Are Turbines Ruining Aviation?
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Are Turbines Ruining Aviation?
Are Turbines Ruining Aviation?
We gotta get rid of turbines, they are ruining aviation.
We need to go back to big round engines.
Anybody can start a turbine, you just need to move a switch from "OFF"
to "START," and then remember to move it back to "ON" after a while. My
PC is harder to start.
Cranking a round engine requires skill, finesse and style. On some
planes, the pilots are not even allowed to do it.
Turbines start by whining for a while, then give a small lady-like poot
and start whining louder.
Round engines give a satisfying rattle-rattle, click-click BANG, more
rattles, another BANG, a big macho fart or two, more clicks, a lot of
smoke and finally a serious low pitched roar.
We like that. It's a guy thing.
When you start a round engine, your mind is engaged and you can
concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine is like flicking on
a ceiling fan: Useful, but hardly exciting.
Turbines don't break often enough, leading to aircrew boredom,
complacency and inattention. A round engine at speed looks and sounds
like it's going to blow at any minute.
This helps concentrate the mind.
Turbines don't have enough control levers to keep a pilot's attention.
There's nothing to fiddle with during the flight.
Turbines smell like a Boy Scout camp full of Coleman lanterns. Round
engines smell like God intended flying machines to smell.
I think I hear the nurse coming down the hall. I gotta go.
Ex-round engine driver.
We gotta get rid of turbines, they are ruining aviation.
We need to go back to big round engines.
Anybody can start a turbine, you just need to move a switch from "OFF"
to "START," and then remember to move it back to "ON" after a while. My
PC is harder to start.
Cranking a round engine requires skill, finesse and style. On some
planes, the pilots are not even allowed to do it.
Turbines start by whining for a while, then give a small lady-like poot
and start whining louder.
Round engines give a satisfying rattle-rattle, click-click BANG, more
rattles, another BANG, a big macho fart or two, more clicks, a lot of
smoke and finally a serious low pitched roar.
We like that. It's a guy thing.
When you start a round engine, your mind is engaged and you can
concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine is like flicking on
a ceiling fan: Useful, but hardly exciting.
Turbines don't break often enough, leading to aircrew boredom,
complacency and inattention. A round engine at speed looks and sounds
like it's going to blow at any minute.
This helps concentrate the mind.
Turbines don't have enough control levers to keep a pilot's attention.
There's nothing to fiddle with during the flight.
Turbines smell like a Boy Scout camp full of Coleman lanterns. Round
engines smell like God intended flying machines to smell.
I think I hear the nurse coming down the hall. I gotta go.
Ex-round engine driver.
Drain Bamaged
ok, i'm not a lady but...
I thought for a while that radials were only good for noise.
I'm even not sure about this statement (ask my left ear).
Now, after reading I. M. Esperto post, I may change my mind
Ex-medium round engines driver.
I thought for a while that radials were only good for noise.
I'm even not sure about this statement (ask my left ear).
Now, after reading I. M. Esperto post, I may change my mind
Ex-medium round engines driver.
Thanks for that, I.M. LMAO. Plus, there ain't nothing nicer after the last flight of the day than sitting behind a 1340 or 985 smelling the burnt oil, doing the books and listening to the tink, clink of the beastie cooling down.
There is one big but though. Of a frosty morning, it's nice to jump into the seat and just fire the turbine up without resorting to Herman Nelson, blowpots, or having to burn off dilution.
There is one big but though. Of a frosty morning, it's nice to jump into the seat and just fire the turbine up without resorting to Herman Nelson, blowpots, or having to burn off dilution.
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Geez I must have lost the plot cos our 1340s are simple to start, ( when in doubt , simply pour in a few more liters ) , need 20 minutes warm-up , are too bloody loud , slow and have the worlds least reliable mags and generators so somewhere in there I fell out of love whereas the PT6 needs some level of thought to start as we hold in the starter , turn on ignitors , add the fuel and watch the temps climb which gets your attention then simply taxi and fly.
But I could be wrong!
But I could be wrong!
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I am with I.M. Esperto. I figure one day soon I will have to trade in the manly art of running a big recip in favor of a stinky whiny turbine, but I intend to hang on to the bitter end. After all there is a reason General Electric did not get into the aircraft engine business untill you could turn them on with the flick of a switch 
. Come on guys don't you secretly long for the good old days when round engines ruled the skies, sex was safe and it was flying that required all the real risk management.
. Come on guys don't you secretly long for the good old days when round engines ruled the skies, sex was safe and it was flying that required all the real risk management.
