What kind of wood the German & Austrian used on their propeller

[Eric1957]

Is it Cherry, Birch, Walnut, Maple, Ash, Mahagony. Soneone told recommended that I used Basswood (stained appropriateley)for my series of Albatross Wingnut and Roden in 1/32 scale. Any help. Welcome.
Take care.

Eric Descarrier
London
UK

[RobW]

Achim has an excellent video on the making of an Axial propeller at: Aircraft Educational Movies - Airscrew making

Also, if you search the FTS Projects thread in the replica aircraft forum you'll find some information there.

rob

[Shadoko]

Hi,

Originally Posted by RobW

Achim has an excellent video on the making of an Axial propeller at: Aircraft Educational Movies - Airscrew making
.../...
rob

There is a 3mn teaser on the page...

Working in direct sunlight (even outside) is very harmful for the wood (0:36 on the teaser), and using a file (even a rasp) at an angle perpendicular to the grain (1:27, 1:36 to 1:40 and 1:48 to 1:53) is not to be done.

So, IMHO, 20$ for the 14mn film has to be like "throwing money out the windows".

Regards,
PM

[SCMc]

This may not answer your specific needs, but in his Albatros thread, Koloman Mayrhofer wrote:

hallo,
in germany and austria during ww1 the most comon wood types for airscrews
was walnut, ash, red beech, elm, maple and birch.mahogany was used only by a few producers who had large stocks from before the war. with the blockade becomming effective no exotic woods are getting in anymore.

axial and garuda as also rathjen used mahogany in ther products throughout the war so they must have had an enourmes stock.

for gluing it is important that all laminations have exactly the same moisture content and are sawn to the same system. so mixing quarter and flat sawn laminations is not a good idea.

there are several typs of mahogany available which are suitable to be used in propellers. not only south american varietes.

on the prop you showed the pics it is ash and mahogany.

cheers
koloman mayrhofer

Koloman and/or John McKenzie would probably be the best ones to answer questions about specific props.

Steve

[Maxim08]

Eric,

The D VII Heine I have is 8 laminations of mahogany and 1 of ash.
The Wotan propellor in a local collection (for a D III engine but unsure of aircraft type, but a 2 seater) alternates ash and mahogany starting and finishing with the mahogany. The latter is what is often portrayed for 2 tone props. I am sure that many other woods were used as Koloman noted.

Regards
John