I hope no-one is offended by my irrational phobia and I am sure that for many it is the bees-knees
not at all, in fact it is amazing the number of people who exceed the weight limit on the seat but still fly them. in a vertical downward decelaration they are an aircraft that needs everything going for them to help you survive, nothing under the seat etc.
as far as the bees knees goes, well there are some very clever design charateristics that one only appreciates after a while. like when one is busy really concentrating on the outside scenery, it is only a quick flick left with the mark one eyeball, to see gods number one, two and three and four, I.E. MAP, oil pressure and temp and CHT. needles all conveniently in symmetry. Frank even looks after the real god number one - RPM - with an automatic device, as long as one listens intently to the blade noise level, it will be there, no worries mate, right where it is supposed to be all day long.
but I can say that getting out of them after a long day and sprinting away after a mad mickey bull or some such is somewhat detached from the realities of yesteryear.
I will be with you in the '47 don't worry. age yeah well, I have an engineer mate who is just waiting for me to say the word and he will supply one which I know will be a work of art, shaved dipstick, straight thru glovebox, tuned stacks, lowered doorhandles the whole nine yards. The only thing he doesn't do is use brylcreem.
TSNBO asked about the 480B. That is what I would prefer anyday over the '44 it's a dream to fly, smooth as a baby's bum, heaps of power, stacks of room to go away camping with a few mates, will fly for four and a half hours without needing a refuel and best part is one still gets to use a grease gun occasionally. if one wants to follow the desert car racing for example, with the hot kit installed, they will fly up to fifty degrees OAT, quite unlike either of the R44 marques which will either completely run out of puff or vaporise the gas.
tet