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Old 10th Jul 2009, 15:48
  #18 (permalink)  
411A
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Arizona USA
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It was an impressive airplane.
Yes, the B377 Stratocruiser was indeed impressive, but proved generally to be unreliable in extended revenue service.
I personally flew the type for awhile (not the C97, the B377, and yes there is a difference in many areas) and most of these airplanes that were delivered with CurtisElectric propellors, were later converted to HamiltonStandard Hydromatic types.

If those that operated the Hydromatic prop think it's complicated and unreliable, you should have seen the complexity of the CurtisElectric design.
Not only that, but the steel blades tended to corrode under the de-icing boot...with the resultant loss of a portion of blade, most times the entire engine...and usually the airplane.

The CurtisElectric prop system (installed on some Stratocruisers) had a couple of advantages however....it did not use engine oil for prop control/feathering and...to unfeather, the feather button was pulled out.
So, feather button pressed, prop feathered electrically, button released automatically.
Feather button did not release automatically?
Prop stayed feathered, anyway.

When Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propellors were later fitted, this feather button arrangement was retained, for fleet commonality.
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