Spitfire Mk. 22/Mk. 24 - Propeller Rotor Blade Geometry

Hey Guys,

I've been searching for a while for the exact geometry of the late Spitfire propeller blades. More precise the Mk. 22/Mk. 24 or the Seafire Mk. 47.

I read a paper that stated, these types (Mk. 22 & Mk. 24) had the same Propeller blades, or similar but smaller (Seafire Mk. 47).

I also know for a fact that the Propellers that where built in, where Rotol Jablo ones, but not which ones specifically. I read that the Mk. XIV would use ROTOL R19/5F5/1 with HOFFMAN blades type 6000 14789 but I wasn't able to confirm and if true, am not sure if those are also the ones used in later models.

So in summary, I am searching for ...

A: the correct model type of propellor blades

B: information about the exact geometry of the blades



I need to make 3D models of the exact propellor geometry for a hobby CFD project I am currently running.

If anyone of you guys have some insights they are ready to share or useful paper or links I would be very thankful!

Have a great day!

Welcome to the site.

To answer your questions ... according to my notes ...

Spitfire Mk.22/Mk.24 ...
The 11 ft (3.35 m) diameter five-bladed Jablo-Rotol R14/5F5/2 or R24/5F5/2 propeller with the DRG. RA.10129 JT,RTS or JCS Jablo blades.

Seafire 47 , the contra-prop blade DRG. RA.10270 ...

The R19/5F5/1 10ft 5inch prop on Griffon Spitfires Mk.XIV to XIX used the DRG. RA.10130 JT,RTS or JCS Jablo blades and also the RA.10127JT blade.

Wurger said:

Welcome to the site.

To answer your questions ... according to my notes ...

Spitfire Mk.22/Mk.24 ...
The 11 ft (3.35 m) diameter five-bladed Jablo-Rotol R14/5F5/2 or R24/5F5/2 propeller with the DRG. RA.10129 JT,RTS or JCS Jablo blades.

Seafire 47 , the contra-prop blade DRG. RA.10270 ...

The R19/5F5/1 10ft 5inch prop on Griffon Spitfires Mk.XIV to XIX used the DRG. RA.10130 JT,RTS or JCS Jablo blades and also the RA.10127JT balde.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the fast reply!

A few additional questions, maybe you or someone else can help me as well:

1. Do you by instance have a propeller specification for the Seafire 47? Or are their propellers indeed the same as Mk. 22/24 although less blades per cont-prop (meaning Jablo-Rotol R14/5F5/2)?

2. What exactly does the typography "DRG. RA.10129 JT,RTS or JCS" stand for in detail? What does JT, RTS, JCS stand for?

3. Do you know where I can get maybe technical schematics of the blade types you listed? Or some geometry or else?

BiomimeticWings said:

Thank you very much for the fast reply!

A few additional questions, maybe you or someone else can help me as well:

1. Do you by instance have a propeller specification for the Seafire 47? Or are their propellers indeed the same as Mk. 22/24 although less blades per cont-prop (meaning Jablo-Rotol R14/5F5/2)?

2. What exactly does the typography "DRG. RA.10129 JT,RTS or JCS" stand for in detail? What does JT, RTS, JCS stand for?

3. Do you know where I can get maybe technical schematics of the blade types you listed? Or some geometry or else?

Click to expand...

My pleasure.

Ad. 1 ... if we talk about the Seafire 47 the propeller wasn't the same as for the Mk.22/24. It was the contra-propeller consisted of two three-blade propellers with the prop blade DRG. RA.10270. See any image of the Seafire 47 and compare to the Mk22/24 with the five bladed Rotol propeller.

Ad. 2 ... the marking DRG. RA.10129 JT,RTS, JCS means ...
DRG - an abbreviation stands for the drawing number ...
RA - an abbreviation for the Rotol Airscrew (Rotol Limited) ... in other words the designer's name.
10129 - the blade diagram/drawing number ...
JT, RTS, JCS are the abbreviations indicate the material the blade was made of, the covering and the sheath type. For instance, RTS means the jablo wood , the Rotoloid Thin covering and the brass sheath. The JCS ... the jablo wood , the Cristofin covering and the brass sheath. The JT ... the jablo wood, the Jablo Thin covering and the brass sheath.

Ad. 3 ... Sorry but I don't have the info. Just try to look around the net. Also you may check on your thread here frequently. It's possible you may get the drawings here soon. Just all needs the time because it is the international forum and while you and me don't sleep the guys in the Australia or USA do, for instance.

Thanks a lot, that really helped!

So I am giving the remaining questions back into discussion:
Does anyone happen to have access to data about the geometry (measurements, twisting, profile, etc) of the blade types
- DRG. RA.10129 (Spitfire Mk 22/24)
- DRG. RA.10270 (Seafire Mk 47)

Have a great day!

BiomimeticWings said:

Thanks a lot, that really helped!

So I am giving the remaining questions back into discussion:
Does anyone happen to have access to data about the geometry (measurements, twisting, profile, etc) of the blade types
- DRG. RA.10129 (Spitfire Mk 22/24)
- DRG. RA.10270 (Seafire Mk 47)

Have a great day!

Click to expand...

My suggestion is to ask Hoffman Propeller in Germany, if they have the data for release, as they made the blades for PK350, Malloch's Spitfire from Rhodesia.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Ys969yYOk&t=3s