Factory Color of Hamilton Standard propeller Hub

[DarrenW]

Does anyone have information concerning the factory color of the Hamilton Standard propeller hubs found on P-47s, F6Fs, and F4Us? I realize they were often re-painted by the receiving unit but did the factory paint them the same color as the blades by chance?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Does anyone have information concerning the factory color of the Hamilton Standard propeller hubs found on P-47s, F6Fs, and F4Us? I realize they were often re-painted by the receiving unit but did the factory paint them the same color as the blades by chance?

I have a bunch of old text books from WW2, I think there are a few pics of the HS production line and the hubs were unpainted (bare metal). If anything I think completed prop assemblies had a light coat of anti corrosion compound applied to them, to include the hub

 

[DarrenW]

I have a bunch of old text books from WW2, I think there are a few pics of the HS production line and the hubs were unpainted (bare metal). If anything I think completed prop assemblies had a light coat of anti corrosion compound applied to them, to include the hub

That's great information. Thank you!

 

[mjfur]

There's photo evidence that some hubs remained unpainted after leaving the airframe manufacturer as well.

 

[Michael Hope]

The steel hub parts would normally be a cadmium plating in a color of silver/light gray/dull white appearance. The aluminum dome attached to the hub, would be either satin finished or anodized coating.

 

[BobB]

This is not paint. Late in the war, Hamilton Standard used a conversion coating on their cadmium plating that gave a green color rather than the gold color that we get with today's supplementary chromate treatment. That's a 23E50 barrel in the photo. I've never heard exactly what the treatment was as the only person who seemed to know about it was an old timer who had been in the propeller parts business since the end of WW2.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

This is not paint. Late in the war, Hamilton Standard used a conversion coating on their cadmium plating that gave a green color rather than the gold color that we get with today's supplementary chromate treatment. That's a 23E50 barrel in the photo. I've never heard exactly what the treatment was as the only person who seemed to know about it was an old timer who had been in the propeller parts business since the end of WW2.View attachment 659732

Good info but I think this conversion coating was applied to spare units - I'm not 100% on this

 

[BobB]

Good info but I think this conversion coating was applied to spare units - I'm not 100% on this

That particular barrel was from a new prop disassembled for spares by surplus dealer. Being late in the war, it would certainly be possible that not many props were delivered that way but that lots of "war contract termination" parts that went into the surplus market had this finish.