SAAM Propellors

South Australian

Aviation Museum

Preserving South Australian Aviation History

Home About SAAM Aircraft Collections Displays History Group Visiting SAAM ☰

Propellors Page

SAAM has one of the best collections of historic propellors in Australia. One of the most significant ones is shown in the picture on the left. This is a propellor hub from the Smith Brother's Vickers Vimy aircraft (G-EAOU) which made the first flight from England to Australia in 1919. It shows the damage done when the aircraft caught fire in November 1957, while being transported to Adelaide by truck. The mainplane, propellers, engine cowlings and radiators were destroyed in the fire, but the fuselage was largely undamaged. The (restored) aircraft is now on display in the new terminal building at Adelaide Airport. SAAM has a collection of memorabilia from the first flight (donated by the Smith family) on display in Hangar 1.

Propellors (On display)

Airspeed Oxford propellor, 2 blade, 1.8m diameter, Cheetah X-370 engine. From November 1940, the Royal Australian Air Force received 391 Oxford I and IIs from RAF contracts for use in Australia.

Avro 504 propellor. The Avro 504 was a WW1 biplane. The engine was possibly either a Gnome or a Le Rhone rotary engine.

deHavilland DH-9 propellor, 2 blade wooden, 2.7m diameter, Sidderley Puma 240hp engine.

deHavilland DH-82 Tiger Moth propellor, 2 blade, 1.9m diameter, DH Gipsy Major 130hp engine.

Hawker Demon propellor, 2 blade 'Watts', 3.23m diameter, Rolls Royce Kestrel engine.

Sopwith Camel propellor, 2 blade, wooden, 2.7m diameter, Le Clerget Rotary engine.

Sopwith Tabloid propellor, 2 blade, wooden, brass tipped,2.24m diameter, Gnome Monosoupape engine. SAAM has a running Gnome engine c.1914 on display in Hangar 1.

Supermarine Seagull 111 propellor, 4 blade, laminted wood, 3.06m diameter, Napier Lion engine. In 1925, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) ordered six Supermarine Seagull III aircraft, fitted with a Napier Lion V engines. The aircraft were freighted to Australia arriving in mid-1926 with the first test flight conducted in June of that year. A further three aircraft were ordered in 1927. The Seagulls were normally located at RAAF Base Point Cook, Victoria but were used on the sea plane carrier HMAS Albatross.

Westland propellor, possibly from a Westland Wapiti aircraft.

Vickers Viastra propellor. West Australian Airlines operated two Vickers Viastra aircraft from 1931-1934.

Other Propellors

Avro Anson 2 blade propellors (several) as used on Cheetah engine.
Avro GAF Lincoln propellor, 4 blade, metal, Rolls Royce Merlin 85B engine.
Cessna 210 & 310 3 blade constant speed propellor 2m diameter (McCauley) as used on Continental IO-520L 300hp engine.
deHavilland DH-104 Dove propellor, 3 blade, metal, variable pitch, 3.8m diameter, DH Gpsy Queen engine.
Douglas C-47 propellor, Single blade, bent tip (accident damaged)
Fairey Battle propellor, 3 blade, metal, 'deHavilland', variable pitch, Rolls Royce Merlin engine.
Lockheed C-130 Hercules propellor, single blade, Alison T-56 engine
Piper Chieftan propellor, 3 blade aluminium 'Hartzell', Lycoming TIO-540 engine.
Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.8 propellor, 4 blade, laminated wood, 'Darraco' 3.06m diameter, Sunbeam Maori engine
Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII propellor, 4 blade, wooden, Rolls Royce Merlin 66 engine.
Taylorcraft Auster 1 propellor, 2 blade, wooden, 1.77m diameter, Cirrus Minor engine.
Zeppelin Airship propellor, 4 blade, laminated wood, 'Wolff' 3.2m diameter, Maybach Diesel engine.

Propellors within the Badger Family Collection Area

Airspeed Oxford propellor, 2 blade, wooden, Cheetah X engine.
Avro Anson propellor, 2 blade, metal, Cheetah engine.
Avro 504K propellor, 2 blade, wooden, 130hp Le Clerget engine
deHavilland DH-60 propellor, 2 blade wooden, Blackburn Cirrus engine.
North American P-51D Mustang propellor, single blade, steel.
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5A propellor, 2 blade, wooden, Hispano Suiza V8 engine.
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5A propellor, 2 blade, wooden, Hispano Suiza V8 200hp engine.