[Milsurplus] O/T (sorta): DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO FLEW
BEHINDROUND ENGINES
Dick
rertman at ix.netcom.com
Sat Nov 25 01:43:37 EST 2006
Now, wait a minute, guys, turbine engines are round. And the air
doesn't always flow straight through. In the Pratt & Whitney PT-6
engines, the air enters the front intake then does 180 at the back and
flows through the engine towards the front. That's why the PT-6
exhaust pipes are just behind the propeller. Look at a Beech KingAir
or Piper Cheyenne.
Sadly, I never flew behind a round engine, but I did a lot of flying
between a couple of them. I flew a DC-3 for a skydiving club. <G>
Ooops! Almost forgot. I have a bunch of hours in a T-28.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: D C *Mac* Macdonald
To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net ; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Sent: 24 November, 2006 18:09
Subject: [Milsurplus] O/T (sorta): DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO FLEW
BEHINDROUND ENGINES
DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO FLEW BEHIND ROUND ENGINES
We gotta get rid of those turbines; they're ruining aviation
and our hearing ... A turbine is too simple minded, it has
no mystery. The air travels through it in a straight line
and doesn't pick up any of the pungent fragrance of engine
oil or pilot sweat.
Anybody can start a turbine. You just need to move a switch
from "OFF" to "START" and then remember to move it back to
"ON" after a while. My PC is harder to start.
Cranking a round engine requires skill, finesse and style.
You have to seduce it into starting. It's like waking up a
horny mistress. On some planes, the pilots aren't even
allowed to do it..
Turbines start by whining for a while, then give a
lady-like poof and start whining a little louder.
Round engines give a satisfying rattle-rattle, click-click,
BANG, more rattles, another BANG, a big macho FART or
two, more clicks, a lot more smoke and finally a serious
low pitched roar. We like that. It's a GUY thing...
When you start a round engine, your mind is engaged and you
can concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine
is like flicking on a ceiling fan: Useful, but, hardly
exciting.
When you have started his round engine successfully your
Crew Chief looks up at you like he'd let you kiss his girl , too!
Turbines don't break or catch fire often enough, which leads
to aircrew boredom, complacency and inattention. A round
engine at speed looks and sounds like it's going to blow
any minute. This helps concentrate the mind!
Turbines don't have enough control levers or gauges to keep
a pilot's attention. There's nothing to fiddle with during
long flights.
Turbines smell like a Boy Scout camp full of Coleman Lamps.
Round engines smell like God intended machines to smell.
Pass this on to an old Round Engine guy (or his son, or
anyone who flew them) in remembrance of that "Greatest
Generation".
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