks guys

DR I see the Machines on the site have wooden props.

Dang now Im going to have to pay marked price on the prop in the hock shop.

Not so fast, according to the web site xsbank posted they were retro fitted before the B of B with metal 3 blade 2 speed props.

After the production of the aircraft began to flow properly in late 1938, the three-blade, two-pitch propeller was introduced and fitted retrospectively. It was found to give a much shorter takeoff run (245yds compared with 330yds) and the time to 15,000 ft was reduced by a minute.

rigpiggy · Post by **rigpiggy** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:20 pm

Rotol made spit props with blades of Duraluminium, and Jablo compressed wood blades. the various marks/models I don't know

Driving Rain · Post by **Driving Rain** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:52 am

rigpiggy wrote:Rotol made spit props with blades of Duraluminium, and Jablo compressed wood blades. the various marks/models I don't know

The name Rotol is a contraction of "ROlls-Royce" and "BrisTOL.

rigpiggy · Post by **rigpiggy** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:31 pm

you read the same website did you, or just because I didn't capitalize the T

pilotdreams · Post by **pilotdreams** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:11 am

Did anyone else notice that theres a two bladed prop in that picture?

While were on the subject of older airplanes, were the control surfaces made of fabric?

Driving Rain · Post by **Driving Rain** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:38 pm

pilotdreams wrote:Did anyone else notice that theres a two bladed prop in that picture?

While were on the subject of older airplanes, were the control surfaces made of fabric?

Duh...the first props on both the Supermarine and the Hawker fighters were 2 bladed wooden props that's what this thread is about.

Lot of planes have fabric covered control surfaces as well as the wings and fuselages.

Where you been?

rigpiggy
you read the same website did you, or just because I didn't capitalize the T

Guess

rigpiggy · Post by **rigpiggy** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:00 am

reading spitfire by jkq. the early mks had fabric covered controls. I believe after the mkv they went to metal for better control response at high speed ie: fabric balooning. the site I looked at had the mk8's with a 4 bladed jablo wood prop. others I'm not sure

kilpicki · Post by **kilpicki** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:37 am

Interesting stuff about the early wood props thanks guys

Just wondering about how many of these wood props are around, how many of you have one in your rec room or garage.

The one I just bought is not serviceable but a great conversation piece and it looks so good on my basement shop wall.

Walker · Post by **Walker** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:52 pm

Just called Grandpa, all of the spits he flew had metal props.
However he didn’t get into the spit until a few months before D-day. Near the start of the war He ditched a hurricane near Timbuktu and was taken prisoner by the Vichy French and spent a year as a POW. After getting out he was checked out on the spit. Where coincidentally he ended up strafing Rommel in France on D+50 something;

pilotdreams · Post by **pilotdreams** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:14 am

Driving Rain wrote:
pilotdreams wrote:Did anyone else notice that theres a two bladed prop in that picture?

While were on the subject of older airplanes, were the control surfaces made of fabric?
Duh...the first props on both the Supermarine and the Hawker fighters were 2 bladed wooden props that's what this thread is about.

Lot of planes have fabric covered control surfaces as well as the wings and fuselages. Where you been?
rigpiggy
you read the same website did you, or just because I didn't capitalize the T
Guess

No, I seen a P-40 with fabric on the elevator and was wondering if they were all manufactured that way, Im glad we have dickheads like you trolling these webpages.