Old "Props" and Long Sectors
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Arizona USA
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WHBM mentions Stratocruisers sheding propellor blades.
Yes, this is true, BUT this only occured with those fitted with CurtisElectric props.
On these, the blades were steel, and subject to repetative fatigue fractures.
Most, if not all operators later switched to the Hamilton Standard Hydromatic props, and these sort of problems disappeared.
In addition, the R4360 engine in addition to being equipped with a supercharger (blower) also employeed a General Electric turbocharger, for enhanced high altitude performance.
It was a very fast airplane...300KTAS was not uncommon.
Having said this, is sucked up fuel like a big Hoover...500 gallons/hr.
Nearly as much oil as well....
I posted the following on a private forum, in answer to a question about these Curtis props...
I personally witnessed this terrible accident, and oddly enough, this was the only DC-6 ever produced equipped with Curtis Electric propellers.
When a propeller malfunctions, or as in this case, a blade separation, the results are many times quite fatal.
The 'ole DC-6 was a wonderful airplane to fly, and it does surprisingly well on two engines, but not with the landing gear extended.
http://www.avsaf.org/reports/US/1976...ouglasDC-6.pdf
Here is another example of a propeller problem.
All DC-6's that I flew were equipped with a Martin Bar, and it surely was necessary.
http://www.avsaf.org/reports/US/1955...Lines_DC-6.pdf
Yes, this is true, BUT this only occured with those fitted with CurtisElectric props.
On these, the blades were steel, and subject to repetative fatigue fractures.
Most, if not all operators later switched to the Hamilton Standard Hydromatic props, and these sort of problems disappeared.
In addition, the R4360 engine in addition to being equipped with a supercharger (blower) also employeed a General Electric turbocharger, for enhanced high altitude performance.
It was a very fast airplane...300KTAS was not uncommon.
Having said this, is sucked up fuel like a big Hoover...500 gallons/hr.
Nearly as much oil as well....
I posted the following on a private forum, in answer to a question about these Curtis props...
I personally witnessed this terrible accident, and oddly enough, this was the only DC-6 ever produced equipped with Curtis Electric propellers.
When a propeller malfunctions, or as in this case, a blade separation, the results are many times quite fatal.
The 'ole DC-6 was a wonderful airplane to fly, and it does surprisingly well on two engines, but not with the landing gear extended.
http://www.avsaf.org/reports/US/1976...ouglasDC-6.pdf
Here is another example of a propeller problem.
All DC-6's that I flew were equipped with a Martin Bar, and it surely was necessary.
http://www.avsaf.org/reports/US/1955...Lines_DC-6.pdf
Last edited by 411A; 5th May 2007 at 02:00.
