Thomas F. Hamilton, born in 1894, had a long history in aviation, including hot-air balloons, gliders, and seaplanes. When the Matthews Brothers Manufacturing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, primarily a producer of furniture, sought to enter the wood propeller business during World War I, it hired Hamilton in 1917 as general manager of its aircraft department. He bought the propeller business from Matthews in 1919 and formed the Hamilton Aero Manufacturing Company, later becoming a secondary source to the United States government for the ground-adjustable propeller pioneered by Standard Steel.
William E. Boeing, one of the founders of the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, enticed Hamilton to join UATC. With the later acquisition of Standard Steel, the Hamilton Standard Propeller Corp. was formed.
This is one of a number of old propellers chosen by the museum's earliest curator, Paul Garber, from a collection at the Langley Field installation of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1931.
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
Hamilton Aero Manufacturing Co.
Physical Description
Type: Two-Blade, Fixed-Pitch, Wood
Diameter: 387.4 cm (152.5 in.)
Chord: Unknown
Engine Application: Unknown
Dimensions
Rotor/Propeller: 387.4 X 27.9 x 1.3 x 8.3 cm (12 ft. 8 1/2 in. x 11 in. x 1/2 in. x 3 1/4 in.)
Weight: 68 lbs
Materials
Laminated wood, Steel, Doped fabric, Paint, Paper, Adhesive
Inventory Number
A19320052000
Credit Line
Gift of National Committee of Aeronautics, Langley Field, Hampton, Va.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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