Titanic’s Center Propeller – The Evidence Mounts

1. Photographic Evidence:

   • A photograph from February 1912 shows a three-bladed propeller on a barge, matching the design specifications for Titanic’s center propeller.
   • This photograph is considered the only known image of Titanic’s propellers, aside from those of her wing propellers at the wreck site.

2. Design Specifications:

   • The Harland & Wolff (H&W) engineering notebook specifies a three-bladed propeller for Titanic with a diameter of 17 feet, a pitch of 14 feet 6 inches, and a blade area of 120 square feet.

3. Misconceptions and Comparisons:

   • Some people mistakenly believe Titanic had a four-bladed propeller like her sister ship Olympic, due to mislabeled photographs and models.
   • Olympic was initially fitted with a three-bladed propeller in 1913 and later refitted with a four-bladed one around 1919.

4. Builder’s Model Evidence:

   • A model of Titanic submitted to the British Wreck Commission inquiry shows a three-bladed center propeller.
   • The model’s propeller orientation and design match the specifications for Titanic’s center propeller.

5. Additional Documentation:

   • Engineering notebooks and papers from Stephen Pigott, a turbine specialist, describe design proposals for both three and four-bladed propellers for Olympic and Titanic.
   • The builder’s model and photographic evidence collectively support the conclusion that Titanic had a three-bladed center propeller.

The document concludes that the mounting evidence strongly supports the claim that Titanic was fitted with a three-bladed center propeller, unlike her sister ships Olympic and Britannic.