VC-118 (DC-6 variant) with Curtiss Electric Propellors
Back in latter part of 1950's, when I was at Lockheed Air Service at then KIDL in New Yor, we converted a C-118 (may have been a VC-118) from Hamilton Standard props to Curtiss Electric props. Memory is dim but I seem to recall reason was aircraft was to fly to Soviet Russia and it was believed Curtiss Electric props were to be preferred in cold weather. Why that should be so I do not know as Ham Standard props were in use worldwide. LASI as it was called, had the contract for maintaining the SAMFLEET VIP aircraft and the Green Valley Presidential aircraft in those days.
I know there were some original DC-6 with Curtiss props but believe they were removed after an in-flight reversal incident, I think at KEWR.
I worked and saw a lot of DC-6 models over the years but never another with Curtiss props. Saw and worked many L749 and L1049 Constellations with Curtiss Electrics but not any DC6 or DC-7.
As a point of interest, LASI converted the ex-United Airline B377 Stratocruisers from Curtiss props to Hamilton Standards prior to their use at BOAC. We also refitted the cockpit with the standard Flight Engineer's station. That was done to make them uniform with the rest of BOAC's fleet.
Does anyone remember anything about this aircraft? Was it ever converted back to Ham Standards? Does anyone remember any other DC-6 models with Curtiss props? Why, in spite of their popularity on Connies, particularly foreign ones, they were not used on DC-6?