Aircraft Scrap: Propellers

[Rhyspiper]

Hi there,

Does anyone know where I can get hold of aircraft scrap, i'm after a propeller for decorative purposes preferably of a Piper Cherokee.

Have been scouring the net for aircraft scrapyards or scrap dealers in the UK with no luck!

Any info would be great!

Cheers

Rhyspiper

[kijangnim]

Greetings
Did you try Oxford Air Training School in Kidlington, they used to be Piper dealers.
Good Luck.

[Nightfire]

Getting an old propeller for decoration is not so easy.
You can either buy one on ebay, which will cost you quite a lot of money, or just check out some maintenance-companies at smaller airports.

The problem is that props usually get repaired after normal wear or light damage. If a prop gets severely damaged in an accident, it is still not worthless, because of the relatively high scrap-value of its material. Which means that the prop will not just be lying araound behind a shed somewhere until it rots, but will usually be put into a container and sold.
If you want one, you have to be lucky and at the right moment the right place.

Good luck, though... I've got a propeller on the wall of my study-room, and it's a great piece of decoration. I've had several guys already asking me "just in case I ever don't want it anymore".

By the way: Don't go around asking for a Piper Cherokee-Propeller. They are not dedicated to a single type of aircraft. What you are looking for is a two-blade fixed propeller. A variable pitch- or constant speed prop, for example, would be of no use to you.

[Rhyspiper]

I know that Piper Cherokees have many different types of props I forgot to add in the fixed pitch part because I assumed that people would realise.

Please dont patronise me!

[Taxi2parking]

Mate, I get the distinct impression that Nightfire was just trying to help.

[Ray Darr]

Nightfire,

GREAT answer (even the so-called "patronising" part)! Just don't let anyone's unpleasant retort to such helpful assistance that you gave...including your thoughts and time to bother answering anyone here... change your helpful character in the future.

I'll jump in and personally thank you for the information, Nightfire. I might use it one day myself!

Hey Rhys you might consider deleting / editing your rather abrupt reply-post. If you edit yours, I'll edit mine!

Cheers,
R.D.

[Nightfire]

No worries.

I used to work in G.A. maintenance for a couple of years, and that's where I also got my own deco-prop.
We had people asking for old propellers and cockpit-instruments quite frequently, and usually had to disappoint them.

As for the part that was misunderstood to be cheeky: I didn't know the extent of your technical knowledge of airplanes. If you (like most people, please don't take it personally) just ask for a "Cherokee-propeller", then the owner of the prop will certainly know what you mean, but he will also be sure that you have no idea about what you're talking about - so he'll happily sell it to you at his price.
Secondly, if you buy one over the internet (which I think you will end up doing), and you're not more specific about what you want, you might well be given a variable-pitch prop from, for example, a DA-20. It's made of wood and therefore worthless for recycling, and good for nothing to you: They look ugly when broken (with bits of plastic dangling off and cracked paint peelings), and unlike the prop from various other planes, where the propeller really is just two, three or four loose single blades that have yet to be attached to an independent module, it consists of the complete gear assembly. That thing is huge and heavy, and you would find it very difficult to fix it to your wall. Later you may also discover that even after a thorough cleaning there will always be oil dripping out of it - nice, if it happens in your living room.

Rhyspiper, I'm not patronizing you at all - why would I?

"Assumption is the mother of all screw-ups"

[NutLoose]

Paul Nalson? is your man, he even started putting them on ebay, he is an Aircraft Breaker who by his trade buys in aircraft that tend to have took the prop out on landing, so he has quite a lot lying about, will try to get his number for you tomoz........ well will if I remember