Wood was the major material for propellers up to the mid-1920s because it offered light weight, strength, and ease of fabrication. Most wood propellers featured laminated construction, meaning the propeller consisted of alternating layers of wood boards glued together, shaped to form, and coated with varnish or paint.
Wood remained the dominant construction material for aerial propellers during World War I because it was a known quantity. A metal propeller was not. An American wood propeller industry of approximately forty different government contractors emerged as the result. Instead of chairs, tables, and pianos, these manufacturers converted to the production of wagon wheels, gun carriages, and primarily airplane propellers.
The B. L. Marble Chair Company of Bedford, Ohio, which was formed in 1894, produced office furniture, and during World War I the product line was expanded to include aircraft propellers. This propeller was used on a Curtiss H-16 seaplane built at the Naval Aircraft Factory.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Propellers & Impellers
Manufacturer
B. L. Marble Chair Co.
Physical Description
Type: Two-Blade, Fixed-Pitch, Wood
Diameter: 321.3 cm (126.5 in.)
Chord: Unknown
Engine Application: Liberty
Dimensions
Rotor/Propeller: 321.3 × 27.9 × 16.5 × 0.6 × 8cm (10 ft. 6 1/2 in. × 11 in. × 6 1/2 in. × 1/4 in. × 3 1/8 in.)
Materials
Overall: Wood and metal
Propeller: Laminated walnut
Tipping: Copper
Coating: Original Varnish
Other: Paper, Solder
Inventory Number
A19310001000
Credit Line
Gift of B. L. Marble Chair Company, Bedford, Ohio
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.