"The DC-3s we were flying at that time were fitted with Wright Cyclone engines. These engines had a characteristic of stopping in torrential rain which we frequently encountered over the Coral Sea; a frightening experience, especially as we carried no survival equipment.
Fortunately they would regain power as we descended to lower levels. It was quite some time before we discovered the cause of this phenomenon.
Apparently there was so much water being drawn into the carburettor air intake that the engines couldn't handle it, so by selecting hot air which was normally used for carburettor de-icing we could overcome the problem.
The Pratt and Whitney, which was the optional engine for these aircraft, did not have that problem but we found them to be less reliable in the conditions under which we operated."
From Peter Yule's "The Forgotten Giant Of Australian Aviation" -
The Story of A.N.A.
Not that I have ever had the pleasure, but I was under the impression that DC-3 pilots LOVED the P&Ws over the Wrights.......
Anyhow....thats rain too!
G'Day 'Tin',
That too sounds familiar, like I think I have read that somewhere. Source?
I wonder how rain like that would affect today's 'Contis' or Lycomings?
I have flown both types through what I thought was 'heavy' rain (Obviously not as heavy as above) at times - short bursts only - with no noticeable effect.
Cheers
