When Orville Wright moved to Oakwood, Ohio in 1914, he became acquainted with his neighbor, George Hartzell. George's son, Robert, had a strong interest in aviation and was encouraged by Orville to begin making propellers at his father's walnut wood products business. Robert left the University of Cincinnati in 1917 to begin the propeller venture. The United States had just entered World War I and the war effort created an instant and almost unmanageable demand for Hartzell Walnut Propellers. Hartzell supplied propellers to nearby Dayton-Wright Airplane Company, as well as Glen Curtiss' company and other early aviation pioneers.
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
Forest Products Laboratory
Physical Description
Type: Two-Blade, Fixed-Pitch, Wood
Engine Application: Hispano- Suiza 134 kw (180 HP)
Dimensions
3-D (Propeller): 242.6 × 24.1 × 14.6cm, 14.1kg (7 ft. 11 1/2 in. × 9 1/2 in. × 5 3/4 in., 31lb.)
Storage (Aluminum Pallet): 301 × 123.2 × 83.8cm, 175.5kg (9 ft. 10 1/2 in. × 4 ft. 1/2 in. × 2 ft. 9 in., 387lb.)
Materials
Laminated wood, Steel, Paint, Museum Varnish, Solder
Inventory Number
A19320050000
Credit Line
Gift of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Langley Field, Hampton, VA
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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