The introduction of the metal aerial propeller was a significant advance in aeronautical technology in the early 1920s. Dr. S. Albert Reed theorized that thin metal blades would be more efficient than thick wooden ones for propellers at high speeds. Working with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Manufacturing Company, Inc., Reed developed a series of twisted solid duralumin propellers designed for durability and efficiency. The use of the Reed propeller increased overall performance and enabled the use of engines of greater power. For this achievement, Reed received the Collier Trophy for 1925.
This is the prototype Reed propeller, the D-1. It became the first solid one-piece duralumin propeller to be successfully flown on an aircraft. The famous barnstormer and test pilot, Casey Jones, first flew the propeller on August 30, 1921, with it installed on a Curtiss K-6 engine in a Curtiss-Standard biplane at Curtiss Field, Garden City, Long Island.
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
Date
1921
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
PROPULSION-Propellers & Impellers
Manufacturer
Dr. S. Albert Reed and the Curtiss Aeroplane and Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Physical Description
Type: Two-Blade, Fixed-Pitch Duralumin Propeller
Diameter: 274.3 cm (108 in)
Chord: 15.24 cm (6 in)
Engine Application: Curtiss K-6 150 Horsepower Inline 6, 112 kw (150 hp)
Manufacturer: Dr. S. Albert Reed and the Curtiss Aeroplane and Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Dimensions
3-D (Propeller): 274.3 × 23.5 × 10.8cm, 16.8kg (9 ft. × 9 1/4 in. × 4 1/4 in., 37lb.)
Storage (Aluminum Pallet): 122.6 × 308.6 × 86.4cm, 164.7kg (4 ft. 1/4 in. × 10 ft. 1 1/2 in. × 2 ft. 10 in., 363lb.)
Materials
Aluminum Alloy
Paint
Inventory Number
A19430003000
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. S. Albert Reed
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
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