Clearly this vintage biplane aircraft propeller boss is a survivor of an airplane crash PROBABLY here in NZ sadly no provenance accompanied it

Has had a clock mounted into face, but was not "butchered" to achieve this !! :-)

An aircraft propeller, or airscrew, converts rotary motion from an engine or other mechanical power source, to provide propulsive force. It comprises a rotating power-driven hub, to which are attached several radial airfoil-section blades such that the whole assembly rotates about a longitudinal axis. The blade pitch may be fixed, manually variable to a few set positions, or of the automatically-variable "constant-speed" type.

The propeller attaches to the power source's driveshaft either directly or, especially on larger designs, through reduction gearing.

Most early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood, while metal construction later became popular

Propellers are only suitable for use at subsonic airspeeds up to around 770 km/h, as above this speed the blade tip speed begins to go supersonic, with the consequent shockwaves causing high drag & other mechanical difficulties

The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland & built by the de Havilland Aircraft Co

It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) & many other operators as a primary trainer aircraft

In addition to the type's principal use for ab-initio training, WW2 saw RAF Tiger Moth operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance, defensive anti-invasion preparations, & even some aircraft that had been outfitted to function as armed light bombers

The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until it was replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1950

Many of the military surplus aircraft subsequently entered into civil operation. Many nations have used the Tiger Moth in both military & civil applications, & it remains in widespread use as a recreational aircraft in many countries