Hurricane with 2-blade metal prop?

[ThomasP]

Does anyone have any information on the 2-blade metal (CS?) prop being fitted to Hurricanes? Even if it was just for use by CC&F locally.

Snautzer01 posted a photo in the Aircraft Pictures thread, see "Hawker Hurricane"

 

[Michael Hope]

To me the propeller is not a Constant Speed propeller. If it was a CS, the blade shanks would be round, like in this image Hawker Hurricane, from post 289 of the same thread.

To my self it could be a wooden fixed pitch.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

"Hawker Hurricane Mk. I (50), (Serial Nos. 310-329, 1351-1380), Mk. IIC (1), (Serial No. A274 (ex HV961), Mk. XII (401), (Serial Nos. 5376-5775, 9426), Mk. XIIA (50), (V7402, BW835-BW884), Sea Hurricane (1), (Serial R4177), for a total of 503 aircraft.

The first Hawker Hurricanes operated by the RCAF British built Mk. Is built with a fabric wing and flew with a two blade prop RCAF (Serial Nos. 310 to 329). A British-built Hurricane Mk. I (Serial No. L1848) was provided to Canadian Car & Foundry (CC&F) as a pattern aircraft for production. The first Hurricanes produced for the RCAF by CC&F were Hurricane Mk. Xs. These were basically Canadian built Hurricane Mk. Is with cut down Fairey Battle props without spinners, eight-gun wings, and no glare shields. They wore RCAF (Serial Nos. 1351 to 1380)."

Canadian Warplanes 3: Hawker Hurricane

Harold writes articles on Canadian military history, including Military Parachuting, Warplanes, Armour and Artillery, Castles, Fortifications, Sieges and Battles, Warships, The Cold War, Women in the Canadian Forces, First Nations and Black Canadian Military Service. Each article is supported by...

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[buffnut453]

That's a fixed pitch prop. Nothing to do with constant speed.

 

[nuuumannn]

It's worth noting that the early British VP props were variable pitch, but not CS, nominally two-position props.

 

[ThomasP]

Whoops! I could not enlarge the image originally, so could not make out the root of the prop in the picture. So the conclusion is that the 2-blade prop in the photo is is the normal Watts pattern wood prop?

The reason I ask is that the profile/width at the base does not look the same (to my eyes) as in other pictures of the Watts fitted on the Hurricane. Maybe it is just the angle.

 

[nuuumannn]

The reason I ask is that the profile/width at the base does not look the same (to my eyes) as in other pictures of the Watts fitted on the Hurricane. Maybe it is just the angle.

Having pulled out a book on Hurris and looked at pics, the Watts prop looks real fat from certain angles, but thin from front on, so understand the confusion. To my knowledge the Hurricane was not fitted with a metal fixed pitch prop or a two-blade VP prop. In January 1939 the first Hurricane fitted with a three-bladed Rotol CS prop was modified and this subsequently went into production Mk.Is.

 

[Wurger]

Maybe it is just the angle.

I would say yes it is

the source: the internet.

 

[special ed]

The last one was a Spitfire. You thought we wouldn't notice, right? There is a question on the last Hurricane shot. Are the two mechanics both starting the engine, meaning was the flywheel accessed from both sides allowing less effort cranking if two people wind the flywheel?

 

[Wurger]

The last one was a Spitfire. You thought we wouldn't notice, right?

Of course I didn't think you wouldn't recoginize it . Actually I must have clicked one shot more while multi-attaching images and didn't notice that. Deleted ...

There is a question on the last Hurricane shot. Are the two mechanics both starting the engine, meaning was the flywheel accessed from both sides allowing less effort cranking if two people wind the flywheel?

It looks like.

.... winding up ...

the pic source: Canadian Warplanes 3: Hawker Hurricane

 

[Engineman]

Of course I didn't think you wouldn't recoginize it . Actually I must have clicked one shot more while multi-attaching images and didn't notice that. Deleted ...



It looks like.

.... winding up ...
View attachment 657038
the pic source: Canadian Warplanes 3: Hawker Hurricane

This early Merlin engine on the Hurricane had a direct hand-crank start with just a reduced ratio to turn the engine and the starting magneto via chains, there was no inertia starter. There was an electric starter but, without a trolley-acc, the starting handles were used. I wouldn't fancy this much myself, the mechanism had a roller sprag clutch to disengage on start and the handles had the usual claw with two pins but, a kick-back only has protection for the winders through the safety clutch. In case you wonder, there are handles on both sides as there is a cross shaft below the engine and a connecting chain drive up to the manual starter drive on the RHS of the engine wheelcase.
Cheers

Eng

 

[Wurger]

Glad to find out more. THX. Edited.

 

[special ed]

Always something new to learn.

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Canadian Warplanes 3: Hawker Hurricane

Harold writes articles on Canadian military history, including Military Parachuting, Warplanes, Armour and Artillery, Castles, Fortifications, Sieges and Battles, Warships, The Cold War, Women in the Canadian Forces, First Nations and Black Canadian Military Service. Each article is supported by...

www.silverhawkauthor.com

Harold seems to be using Wiki as a source. The Wiki page has since been updated, to account for the 60 airframes in storage at the end of 1941, all incomplete, rolled out as mark I, 30 to RCAF as mark I, rest a few months later to Britain as mark II airframes. So "built as" 60 mark I, "first flown as" 30 I and 30 II.

RCAF 9426 is an Otter taken on strength 6 January 1961, the "odd" mark XII serial is well post war, for a Hurricane whose original serial had been lost. A274 was an instructional airframe.

Survivors of the 30 RAF order mark I (1351-1380) and the 50 CCF built Sea Hurricane I (BW835-BW884) were upgraded to mark XII.