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This first metal and ground-adjustable-pitch propeller was designed and built by Stuart Bastow, an electrical sign contractor, and Victor Pagé, a mechanical engineer, for the dirigible Rhode Island in 1910. Bastow bought a bamboo and fabric propeller and the propulsion system from Capt. Thomas Scott Baldwin's California Arrow. Pagé, unsatisfied, suggested constructing a propeller from aluminum, then a relatively new, but proven material, because of its light weight and strength.

The aluminum blades were riveted to steel tubing connected through a threaded joint to a central aluminum hub, and retained an aerodynamic shape while the steel tubing provided the required strength to offset centrifugal force. Not knowing which pitch setting would be best for the dirigible, except through trial-and-error, they designed the propeller to be adjustable on the ground; resulting in the earliest American attempt at multipiece construction that facilitated deliberate pitch variation. This propeller emerged unscathed during several forced landings, which indicated its inherent performance and durability benefits.

 Display Status

This object is on display in Early Flight at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Early Flight
Object Details
Date 1910 Country of Origin United States of America Type PROPULSION-Propellers & Impellers Manufacturer Stuart Bastow
 Designer Victor W. Page
 Physical Description Type: Two-Blade, Adjustable-Pitch, Metal Diameter: 195.6 cm (77 in.) Chord: 31.1 cm (12.25 in.) Engine Application: Curtiss A-2, two-cylinder, 6 kw (8 hp) Dimensions Rotor/Propeller: 195.6 x 31.1 x 4.1 x 2.5cm (77 x 12 1/4 x 1 5/8 x 1 in.)
 Materials Blades: Aluminum
Hub and Blade Supports: Steel
 Inventory Number A19420042000 Credit Line Gift of Stuart Bastow, Pawtucket, Rhode Island Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Open Access (CCO)
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