The TITANIC had three propellers one in the middle, and two on the sides. The middle one had four blades which had less thrust so that it would not dominate the other two. The ones on the sides had three blades and had more thrust so that they would work together. The two on the sides were at least 38 tons and around 23 feet in diameter. The middle one was at least 22 tons and 16 feet in diameter.
They were made of pure bronze and could last for years without rusting. The blades of that time however, seemed to fall off easily. The Olympic dropped a propeller in the middle of the sea and had to wait for a couple of days to be towed back to shore. The propellers were driven by four turbine engines and a 10 foot long shaft.
The propellers' blades were so powerful, they could be used as giant saws to go through any building. The propellers of the other sister ship of the TITANIC; Britannic, was cutting through the lifeboats and human beings while the captain was trying to beach the BRITANNIC.
All except one of the TITANIC's propellers were buried in the silt when the stern hit the bottom of the ocean at 35 mph. Even today, the port propeller is in perfect shape and does not have a hint of rust (just mud and creatures).
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