3 Engine ferry flights with piston/ turboprop aircraft ?
Thread Starter
3 Engine ferry flights with piston/ turboprop aircraft ?
3 or 2 engine ferry flights have been certified and permitted for aircraft such as the 747 and L1011
Were 4 engine piston aircraft like the DC 6 or turboprops like the Britannia permitted to do 3 engine ferry flights ?
Were 4 engine piston aircraft like the DC 6 or turboprops like the Britannia permitted to do 3 engine ferry flights ?
Last edited by stilton; 10th Dec 2023 at 07:32.
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I remember a Cubana Brit coming into EGGW in 1973 from points east, something looked "odd" about it on approach and landing, it was only as it turned onto the apron it was obvious what was "odd". It only had 3 props!. It had dropped into EGGW to pick up a new one!!
Were 4 engine piston aircraft like the DC 6 or turboprops like the Brittannia permitted to do 3 engine ferry flights
Failure rate and precautionary shut downs being prevalent.Apparently three engine ferries were permitted, maybe depend on country, quote from report into a Super Constellation in Puerto Rico Apr 5, 1990 Elsewhere a flight engineer on Connies said three engine ferries were standard practice to get to an engineering facility..
The captain of the airplane elected to take off on a three engine ferry flight without authorization. During the three engine climb out with the n°3 propeller feathered, the n°2 engine caught fire and he could not extinguish the fire. He attempted to return and during the descent the n°1 engine failed. He then intentionally ditched the airplane in the ocean, and received fatal injuries. The airplane was not recovered from the ocean and no determination of cause could be ascertained.
Probable cause:
Fire of an undetermined origin that resulted in a loss of power in two engines during a three engine ferry flight. Factors related to the accident were: failure of the pilot to obtain the required authorization for the three engine ferry flight, and his operation of the aircraft with known deficiencies.
Probable cause:
Fire of an undetermined origin that resulted in a loss of power in two engines during a three engine ferry flight. Factors related to the accident were: failure of the pilot to obtain the required authorization for the three engine ferry flight, and his operation of the aircraft with known deficiencies.
The DC-4./6 and 7 and the Connies, L-049 to L-1649 all performed 3 engine ferries. First time I prepped an L-1049 for 3 engine ferry I was handed a hollowed-out spark plug with a length of clothesline threaded through it. Small knot at end sticking out.
What use? Remove a spark plug, put cylinder on Bottom Dead Center (BDC). Insert plug and feed clothesline into cylinder. Stuff in as much as you could.
Why. Prop was in feather for ferry flight. However, Ham Standard props could be caused to rotate by sideslips of aircraft. Governo. if it managed to get up a bit of a spin would take prop out of feather and start it rotating. You could use feather button to cage it but how many times?
Clothesline packed in a cylinder provided a soft cushion to prevent rotation.
Later, Ham Std fitter feather locks on prop domes to stop this.
Can't remember what we did on the Bristol Battleship, Britannia I mean but we certainly ferried a lot back to Mexico City after compressors corncobbed by "Bump Stalls".
Never prepped an Electra for ferry but we did put fan blade locks on JT3D engines for ferry prep. Long time ago now.
What use? Remove a spark plug, put cylinder on Bottom Dead Center (BDC). Insert plug and feed clothesline into cylinder. Stuff in as much as you could.
Why. Prop was in feather for ferry flight. However, Ham Standard props could be caused to rotate by sideslips of aircraft. Governo. if it managed to get up a bit of a spin would take prop out of feather and start it rotating. You could use feather button to cage it but how many times?
Clothesline packed in a cylinder provided a soft cushion to prevent rotation.
Later, Ham Std fitter feather locks on prop domes to stop this.
Can't remember what we did on the Bristol Battleship, Britannia I mean but we certainly ferried a lot back to Mexico City after compressors corncobbed by "Bump Stalls".
Never prepped an Electra for ferry but we did put fan blade locks on JT3D engines for ferry prep. Long time ago now.
Thread Starter
The DC-4./6 and 7 and the Connies, L-049 to L-1649 all performed 3 engine ferries. First time I prepped an L-1049 for 3 engine ferry I was handed a hollowed-out spark plug with a length of clothesline threaded through it. Small knot at end sticking out.
