Centaurus
Taxying a Lincoln Backwards. The procedure is secret!!!
Extract from memoirs -
Then there was the time I was converting a pilot to fly Lincolns. We had landed and wished to taxi back to the other end of the runway for another takeoff. The pilot made too wide a turn and almost too late I notice that we are about to run over an electric flare light on the edge of the runway. By the time I grabbed for the brakes and stopped the aircraft the main wheel was about three feet from the light. To proceed further would flatten the light and run the risk of damage to the tyre. It looked as though the only thing to do was to call the tower to have a tractor come out with a tow bar to move us back away from the light. I could see that if I could move the main wheel backwards a few feet, we could then proceed safely. But how to do this in an aircraft having only engines which were at all times trying to move us forward. No reverse pitch on these propellers. But I had an idea. The brakes could be applied independently to each main wheel. It was the right wheel that was close to the light so I locked up the brakes on the left main wheel and ran up the power on the No 1 left engine outboard of that wheel. With a lot of power on that engine the aircraft started to swing around the locked wheel and at the same time rolling the right wheel backwards.
Having moved the right wheel backwards I then locked its brakes and repeated the exercise using the outer right engine and soon had plenty of room to continue the turn without hitting the light. I cancelled the call for tractor assistance and left all concerned wondering how on earth I had moved a Lincoln backwards.
Of course, the procedure was a big strain on the main undercarriage struts as the locked wheel would be twisted around on the spot and the screwing tyre would tend to dig into soft ground but I did use the technique on several occasions to demonstrate to experienced disbelieving Lincoln pilots just how to taxi backwards.
The other secret procedure is how to take a Gooney off on one engine. Succeeded only once and never want to try it again. Bill Simmonds in the right seat was petrified.