When the United States entered World War I, plans called for American manufacturers to mass produce aircraft already in use by the Allies, one being the British Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5A. For its pilots already in Europe, the American Expeditionary Force bought 38 S.E.5A aircraft from Great Britain, and, in the United States, the government placed orders with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motors Corp.

The Armistice halted production after Curtiss had completed only one S.E.5A, but 56 more were constructed from components shipped from Great Britain. In 1922 the Eberhart Steel Products Co. received a contract to rebuild 50 of the Army Air Service's S.E.5A aircraft using 134 kw (180-hp) Wright-Hispano "E" engines. The Army Air Service used these aircraft, re-designated the SE-5E, for advanced training.

From the Curatorial Remarks, this artifact is likely a propeller from an SE-5E aircraft.