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Tech Sergeant
Guys, I am looking for a set of 4 Lancaster paddle bladed props. Does anyone know who makes a set?
1/48 Lancaster Paddle Bladed Props.
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Snautzer01
Honourably banned
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On what mark were they?
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Tech Sergeant
Not sure but MK. X's had them. Specifically Andrew Mynarksi's Lancaster. Built in Canada as the MK. X but a Canadian version of the B. III
flew from what is now my local airport, been thinking of doing it myself.
am trying to convince myself to go 1/72 for some larger aircraft as more choice of kits and saves space but still cant do it as yet, as would like all my subjects to be in the same scale
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Tech Sergeant
I recently purchased the HK Model 1/48 Lancaster B. I. Apparently identical to the B.III externally and the Canadian Built MK.X was the same as the B.III but with Canadian/American instruments, electronics. The HK kit comes with the Needle props but Mynarski's had the paddle bladed ones which were on the later marks.flew from what is now my local airport, been thinking of doing it myself.
am trying to convince myself to go 1/72 for some larger aircraft as more choice of kits and saves space but still cant do it as yet, as would like all my subjects to be in the same scale
Geoffrey Sinclair
Staff Sergeant
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- Sep 30, 2021
According to Avro Lancaster the Definitive Record by Harry Holmes the Merlin Lancasters used Rotol, Hamilton Standard and Nash-Kelvinator, with the latter coming with paddle blades.
According to the Ministry of Aircraft Production US built propellers for Lancasters started arriving in July 1942 and by end January 1943 3,382 had been assembled, total Lancaster production had reached 827, requiring 3,308 propellers.
According to the US War Production Board the Nash Kelvinator production of the Hamilton Standard 23-E-50 and 23-EX propellers were fitted to the B-17, B-24, B-25, A-20, A-26, A-30, F6F, C-46, C-87, RY, PBY, PB4Y, Lancaster, Mosquito.
As of January 1945 the Ministry of Aircraft Production says it was assembling model A5/159 propellers for Lancaster I and III, Lincoln I and II, York and Tudor. Cumulative imports for models A5/148 and 159 for Lancaster and Lincoln were 8,844 plus 14,011 model A5/138 for Lancaster I and III, with 5,394 Merlin Lancasters produced to date.
Except for the mark II using Rotol Electric propellers, RE6 was one model, RE8, 9 and 11 are noted for both Wellington or Lancaster, Britain stopped producing propellers for Lancasters quite early in the production run. I would expect the same US propellers to be fitted to the Canadian production and propeller changes were easy enough.
I do not have any idea when paddle blades were fitted to production, or how to link British and US propeller model numbers, or what blade design the paddle blades were.
KB726 arrived at 20 MU on 13 April 1944, it was probably delivered in Canada in February, the serial is the 27th one of the first production batch. Later mark X had the Martin mid upper turret with 2x0.50 inch machine guns, also fitted to the Austin built mark VII.
All the above is assuming we are not discussing the paddle blades of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Lancaster, which is a late production version serial FM213 but painted as KB726
According to the Ministry of Aircraft Production US built propellers for Lancasters started arriving in July 1942 and by end January 1943 3,382 had been assembled, total Lancaster production had reached 827, requiring 3,308 propellers.
According to the US War Production Board the Nash Kelvinator production of the Hamilton Standard 23-E-50 and 23-EX propellers were fitted to the B-17, B-24, B-25, A-20, A-26, A-30, F6F, C-46, C-87, RY, PBY, PB4Y, Lancaster, Mosquito.
As of January 1945 the Ministry of Aircraft Production says it was assembling model A5/159 propellers for Lancaster I and III, Lincoln I and II, York and Tudor. Cumulative imports for models A5/148 and 159 for Lancaster and Lincoln were 8,844 plus 14,011 model A5/138 for Lancaster I and III, with 5,394 Merlin Lancasters produced to date.
Except for the mark II using Rotol Electric propellers, RE6 was one model, RE8, 9 and 11 are noted for both Wellington or Lancaster, Britain stopped producing propellers for Lancasters quite early in the production run. I would expect the same US propellers to be fitted to the Canadian production and propeller changes were easy enough.
I do not have any idea when paddle blades were fitted to production, or how to link British and US propeller model numbers, or what blade design the paddle blades were.
KB726 arrived at 20 MU on 13 April 1944, it was probably delivered in Canada in February, the serial is the 27th one of the first production batch. Later mark X had the Martin mid upper turret with 2x0.50 inch machine guns, also fitted to the Austin built mark VII.
All the above is assuming we are not discussing the paddle blades of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Lancaster, which is a late production version serial FM213 but painted as KB726
see here Lancaster KB-732 – Bomber Command Museum of Canada
KB732 had the needle props so maybe KB726 would of had too ?
but if KB726 did have paddle blades and the above is true, you can just use B-17 blades which are easily found ?
KB732 had the needle props so maybe KB726 would of had too ?
but if KB726 did have paddle blades and the above is true, you can just use B-17 blades which are easily found ?
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As memo serves both the Avro Lancaster and the DH Mosquito used the same 23EX 6519 paddle blade Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propeller. Not sure but the difference was the prop diameter. The Mossie had the prop of smaller diameter. But I can be wrong.
yes, you are correct, Mossie was 12ft, lancaster 13ft i believe
so the B-17 props were 11 ft 6 inches so my idea of using resin B-17 propellers wont work, sorry
the more i look the more i am convinced it had the needle props, pics i see of Lancasters in the KB700 range close to but later than KB726 have the needle props
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Tech Sergeant
Thanks Guys, very informative So, I guess I could do Mynarkski's Lanc but with Needle props and no VC patch on the port side which the Canadian Warplane Heritage added in commemoration.. Kitsworld does a set for KB 726. Any others you know of?
Alternatively I could do X-Terminator KB 732.
Alternatively I could do X-Terminator KB 732.
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yep, KB732 deffo had narrow prop blades
or just do KB726 and put the VC on it anyway, i would 
Yep .. here a couple of shots of the Lancaster X belonged to the no.419 Squadron RCAF. Believing the captions the two first images were taken in 1944 while the next two in 1945. The ones of 1944 seem to show the brand new Lancs X of the of the KB7*** with the KB711 leading. All of them had the "needle" props. In 1945 the Lancs with the "paddle" props appeared. But IMHO the serials started with KB8***.
1944
1945
the pic source: https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/canadian-warplanes-3-avro-lancaster-rcaf-1942-1945
1944
1945
the pic source: https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/canadian-warplanes-3-avro-lancaster-rcaf-1942-1945
Just a note that the 23EX propeller was essentially the de Havilland Propellers licence-built variant of the 23E50 HS prop. The difference was in the spline on the spider, the spigot on which the prop blades fit into. This differed to the HS props to enable fitting to British engines with different splines. This meant that 23E50s and 23EXs were not interchangeable without changing the spider.
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Tech Sergeant
Again, excellent references. I found a set of Decals for X-Terminator from Belcher Bits. They are here in Ontario, Canada. The mission markings and aircraft name are in yellow while the Canadian Warplane Heritage painted their Lanc up in the markings of KB732 but with white markings. Looking at the period Black and white photos of X-terminator they appear to be yellow . Can anyone confirm?
