U2 spy plane part??? Real or fake???

[Raul]

Hello there is a eBay seller that sells jet engine turbine blades from airplane engines. But is he really selling airplane blades or metal junk?

[Narcis]

It is a real turbine blade, probably from a plane engine. But there are a lot of different turbines (stator and rotor): on modern ships, in some electrical plants, nuclear plants, ...

[BlackCat1982]

The same seller has a wealth of items that he has labelled as various a/c parts. He may have worked in the aeronautics industry, but without measurements or provenance it is just a piece of titanium.

[Anderson]

Indeed. Blackcat sums it up perfectly. A bit of scrap metal, may be aircraft, but only strong provenance should sway the prudent buyer. These types of objects that you need an engineering degree to authenticate, should be shunned by most of us, unless the provenance is convincing.

[Watchdog]

Indeed. Blackcat sums it up perfectly. A bit of scrap metal, may be aircraft, but only strong provenance should sway the prudent buyer. These types of objects that you need an engineering degree to authenticate, should be shunned by most of us, unless the provenance is convincing.

Absolutely, and who but a real aero engine expert could tell the difference between this and one from a thousand other similar units? My knowledge extends far enough to recognise it as a turbine blade but what from?

I believe the very same engine is used in the BS Spirit (stealth bomber) and although only about 20 were built the original plan was for over a hundred so, given that each engine has a large number of blades there would have been a production run designed to cater for the whole engine provision, routine maintenance and stores support. Even allowing for the programme for the B2 being cut short who knows how far the production had gone?

So, U2 or B2 it's never going to be Hitlers' gold tooth is it?

If it isn't in factory packing and looks brand new I might bet it is a factory reject (you probably wouldn't tell just by visual inspection) that never even made it to the production line.

I haven't looked to see the asking price but it would be too much if it is a few percent more than the scrap value of the titanium.

Regards

Mark

PS Curiosity got the better of me and I looked!

So, $20. Low enough for a trick desk ornament to which you might attach a bit of a fable but just consider the basic rules of commerce and how mark-up develops at every stage from initial production of an item through wholesale, transportation and retail and what you have here is a starting value of the blade at about $2 - 3 at most. Worth considering, this type of thing shows up in aero-jumble shows at much less money and you can choose the base you want to stick it on!

[BlackCat1982]

I'm not sure I would want one of Adolfs nashers on my desk either Watchdog, but turbine blades, there are going to be many about and sadly it just doesn't float my boat, even if it is shiney.

[Larry C]

So I guess selling these stones from Hitlers driveway doesnt stand a chance either

[Anderson]

My guess is its a blade from Bono's lawnmower.

[MAP]

So I guess selling these stones from Hitlers driveway doesnt stand a chance either

Fake Larry. No RZM markings.

[bsiwula1]

Also worth a mention, even though the plane has/had been in service for 50+ years (variations of it). The tech data and materials themselves would more than likely remain classified, and therefore legally unobtainable. So if a tech would of let say serviced one in their military career and carried out a misc bit or two in the old lunchbox over a period time, it would be ill advised to advertise such a thing. LM would not simply discard these things in a dump or a scrap heap. If it were damaged it would be reported and tested fully to understand exactly what went wrong with it and how to prevent it from happening again. JMO. Kindest regards.

Brian