Some observed differences in round engines and jets
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Some observed differences in round engines and jets
Some observed differences in round engines and jets
1. To be a real pilot you have to fly a tail dragger for an absolute minimum of 500 hours.
2. Large round engines smell of gasoline (115/145), rich oil, hydraulic fluid, man sweat and are not air-conditioned.
3. Engine failure to the jet pilot means something is wrong with his air conditioner.
4. When you take off in a jet there is no noise in the cockpit. (This does not create a macho feeling of doing something manly).
5. Landing a jet just requires a certain airspeed and altitude---at which you cut the power and drop like a rock to the runway.
Landing a round engine tail dragger requires finesse, prayer, body English, pumping of rudder pedals and a lot of nerve.
6. After landing, a jet just goes straight down the runway.
7. A radial tail dragger is like a wild mustang---it might decide to go anywhere. Gusting winds help this behavior a lot.
8. You cannot fill your Zippo lighter with jet fuel.
9. Starting a jet is like turning on a light switch---a little click and it is on.
10. Starting a round engine is an artistic endeavor requiring prayer (curse words) and sometimes meditation.
11. Jet engines don't break, spill oil or catch on fire very often which leads to boredom and complacency.
12. The round engine may blow an oil seal ring, burst into flame, splutter for no apparent reason or just quit. This results in heightened pilot awareness at all times.
13. Jets smell like a kerosene lantern at a scout camp outing.
14. Round engines smell like God intended engines to smell, and the tail dragger is the way God intended for man to fly.
16. Round engines have a tendency to make strange noises, especially at night over water.
1. To be a real pilot you have to fly a tail dragger for an absolute minimum of 500 hours.
2. Large round engines smell of gasoline (115/145), rich oil, hydraulic fluid, man sweat and are not air-conditioned.
3. Engine failure to the jet pilot means something is wrong with his air conditioner.
4. When you take off in a jet there is no noise in the cockpit. (This does not create a macho feeling of doing something manly).
5. Landing a jet just requires a certain airspeed and altitude---at which you cut the power and drop like a rock to the runway.
Landing a round engine tail dragger requires finesse, prayer, body English, pumping of rudder pedals and a lot of nerve.
6. After landing, a jet just goes straight down the runway.
7. A radial tail dragger is like a wild mustang---it might decide to go anywhere. Gusting winds help this behavior a lot.
8. You cannot fill your Zippo lighter with jet fuel.
9. Starting a jet is like turning on a light switch---a little click and it is on.
10. Starting a round engine is an artistic endeavor requiring prayer (curse words) and sometimes meditation.
11. Jet engines don't break, spill oil or catch on fire very often which leads to boredom and complacency.
12. The round engine may blow an oil seal ring, burst into flame, splutter for no apparent reason or just quit. This results in heightened pilot awareness at all times.
13. Jets smell like a kerosene lantern at a scout camp outing.
14. Round engines smell like God intended engines to smell, and the tail dragger is the way God intended for man to fly.
16. Round engines have a tendency to make strange noises, especially at night over water.
Absolutely correct R2. I was lucky because I learn't to fly on big round supercharged radials. A short time, three years, on boring stovies and then back on to real aeroplanes of the helicopter variety. Even with that three year stint it was a fantastic forty-eight years.
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Zippos go well on kerosene, I reckon they would be plain scary on AVGAS!!
*= gave up smoking years ago!
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The Propeller on the front of single engined aircraft is there simply to keep the pilot cool, if it stops, he soon starts to sweat...
There is of course a single engined aircraft in RAF service where turning the engine off in flight is encouraged (and mandatory if the pax is on helicopters).
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[QUOTE]piston Provosts were retired just before our course in '77[/QUOTE]
Did they really serve that long? The ones I flew in basic training (1954/55) were brand new; we thought they were great aircraft, especially when +8lb boost was available and the main spars hadn't started cracking yet.
Did they really serve that long? The ones I flew in basic training (1954/55) were brand new; we thought they were great aircraft, especially when +8lb boost was available and the main spars hadn't started cracking yet.
12. The round engine may blow an oil seal ring, burst into flame, splutter for no apparent reason or just quit. This results in heightened pilot awareness at all times.
16. Round engines have a tendency to make strange noises, especially at night over water.
16. Round engines have a tendency to make strange noises, especially at night over water.
Think Sikorsky CH-34.....and something akin to "BRRRRRRRRRRRRR....BRUPPPH......Silence...BRUPPHPOP...POP... POP....Silence....BRRRRRRRRRRR!"
Nothing beats leaning the mixture on the the ol' girl by looking at the exhaust stack in dim light. Such a beautiful blue with a hint of Hades in it!
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Chuck a Goose at a jet and it's ENDEX, chuck a Goose at a prop and it's Foie Gras.
I have seen engines running with cylinders missing, fit a new pot, chuck some oil in it and off it goes..
I have seen engines running with cylinders missing, fit a new pot, chuck some oil in it and off it goes..
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jets v piston
as i dont belong to the exhaulted breed of aircrew (seat stick interface or talking ballast) but a poor humble sootie i can only deffend the the gas turbine by saying yes i have prayed a few times with cart start and milked the throttle to start the b####r.... and to the man who put AVPIN in a ZIPPO are you mental 
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"Humble Sootie"
Line Unicorn. Mate, there is no need to feel humble about being a "sootie". There is also nothing "exalted" about being aircrew. Truth is we all are/were just doing our jobs and that is the fact of it. As for starting a jet engine "being just like flicking a light switch", whomever wrote that never started a Derwent in the old Meteor. Stuff up with it and half the base would know. Don't know if you are still swinging the spanners, but if you are keep it up, those "exalted" aircrew need you.
...... possibly landing at RAF Spitalgate grass airfield on the edge of Grantham, Lincolnshire circa 1956
More likely to have been displaying at Old Warden quite recently?
I went back to Tern Hill a few years later and found myself with a handfull of Leonides again; this time in a Sycamore helicopter. The difference with the engine was the use of Manifold Air Pressure instead of Boost. MAP started at 15 inches; boost at Zero. 2 inches equalled 1 lb of boost so 31 inches was the same as 8 lbs of Boost.
Piston Provost.
Emergency T/O 8 lbs Boost
Take off 4.5 lbs
Cruise 0 lbs
Bristol Sycamore
Lift into hover 31 ins MAP
Hover 30 ins
Hover taxiing 30/31 ins
Transition and initial climb 31 ins plus rotor droop.
Cruise 24 ins
Surprisingly they both cruised at the same speed; 120 knots.
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 28th Jan 2012 at 08:40.
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9. Starting a jet is like turning on a light switch---a little click and it is on.
