I get a Sporty's catalog every month and I'm surprised I haven't seen this yet: fans based on the famous propellers of history. There could be a variety of fan shapes including desk, box, and ceiling with the fan portion replaced by a scale model of a historic propeller such as the Wright Brothers' or the Standard Steel prop used on the Spirit of St. Louis. More expensive models like the contra-rotating prop of the XF-11 come with a pitch control lever to vary the RPM. They would be a huge hit for Sporty's and Sky Mall!-- DIYMatt, Feb 24 2013 One of these, in your desk fan. http://www.wright-b...rop%20installed.jpg [DIYMatt, Feb 24 2013] P-40 Tigershark Fan http://tailwinds.com/tiwaaicefan.htmlThe Tigershark Airplane Ceiling Fan is a replica of the original Tigershark squadron airplane nose flown during WW II. [baconbrain, Feb 25 2013] Move a lot of air http://www.shephard...400M_propellers.jpgBonus feature! It can go into beta pitch. [Klaatu, Feb 25 2013] Big Ass Fans http://www.bigassfans.com/Has some helicopter-oids and a laminated wood one. [baconbrain, Feb 25 2013] You could go antique. http://www.thisdayi.../DaVincinFlying.jpg [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 25 2013] Sopwith Camel too http://www.tailwind...ne-ceiling-fan.htmltalk about your perfect man-cave fan [doctorremulac3, Aug 11 2014] I would like both a Spitfire and a BF109 models, at both sides front on me on my desktop. Two modes of operation: normal and slow motion to appreciate such beauty [+].-- piluso, Feb 24 2013 Can't we have a full power "takeoff" mode?-- Voice, Feb 24 2013 (+)-- MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 24 2013 If "Sporty's" is Sporty's Pilot Shop, they or somebody else aviation-related used to sell ceiling fans shaped like the front end of a P-40 Kittyhawk and a couple of other WWII planes. It looked like the plane was crashed through the roof, or had been taxidermied about halfway through the engine, and ceiling mounted.
Let me look ... and link. The prop isn't really accurate, of course, as the purpose is different---but while it's turning, you can't tell.-- baconbrain, Feb 25 2013 Don't forget ship-propellers....-- Vernon, Feb 25 2013 The intuitive problem is the direction of airfflow. However it would be really cool to have a replica cockpit in the hot summer, and the propeller fan blowing cool air through your hair as you perform a solo mission playing with your joystick.-- rcarty, Feb 25 2013 Remember to yell "CLEAR!" before starting the fan. Pilot stuff = [+]-- Klaatu, Feb 25 2013 Please can I have a desk fan with a helicopter swashplate.-- mitxela, Feb 25 2013 A set of four Hamilton-Standards, all in a chrome-spinnered row, and mountings made to look like the front end of a Wright R-3350. And, quite often, one of the props feathered.-- lurch, Feb 25 2013 Just went on a tour of one of one of the few wood propeller factories in the world. Talk about beautiful pieces of art these things. They still craft them with steel templates and I was telling them it's time to start gettin' CNC on that stuff and let the robots do the work. Dump this Geppeto's workshop crap and get with the times.
Didn't word it quite like that obviously but they agreed it was the thing to do. Anyway, I wanted to buy one to put on my wall till they told me the price. A good, perfectly balanced, hand made laminated wood propeller isn't cheap. [+]-- doctorremulac3, Feb 26 2013 I thought you'd gravitate towards unbalanced.-- AusCan531, Feb 26 2013 //made to look like the front end of a R-3350//
Why not get the real thing ? you weren't using the upstairs closet anyways.
//price// I imagine "used" or even "decomissioned" would be suitable unless you were actually planning on spinning one up to Mach0.8 .-- FlyingToaster, Feb 26 2013 Well, the new ones looked new. Picture a laminated wood coffee table that's been spun around as you say, at Mach .8 through rain and blistering sun for years. Not as worthy of display in your living room as one that's fresh out of the workshop.
These guys put some time into making these look really good. I even went on line to look at cheap Chinese made for decoration only props and wasn't impressed. Looked like a wood propeller. The ones at the factory I visited looked like wood sculptures.-- doctorremulac3, Feb 26 2013 //Why not get the real thing?// 7-foot ceilings.-- lurch, Feb 27 2013 Oh, I dunno: I'm also an occasional fan of the sense of order-brought-to-heel-by-art in laminate sculpture.
The obvious story of course is "I'm buying an airplane on an installment plan". This also helps to explain the O-320 running the dishwasher and why the chairs in the den have 5-point seat belts.-- FlyingToaster, Feb 27 2013 ford fiesta?-- po, Feb 27 2013 On my list of projects to be started* is a counter- rotating ceiling fan made with single blades and counterweights.
* only once the facilities exist to finish them-- bs0u0155, Aug 11 2014 Old or not, bunned [+]
Though wouldn't this just be an extension of existing retro markets?-- Skewed, Aug 11 2014 Add a model of the engine that turned it and you got a winner. Did somebody already suggest that?-- doctorremulac3, Aug 11 2014 How did we miss this one ?
[+] of course.-- 8th of 7, Aug 11 2014 They've got a Sopwith Camel one too now. (link)
(BTW, mortally offended that the spell checker doesn't recognize Sopwith)-- doctorremulac3, Aug 11 2014 random, halfbakery