Monday, February 10, 2025

Where would you get a wooden prop these days?

 




23 comments:

  1. Hoverhawk Corporation. We've got an air boat in the shop that has one on it. The owner just came in & took it off to send it back for refinishing & balancing.

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  2. Arrowprop, GT Propellers, Hartzell, DUC Helices, Sensenich, Vittorazi, Hoverhawk, Historic, Aero Performance Ltd, Banks-Maxwell, Fahlin, Flottorp, G.B. Lewis, Gardner, Stone/Supreme, Univair.....

    And a lot more if you just want a wall hanger prop.

    Several of my friends made their own as well.

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  3. Saw a "How it's made" showing a company that made them. Might have been Hoverhawk mentioned in the first comment. Looked like they made quite a few different ones.

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  4. I was going to suggest a prop shop but there were so many better answers...

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  5. do any radial engines have even numbers of cylinders?

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    Replies
    1. Four-stroke engines favor the odd-number of cylinders for vibration/stress reasons.

      Two-stroke engines have been tested in even-number cylinders with less issues.

      I'm mentally trying to visualize how the impulses work against the crankshaft throws positioning. Would have to do some sketching to puzzle out what the engineering literature says.

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    2. There is only one crankshaft throw per row in a radial engine. There is a master rod that the crankshaft pin goes through and the remaining piston rods are held with wrist pins to the master rod. Look for radial engine animations on youtube, there's lots. Also, the cam rings rotate opposite to the crankshaft! The first time I helped disassemble one was an eye-opener.
      Sensenich still makes wooden propellers like they did in the 1930s.
      Al_in_Ottawa

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    3. Yes. Stack, say two 7 cyl engines to make 14.

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  6. Some companies make decorative reproductions, but if you want the real deal, I'd go to an aviation mechanic that specializes in vintage aircraft and see if he has a worn out one you could buy off him. Shops like that are kinda far and few between though.

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  7. Replies
    1. they also have a fine selection of buggy whips, whale bone corsets and the like

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  8. --------fer ones consisting of chinesium---amazon!

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  9. From a prop master?

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  10. Lots of wood prop makers around.
    Culver makes props. A cute gal runs the place. She makes videos on You Tube.

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  11. An old guy I knew made them for his son who restored antique airplanes.

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  12. I saw some videos of the Culver props as well. If memory serves she had some manner of template machine in her shop that looked to be 7 or 8 times as old as she was, huge thing, pretty young lady too. YouTube being what it is I ended up on another video of an old timer making wood spoke wheels for early automobiles. Lotta steam bending and all manner of jigs for just about anything you might want. In the days of 3D printing it’s nice to see things that haven’t been co-opted in the name of efficiency.

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  13. Culver does props other do not. She has all the old stuff needed.

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  14. K-MAX rotor blades are made of spruce.

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