I have a friend with a Cessna 337 Skymaster. Under certain conditions, he does shut down the front engine and rides a good tailwind to his destination. These things are old, hard to work on, noisy, cramped,but really are quite slick in concept. Adam tried to build one and there are a few Rutan Defiants out there. Its a great idea that might be executed on a cheaper level if somebody had the time/money.
What about having the nose engine much smaller than the tail one? Use the front just for takeoff and loitering,but otherwise shut it off? Maybe make it water cooled so there is no thermal shock? Solid-fuel booster fired by a big red panic button for takeoff emergencies? What about a belly mounted micro-turbine with just enough power to maintain altitude?
Do I have too much time on my hands or what?
