Before perfection of the propeller variable-pitch mechanism could be fully addressed, an intermediate step was required, the search for new materials and construction methods to facilitate changing blade angle. The Army promoted development of Westinghouse's micarta insulation product into an alternative to both wood and metal. A micarta propeller consisted of the phenolic resin Bakelite, one of the earliest synthetic plastics, and canvas cloth molded into shape under high pressure.
Westinghouse designed a micarta propeller for the Army's workhorse Liberty V-12 engine in 1918, and DH-4 aircraft flew with one-piece, fixed-pitch micarta propellers into the mid-1920s. This artifact is similar to the micarta propeller used in 1927 with an Atlantic-Fokker C-2 aircraft on the first flight from the U.S. to Hawaii. Despite an early promise, both fixed-pitch and detachable-blade micarta propellers were proportionally heavier and more expensive than wood counterparts, and not as durable as aluminum alloy propellers. Westinghouse discontinued production in the early 1930s.
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
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co., East Pittsburgh, PA
Physical Description
Type: Two-Blade, Adjustable-Pitch, Micarta
Engine Application: Wright J-5 radial, 164 kw (220 hp)
Dimensions
3-D (Propeller): 269.9 × 15.9 × 15.9cm, 26.8kg (8 ft. 10 1/4 in. × 6 1/4 in. × 6 1/4 in., 59lb.)
Storage (Aluminum Pallet): 314.3 × 121.9 × 124.5cm, 284kg (10 ft. 3 3/4 in. × 4 ft. × 4 ft. 1 in., 626lb.)
Materials
HAZMAT: Cadmium Plating
Micarta, Preservative coating, Steel, Solder
Inventory Number
A19350047000
Credit Line
Gift of Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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