What eventually became the Aeroproducts Propeller Company had its humble beginnings in 1935 as Engineering Projects, Inc. of Vandalia, Ohio. It was founded by two brilliant engineers, Werner J. Blanchard, who spent several years with the Curtiss Electric Propeller Company, and Charles. J. MacNeil.
Engineering Projects was bought by General Motors in 1940 for a speculated price in the $500,000 range and was re-named the Aeroproducts Division of GM. The company delivered only 73 of their novel "Unimatic" Aeroprop propellers in the month of December 1941, rising to 12,500 props in the month of February 1944. The dynamic Charlie MacNeil died from a heart attack in November 1944 at the tender age of 34, while Werner "Pete" Blanchard, age 48, died in the December 1948 crash of his Navion. Aeroproducts evolved to become a Division of Allison in 1952, and eventually the propeller business was sold to Hamilton-Standard in 1990. The type certificate for its most modern propeller now resides with Pacific Propeller.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
United States of America
PROPULSION-Propellers & Impellers
General Motors Corp., Aeroproducts Division
Type: Three-Blade, Variable-Pitch, Metal
Chord: 281.9 cm (111 in.)
Diameter: 57.8 cm (22.75 in.)
Engine Application: Unknown
Rotor/Propeller: 182.2 x 281.9 x 57.8 x 48.3 x 35.6 x 11.4cm (71 3/4 x 111 x 22 3/4 x 19 x 14 x 4 1/2 in.)
Steel
Aluminum
Paint
Cadmium Plating
Adhesive
A19601410000
Transferred from the U.S. Air Force
National Air and Space Museum
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