11/5/08

More Show & Tell

Kermit brought this item to show-and-tell at George's house last week. What is it?

Part of a lawnmower?

A food processor blade?

The propeller from a trolling motor?

The correct answer is: None of the above. This is the Star Propeller, a 9.25 inch model airplane prop marketed circa 1946 for Class B or C engines. The innovative (and colorful) design did not exactly revolutionize model aviation, in spite of the following claims in the brochure:

NEW DEVELOPMENT - AVAILABLE AT LAST

See for yourself what terrific POWER OUTPUT is awaiting you with your present motor.

You get TREMENDOUS POWER OUTPUT through:
1. No directional airflow losses.
2. Zero tip losses
3. Higher thrust at sonic as well as subsonic tip speeds
4. High Reynolds number
5. High effective blade aspect ratio

Shows ASTOUNDING EFFICIENCY giving a tremendous increase in the available thrust of today’s high speed engines.

YOU ALSO GET:
a. Easy starting
b. Reduced vibration
c. Gyroscopic action providing amazing stability, giving insurance against crash

Buy a STAR and be a winner.

DEALER INQUIRIES SOLICITED.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, boggles the mind, don't it!! I've never even heard of one of these before, much less seen one! I guess it didn't exactly "revolutionize" model aviation when it came out! I can't even IMAGINE bolting one of these cast aluminum "devices" onto an engine and actually running it! It does rate pretty high on the "curious" scale though!

Kermit

Anonymous said...

Interesting idea.
So, the blades were variable pitch, right?
I wonder what is the purpose of the scoops on the blades themselves.