Below is written documentation describing Titanic's propellers as fit, including that the center propeller was 3-bladed (line 401). It reads:
401 23'-6"RECIP 35' 160 3 (blades) SAME AS 400 (meaning reciprocating engines had 3 blades as Olympic)
TURBINE
17'0"14'-6"120 3(blades)
Harland & Wolff's purchasing documents and other H&W sources provide information about how Olympic's center propeller varied over time. The documents indicate that Olympic was originally fit with a 4-bladed center propeller in 1911 but this propeller was replaced during her March, 1913 refit with a larger 3-bladed center propeller matching the specs in Andrew's notes. Sometime between 1919 and 1920, that 3-bladed propeller was removed and replaced with a smaller 4-bladed propeller.
Andrew's notebook stated that the central propeller was made of a material called Turbadium bronze, unlike the blades of the wing propellers which are listed as Manganese bronze.
So, there does exist some evidence that indicates that Titanic could very well have been fitted with the following configuration:
- 2 Side propellers. 23.5' in diameter, with 3 blades
- 1 Center propeller, 17' in diameter, with 3 blades
The conclusion from this evidence that Titanic was probably fit with a 3-bladed center propeller is now generally accepted by respected historians. Here are two discussions worth considering:
https://titanic-cad-plans.website/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Titanic-center-propeller-article.pdf
https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/mystery-titanic-central-propeller.html?fbclid=IwAR2GP8GRDcaIfCRe-T2wlmYjBmDGq1Z9mgWa2RJiI_tiUfZmFOjBcb-ck-I_aem_AaAsgYAmdOENunpy69H1uKlvir0D5Y4uCo3cF53rzhaVWvO084gwRQYmepNbkpwAbANQQ9armtvC6WNm93IINrza
Obviously, with no known photos of the Titanic's center propeller, and yes, the real propeller is buried in the mud, we may never know the the answer with absolute certainty.
In any case, build your model however you want.
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