Virtual Museum - Aircraft
Propellers and Blades
Ref. No. 881. PROPELLER OFF AIRSPEED OXFORD
WITH CHEETAH ENGINE. Mahogany. Complete with brass leading edge
out to tips. Varnished. Details on propeller read “Oxford.
Cheetah X. Drg. No. NZ 103/3. DIA. 7'.33" P. 6'.96". Serial No.
DH NZ 159”.
Ref. No. 67. AIRSPEED OXFORD CHEETAH
PROPELLER. 1940. Wooden. Painted with black lacquer. Yellow tips.
Minor scratches. Brass plate inscribed "DRG NO, Z 3931/7, CHEETAH X.
LH, D.7-33' P.6-96'". Stamped on other brass hub plate are "FT S" in a
circle, "CH", and "A W59" in another circle. Also "M385" and "953". "Z"
stands for Aircrew Co who manufactured the prop.
Ref. No. 28*. CHEETAH PROPELLER OFF
AIRSPEED
OXFORD. 1940. Mahogany. Brass plate inscribed "FEB 1940, H 8779,
67239" with second plate on hub "DRG NO, Z 3931/4, CHEETAH X.LH,
D.7-33' P.6-96'". Stamped on hub is TM1 R/1 4/44.
Ref. No. 39. STORMS FLYING FLIVVER
PROPELLER. 1932. Wooden. Six Laminations. Wood type unknown.
Probably made in NZ. Length 6' (830mm). Five holes to bolt to engine.
Some splitting around edges. Oil covered. Extract from a "History of
New Zealand Aviation" mentions the Flivver on page 108; "A syndicate of
West Coast men imported a kit-set aircraft from the USA in 1932. The
Storms Flying Flivver was purchased by J.S. Allen and J Johnson and
assembled near Carter's Beach, Westport. Powered by a 23-horsepower
Ford Model 'T' water-cooled engine, the aircraft came to grief on 11
May 1933 when it hit an apple tree. The pilot, J Allen, escaped injury,
but the machine was badly damaged. After it had been rebuilt in January
1934, the syndicate requested permission from the Defence Department to
fly the Flivver, but this was denied. The final fate of the homebuilt
is not known."
Ref. No. 692. PROPELLER OFF SUPERMARINE WALRUS.
1940. “DRG. NO. 228928/1 PEGASUS VI D.10.0 P.8.0. AUG 1940 L143 73522
B”. This propeller is a Right Hand pusher prop used on Walrus aircraft.
The Pegasus VI engine was only used in Walrus aircraft in New Zealand.
The Walrus had two such propellers bolted onto the engine to make a
“four-bladed prop”. The prop type can be confirmed in specs found in
“The Supermarine Walrus” by G. W. R. Nichol. There were 11 Supermarine
Walruses in New Zealand - NZ151-160. By the end of WWII, just four
Walruses remained and these were sold in 1947, two going Auckland (R.
Exton) and the other two being bought by Jack Gould (Paraparaumu). It
is possible that this propeller is off one of these four aircraft. R.
Exton (Auckland) bought NZ158 (X9512) in excellent flying condition
(registered ZK-AMJ), plus another for spares. The registration ZK-AMJ
was cancelled in 1952. The two bought by Gould (who owned a service
station at Paraparaumu) were from Woodbourne. One was flown to
Paraparaumu from Wairau Bar (Gould was fined for this as he didn’t have
a rating and the aircraft wasn’t registered) and the other taxied
across Cook Strait (with his wife aboard and taking seven hours). Both
these aircraft were sold for scrap after Gould died in a Tiger Moth
accident at Paraparaumu (he hit power lines) in December 1947.
According to “Aircraft of the RNZAF”, the Walruses were sold “at the
end of 1947”, so Gould probably didn’t have them long before he died. A
photo of these aircraft is shown on page 177 of “The History of New
Zealand Aviation”. The aircraft flown across Cook Strait was NZ157
(letter K on nose).
Ref. No. 54. SPARE PROPELLER FROM MISSING
DE HAVILLAND DRAGONFLY ZK-AFB. Wooden. Painted black. Brass plate
reads "DRG No DH5250/BX/4 D6'4" P5'3half" GIPSY MAJOR LH". "R5151"
stencilled onto hub. Yellow tips. The prop was a spare prop for
the Dragonfly ZK-AFB which, piloted by Brian Chadwick, went missing on
a flight near Wanaka on 12 Feb 1962. The prop is in excellent
condition. The full story of the disappearance of this aircraft
is covered in Chris Rudge's book Missing! Aircraft Missing in New
Zealand 1928-2000. It was the purchase of this propeller in
on the anniversary of the disappearance in 1995 that prompted the
author to write the book. See main index page at
www.warbirdsite.com for further details.
Ref. No. 83. FAIREY REED METAL PROPELLER.
Circa 1940. Length just under 7 feet. Maximum blade width six and
three-quarter inches. Very high-aspect ratio. Eight holes for securing
plus four additional holes on hub. Came with two hub plates plus
aluminium cover through which the blade fits. Stamped on one plate "DRG
NO 67104A ANGLES X 3" and "FR 27568" and "75786B". On other plate are
same Drawing number plus "Serial Number FR 27568". Both plates painted
in light grey enamel. Prop has FR 27568 engraved lightly by hand on
side. 67104A/X3 props are used on Tiger Moths and Autocrats but
are suppose to be 78". This prop is 84" which would make it an X2, X4,
X6, X10 or an X14. This could then be used on a Tiger Moth, Fox Moth,
or Puss Moth. Prop in excellent condition with no visible damage.
Ref. No. 291. MOSQUITO PROPELLER BLADES AND
HUB UNIT. From NZ2355 (formerly RAF TE863) and NZ2325. TE863 was a
Standard Motors-built FB.VI which, apart from a brief stay with the
Central Flying School at Hullavington, remained in store with No. 27 MU
at Shawbury. Sold to New Zealand, it was allocated the serial number
NZ2355 on arrival and joined No. 75 Squadron at Ohakea, although, in
common with many other Mosquitos, it was shortly afterwards put into
storage at Woodbourne and was sold off. Ted Packer recovered the
aircraft from a farm. The blades are understood to be from NZ2355 but
the hub is marked “NZ2323” in red paint. Parts include;
Ref. No. 241*. CHIPMUNK PROPELLER.
Circa late 1940’s. Airworthy condition. Reputed to be from an Indian
Chipmunk called the “Hindustan” which was powered by a Cirrus Hermes
engine. Stamped “Drg.Z.5832/2 D.6’-6” P.5.1’ 90690”. “90690” stamped on
face. The Drg letter “Z” indicates the propeller was manufactured by
the Airscrew Co., England. Eight mounting holes. Decal on prop reads
“The Airscrew Co & Jicwood Ltd. Weybridge.”