These wood propellers were 8′ 4″ in diameter. These Sop’s with pup propeller, demonstrate common features of early wooden propellers. They have asymmetrical leading and trailing edges with fabric covered tips and a dark mahogany wood with an 8-bolt pattern in the hub that offsets the blades giving it a mild scimitar look.

Sometimes a propeller will have the aircraft type stamped on the hub in an abbreviated form. If your hub has “Spa”, it may stand for SPAD or if you see “Nie” it may stand for Nieuport. Even the engines could have similar abbreviations on them. For example, Mono which stands for monosoupape. If you have a French propeller, it very likely will have a drawing number or a serial number on the hub.

Many people today collect these propellers to remember a bye-gone era. They will convert them enough to use them as ceiling fans or even make them into furniture. One business has gone so far as to incorporate not only the propellers but also old beer signs and brass bells to replicate a World War I pub.

Modern wood propellers are 6’ with symmetrical edges, light wood, a length of metal sheeting and a 6-bolt hub like the Sassenach propeller. These are still collectible but most people prefer the World War I era propellers because of their history.