Most instructions say to paint props “wood” but many pictures show props as being laminated. Were they all laminated? Is there any reference material on this subject?
Short answer is laminated, but some then had metal or even fabric coverings oover all/part of the prop – depends on the a/c. I suggest you visit www.wwi-models.org and check the rference material and/or join the forum & ask the experts.
John
Welcome to the forum.
Even if they are laminated, they are still wood. They’re laminated to make the final product lighter and to keep the strength of the prop higher. If you build a prop out of a soft wood, it will be light weight but it’s strength will be low. If you build it out of hardwood, it will be rather strong but very heavy. So lamination is a compromise to get a better product. Plus the glue that is used between the laminations actually strengthens the prop.
As far as metal on wood props go, I’ve never seen or heard of a totally metal surfaced wood prop. Normaly the outboard leading edge of the prop has a covering of metal (usually brass sheet) to protect it from damage. A lot of wooden props get covered with fabric which adds to the strength of the prop and gives additional protection to the surface. Most people don’t realize much the British and Germans used wooden props during WW II (although it was more to conserve strategic metals than for any other reason).
If you do the wooden prop without a fabric covering, it should be painted to simulate the lamination. But check your references to see what was used on the actual aircraft.
Regards, Rick
Thanks for the info, I’ll check out the ww1 site.
Also check out this WW1 site www.theaerodrome.com Cheers! John.[:)]