What use? Remove a spark plug, put cylinder on Bottom Dead Center (BDC). Insert plug and feed clothesline into cylinder. Stuff in as much as you could.
Why. Prop was in feather for ferry flight. However, Ham Standard props could be caused to rotate by sideslips of aircraft. Governo. if it managed to get up a bit of a spin would take prop out of feather and start it rotating. You could use feather button to cage it but how many times?
Clothesline packed in a cylinder provided a soft cushion to prevent rotation.
Later, Ham Std fitter feather locks on prop domes to stop this.
Can't remember what we did on the Bristol Battleship, Britannia I mean but we certainly ferried a lot back to Mexico City after compressors corncobbed by "Bump Stalls".
Never prepped an Electra for ferry but we did put fan blade locks on JT3D engines for ferry prep. Long time ago now.
What use? Remove a spark plug, put cylinder on Bottom Dead Center (BDC). Insert plug and feed clothesline into cylinder. Stuff in as much as you could.
Why. Prop was in feather for ferry flight. However, Ham Standard props could be caused to rotate by sideslips of aircraft. Governo. if it managed to get up a bit of a spin would take prop out of feather and start it rotating. You could use feather button to cage it but how many times?
Clothesline packed in a cylinder provided a soft cushion to prevent rotation.
Later, Ham Std fitter feather locks on prop domes to stop this.
Can't remember what we did on the Bristol Battleship, Britannia I mean but we certainly ferried a lot back to Mexico City after compressors corncobbed by "Bump Stalls".
Never prepped an Electra for ferry but we did put fan blade locks on JT3D engines for ferry prep. Long time ago now.
Fascinating
Who was the Britannia operator in Mexico City ?
Last edited by stilton; 11th Dec 2023 at 00:04.
Circa 1993, my company at the time operated a mixed fleet of L188 Electra's, split between the UK and Irish register. I vaguely recall that 3 eng ferry's were only approved on the Irish registered units.
Even allowed a 2 1/2 engine ferry flight on a 3 1/2 engined a/c ... HS Trident 3b MAN-LHR .. worked ok and I have the tie . We had to look at the local 1:50,000 Ordanance Survey map to find an escape route down the SW valley if we lost another on t/o from Rwy 24 .
Boost engine had to be operating , and thus T2s and T1s did not do these ferry flights .
rgds condor .
Boost engine had to be operating , and thus T2s and T1s did not do these ferry flights .
rgds condor .
I recall Cargolux 3 engine ferrying 1 or 2 CL44J's into Kai Tak after suffering damage elsewhere. One had a prop get tangled up with some ground equipment in India if my memory is correct, so prop removed and ferried to HKG for repairs. The other was a Tyne major failure and fire that damaged the nacelle needing extensive repairs. Not sure where that happened.
Strangest one I heard about was our factory reps wife swore she saw a 3-engined DC8 landing at Long Beach ie. only 3 engines installed. Husband said no way but the next day found a US major's JT4 powered DC8 on the ramp with no #1 engine installed. Turned out it had experienced a violent seizure of No 1 engine in flight and after removal of the failed engine they found the pylon was twisted and a replacement engine could not be installed. Douglas crew ferried it to Long Beach for a pylon repair/replacement. Factory rep had to apologise to wife.
Strangest one I heard about was our factory reps wife swore she saw a 3-engined DC8 landing at Long Beach ie. only 3 engines installed. Husband said no way but the next day found a US major's JT4 powered DC8 on the ramp with no #1 engine installed. Turned out it had experienced a violent seizure of No 1 engine in flight and after removal of the failed engine they found the pylon was twisted and a replacement engine could not be installed. Douglas crew ferried it to Long Beach for a pylon repair/replacement. Factory rep had to apologise to wife.
Also an Eastern L1011 had an engine go u/s at Mexico City, so they prepared for a 2-engine ferry back to Miami base. Mexico City of course at 6,000ft altitude. On liftoff a second engine failed, crew just managed to get it back. TWO replacement engines then shipped down to Mexico on a Hercules !
Aeronaves de Mexico was the operator of two Model 302 Britannias. These were four tank airplanes. Lockheed Air Service handled their maintenance requirements on their overnights at KJFK. Most interesting aircraft I ever worked, so different from U.S. types.