Warbird Information Exchange

What is this unit between the hub and the crankcase nose? I would assume it is integral with the prop and has to do with pitch change?



Information and better picture (prop removed?) are much appreciated. As an alternative, let me know the type of prop and I'll do more research on my own.

Thanks in advance,

C2j

Part of the Aero Products A642 prop according to the the IPB.

It is the prop governor. The nut looking plug with the safety wire attached to it is the filler plug. Turn the prop where that plug sits horizontally to check or add fluid
level. Uses regular 5606 hydraulic fluid. Best prop governor ever made, nary a problem with them if they are rebuilt correctly. That looks like the late Tom Woods kitty??

There is more info on the Aeroproducts prop and how it works here:
http://www.enginehistory.org/Propellers/Aeroproducts/aeroproducts.shtml
Scroll down to the second article.

Randy

"Bear" with me. I come to you for your smarts. Didn't want to start a new thread to lay out this question, here seems like a suitable place to semi-hijack for a moment-- The Russian An-2 seems to have a propeller that is very similar in appearance to a Skyraider or Bearcat prop. Is this just a cosmetic similarity, or is the design lifted and copied somewhat?

I think that the AN-2 uses what is called an AW-2 prop but having been around a couple of them, they look to me to be similar to Hamilton Standard hydraulic props, which use a governor mounted on the engine, unlike the Airproducts prop. They may have been "inspired" by HamStandard props as the Ash-62 engine was "inspired" by the Wright R-1820, as I understand it. Many years ago I helped pick up and install the two-bladed prop on our Polikarpov I-16 and understood it was originally a 4-blade off an AN-2 with two blades cut off very nicely at the prop hub. It was quite heavy. I'm sure someone with more hands on experience with the AN-2 prop will provide more info. Hope this is of some help.

Randy

Thanks Randy! Now that I've done some googling on the AW-2, gotten some closer-ups, it doesn't seem to be so Skyraiderish after all. I thought I'd seen many that didn't have the hub "dome", but now I think I may have hallucinated. All An-2's seem to have a prop with dome, albeit smallish. Interesting info on the Polikarpov though!