Biggles – Real aeroplanes? Maybe for us "youngsters" – but:
Recall a few statements from the guys who handled those critters in real-time:
Pilots: Crossing the Atlantic in a prop-job was done at relatively low flight levels (playground for the evilest of weather-gods). Invigorating exercise for pilots fighting the controls (no "George") on a looong flights Shannon – Gander. Weather reports then were obviously not as reliable as today's, and alas no radar in the nose.
Mechanics: Starting a cold 2800 was like playing the bass fiddle in a symphony orchestra – if your fingers didn't work together in the right sequence fast enough, the conductor called time-out! Then everybody start from the beginning...
The CV-440 had Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines. As many other a/c before that:
http://www.enginehistory.org/NoShortDays/Conclusion.pdf
The DC-3 had (has) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 (Wasp) engines.
The Wright engine was used by the legendary brothers way back around 1903…
Of course turbines are easier to handle than pistons, that's why the 580 was refitted.
There's no better sound than the rumble of radial engines! Miss them very much.
PS:
http://www.sasflightops.com/history/Metropol/metro.htm
Happy New Year, all!
