In 1909 the Requa Gibson Company of New York City, led by Hugh C. Gibson, became the first American propeller manufacturer. The company began by crafting copies of French Chauviére propellers, but later pioneered distinctively American designs by E.W. Bonson. However, the success of this pioneer propeller manufacturer was short-lived, as the company went bankrupt in June 1911.
This artifact is from a collection of propellers used by Professor David L. Gallup in 1911 experiments conducted at the Alden Hydraulic Laboratory of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The Gallup whirling arm experiments were one of the first comprehensive attempts to test the efficiency of propellers in the world. In 1912 the same testing apparatus was used by MIT student Frank W. Caldwell, who went on to become a leader in the development of propeller technology in both government and industry.
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
Requa Gibson Company
Physical Description
Type: Two-Blade, Fixed-Pitch, Wood
Engine Application: Unknown
Dimensions
3-D (Propeller): 213.4 × 33 × 20.3cm, 11.8kg (7 ft. × 1 ft. 1 in. × 8 in., 26lb.)
Storage (Aluminum Pallet): 311.1 × 122.6 × 99.1cm, 192.3kg (10 ft. 2 1/2 in. × 4 ft. 1/4 in. × 3 ft. 3 in., 424lb.)
Materials
Walnut, Laminated wood, Museum Varnish, Brass
Inventory Number
A19300075000
Credit Line
Gift of Alden Hydraulic Laboratory, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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