Thread: Identify timber in DH Tiger Moth propellor Made in Oz 1943.

There used to be a stack of them in one of the sheds at Eveleigh Carriageworks. There were four types: Laminated (unknown timber), Beech Coachwood and Qld Maple. I am not sure if all these props were usable, as dummy planes were manufactured there as airstrip decoys.
I agree, your photos look like Qld Maple.

In the Summer 1995 edition of an old Qld Forestry Department magazine called, Leaves, there is an article about the wooden propellers that were made for the Vickers Vimy re enactment of the flight in 1919. In it they talk about someone who still makes propellers and the 15 species that are approved to make them including of course Qld Maple and perhaps surprisingly Hoop Pine. If anyone is interested, I perhaps could work out some way to get the article to you. Yes, I have Qld Maple and Hoop Pine here.

I have made patterns for marine props where I served my apprenticeship at a naval dockyard.
Ive also made wooden props for wind tunnel testing at USyd about 6 years back.
These blades were only about 300mm long, mounted in a 3 blade ariable pitch hub the toolmaker machined up.
Nice things to shape with a spokeshave.
Ive some Queensland Maple in the rack so thanks for the feedback.
Bob I will be in Brisbane next week if that’s where you are,that article sounds interesting.
H.

Originally Posted by clear out

I have made patterns for marine props where I served my apprenticeship at a naval dockyard.
Ive also made wooden props for wind tunnel testing at USyd about 6 years back.
These blades were only about 300mm long, mounted in a 3 blade ariable pitch hub the toolmaker machined up.
Nice things to shape with a spokeshave.
Ive some Queensland Maple in the rack so thanks for the feedback.
Bob I will be in Brisbane next week if that’s where you are,that article sounds interesting.
H.

I wanted to use that wind tunnel about then and it was out of action, now I know why.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

I wanted to use that wind tunnel about then and it was out of action, now I know why.

I was in Civil Eng, our wind tunnel was in constant use for tests on high rise buildings mainly.
We had a 1 to 400 scale model of Sydney, new buildings had 3 types of tests which meant 2 diffent types of models. We also did other Oz stuff plus OS Chinese olympics Dubai etc.
We also had a little snow drift tunnel did stuff for Antarctic, Perisher and a National Parks dunny out on the range.
There was a tunnel in Aero/mech and Architecture had one also.
H.

A gentleman who lived nearby (west of Wauchope, NSW) used to make laminated wooden propellers for various aircraft, both old and new, using North Coast brushwoods including Beech, Coachwood and one in Red Cedar which looked spectacular. I believe he was one of only a handful of aircraft prop-makers in the country and the work that went into each propeller was amazing. Timber selection was critical, each board had to be perfect and balance was critical. You didn't want the thing to fall apart at 10,000 feet!