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Engine loss at MTOW in vintage STOL aircraft

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Engine loss at MTOW in vintage STOL aircraft

Old 19th Dec 2006, 00:21
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Smile Engine loss at MTOW in vintage STOL aircraft

I note that Air Services Australia have revealed documentation of a vintage heavy freight aircraft that has recently been upgraded with various up-to-date avionics.

My concern is that this aircraft is still using the rather ancient Comet engine (and in what may be the dreaded #2 position!)

The freight route involves many takeoffs and landings at close to MTOW on what one can only describe as makeshift runways and does so with almost no emergency equipment in the vicinity.

Clearly, engine failure at an inopportune moment could be devastating. This aircraft has a fairly unique placement of the engines close to the centreline, which would probably mitigate the effects of asymmetric thrust.

The tandem(?) engine positioning must require some form of vectored exhaust system, and without it there would be issues with the ingestion of exhaust from the forward engines into the rear engines. I imagine that the thrust vectoring is also what allows the aircraft to get away with a complete lack of control surfaces.

I have experience with the terrestrial version of a craft powered by a pair of very similar engines (which seemed to surge frequently -- although without any visible flame), and I can vouch that this exhaust vectoring would be a very desirable addition.

I'm also interested as to whether the Rudolph pod which carries the navigation lights is an APU, or actually produces usable thrust.

If anyone can comment on the COG limits (The normal COG seems to be *way* to far to the rear), or the potential for FOD damage during mid-air refuelling, I would be extremely appreciative. A late question from a colleague -- do the engines have afterburners to assist with the short takeoffs, and if so, how is the additional hay injected into the exhaust stream and ignited?

Given the questions, I was not sure if I should ask here or in Jet Blast. I'm sure I'll be corrected if I was wrong.

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com.au/santa06/
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Old 19th Dec 2006, 16:53
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Wink

Steve,

don't worry about it, the authorities have it all sussed. I remember seeing a picture of the Captain being base checked by CAAFU (summer 1990 at BOH whilst waiting for my go at the GFT's).

If Santa looked worried, it was nothing compared to the reindeers faces as the briefing was concluded with the time honoured phrase "...and at some point in the departure I may fail a power plant..." whilst holding a double barrel shotgun.
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Old 22nd Dec 2006, 00:31
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The Aviator’s Night Before Christmas (2002)

(Anonymous)



Twas the night before Christmas, and out on the ramp,

Not an airplane was stirring, not even a Champ.

The aircraft were fastened to tiedowns with care

in hopes that come morning, they all would be there.


The fuel trucks were nestled, all snug in their spots,

while peak northwest gusts reached 39 knots.


I sat near the fuel desk, at last all caught up,

and setled down comfortably upon my butt.

When over the radio, there arose such a clatter,

I turned up the scanner to see what’s the matter.


A voice clearly heard over static and snow,

asked for clearance to land at the airport below.

He barked out his transmission so lively and quick,

I could have sworn that the call sign he used was “St.Nick”.


Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Sure that it was only Horizon’s late Dash.

Then he called his position, and there could be no denial,

“This is St. Nicholas One, and I’m now turning final.”


When what to my wondering eyes should appear,

A Rutan sleigh, and eight Rotax Reindeer.


Cleared for the ILS, down the glideslope he came,

As he passed all fixes, he called them by name:

“Now Ringo! Now Tolga! Now Trini and Bacun!

On Comet! On Cupid!” What pills was he takin’!?


The last several fixes left the controllers confused,

they called down to the office to give me the news.

The message they left was both urgent and dour:

“When Santa pulls in, could he please call the tower?”


He landed like silk, with the sled runners sparking,

Then I heard “Exit at Charlie,” and “Taxi to parking.”

He slowed to a taxi and exited Three-Two,

as he came down the taxiway the sleigh bells’jingle grew.


He stepped out of the sleigh, but before he could talk,

I had run out to him with my best set of chocks.


He was dressed all in fur, which was covered with frost

and his beard was all blackened from Rotax Reindeer exhaust.

His breath smelled like peppermint, gone slightly stale

and he puffed on a pipe, but he didn’t inhale.


His cheeks were rosy and jiggled like jelly,

His boots were as black as a cropdusters belly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old fool,

and he kindly informed me that he needed some fuel.


A wink of his eye and a twist of his toes,

led me to know he was desperate to powder his nose.

I spoke not a word, but went straight to work,

and I filled up the sleigh, but I spilled like a jerk.


He came out of the restroom with a sigh of relief,

and then picked up a phone for a flight service brief.

And I thought as he silently scribed in his log,

that with Rudolph, he could land in eighth-mile fog.


He completed his preflight, from the front to the rear,

then he put on his headset, and I heard him yell “Clear!”

And laying a finger on his push-to-talk,

He called up the tower for his clearance and squawk.


“After departure fly heading three two zero,” the tower called forth,

“and watch for a Cessna inbound from the North.”

Then I heard him exclaim, as he climbed in the night,

“Merry Christmas to all, the traffic’s in sight.”
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Old 24th Dec 2008, 02:09
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Just pushing this thread up, the poem is sooo nice
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Old 25th Dec 2008, 13:23
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Another successful mission completed

It looks like midnight has now crossed the international date line, and I have not heard of any untoward incidents, so once again the ancient transport vehicle propulsion system has worked as advertised.

And even though the CAA-mandated safety equipment has degraded the payload of the vehicle, I trust that no ppruneists have been shortchanged.
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