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GE was well involved with recips.
GE designed, developed and produced most of the turbo superchargers used on many big recips. It was the development of the turbo supercharger that lead to the development of their first jet.
They also had the possible advantage that, at a favoured night stop location, an extra night stop could be 'engineered' by taxying with one mag switch selected OFF. Used to give an excellent mag drop on the run up. Not that we ever used such a ploy, of course!
Ah the nostalgia of four Centaurii in Beverley cruise mode - What's that? Sorry I can't hear you!
Ah the nostalgia of four Centaurii in Beverley cruise mode - What's that? Sorry I can't hear you!
On another board, someone mentions that this year is the 50th anniversary of the DH Otter. Another poster remarks that if there are any ceremonies to observe that event, the participants will all be standing around shouting, "What?"
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How can anything which blows up, siezes, overheats, self destructs, bursts into flames leaks (and swallies) oil, belches flame and fire be described as better than a turbine?
Guess it depends on where you are standing.
happiness is a hot SBF!
Guess it depends on where you are standing.
happiness is a hot SBF!
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Well Brain fade:
How about a Super Connie starting its engines, or a Lancaster doing a low fly by with a full power pull up?
Know any turbines that can match those sounds?
How about a Super Connie starting its engines, or a Lancaster doing a low fly by with a full power pull up?
Know any turbines that can match those sounds?
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Looking in a mirror
To: brain fade
Your description pretty much fits the description of some gas turbines.
Your description pretty much fits the description of some gas turbines.
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Someone I know, on witnessing a Yak start-up from outside described it as 'biblical' - lots of noise, lots of smoke, the earth shaking, and the smiting of lesser objects. From inside, it's a 3-handed work of art to coax that big 360 Vendeneyev radial into life, and get it to become self-sustaining.
Once it's running, it sounds just glorious - a syncopated combination of many rhythms. The nine pistons thrashing up and down in that strange order only radial engines have; the prop-drive reduction gears rumbling; that massive 11 foot paddle prop beating the air at about half engine speed; the supercharger's muted but high-pitched whistle as it spins at a phenomenal rate; the un-silenced drainpipe-sized exhaust outlets. On top of this there is the cam ring, valve gear, magnetos, generator, various pumps, the prop governor, air compressor, and several other ancillaries all adding to the beautiful cacophony.
Love it!!
SSD
Once it's running, it sounds just glorious - a syncopated combination of many rhythms. The nine pistons thrashing up and down in that strange order only radial engines have; the prop-drive reduction gears rumbling; that massive 11 foot paddle prop beating the air at about half engine speed; the supercharger's muted but high-pitched whistle as it spins at a phenomenal rate; the un-silenced drainpipe-sized exhaust outlets. On top of this there is the cam ring, valve gear, magnetos, generator, various pumps, the prop governor, air compressor, and several other ancillaries all adding to the beautiful cacophony.
Love it!!
SSD
Bit off topic, but at the behest of the US Navy, DHC at one time came up with a version of the DHC 3 called the Quiet Otter. The normally very noisy aircraft was equipped with a five bladed prop, with the hub coming from a Sea Fury and the blades being specially constructed of wood. The exhaust extractor tubes were removed, and replaced with with narrow exhaust pipes that were connected to two huge automotive type mufflers hanging on either side of the fuselage just behind the cockpit. The tail pipes extended back to the cargo door. Later, the mufflers were relocated to the cabin, making the aircraft quieter yet.
The test pilot stated that it was really weird, sitting on the ground in a normally loud airplane, listening to the internal moving parts inside the engine. You could hear the gears, pistons, tappets and connecting rods clicking and tapping merrily away. Normally, these sounds were masked by combustion and propeller noises.
The test pilot stated that it was really weird, sitting on the ground in a normally loud airplane, listening to the internal moving parts inside the engine. You could hear the gears, pistons, tappets and connecting rods clicking and tapping merrily away. Normally, these sounds were masked by combustion and propeller noises.
Radials starting
You could go to "The Official A-1 Skyraider site",turn up the volume and frighten the neighbours with a Wright 3350 starting.
Neighbours get ready!
And the link for that would be????
Personally I never really minded getting up early during the weekends just so I could get my head close up to a running R-2600!
Personally I never really minded getting up early during the weekends just so I could get my head close up to a running R-2600!
The main site is www.skyraider.org/ . There's another that is accessible from that one, with some radio transcripts from SAR missions. Didn't hear any engine starts, though.