WIX Archives

Yes they are, thank you...

Posted by Jim who loves big noisy aircraft engines on Fri Oct 18, 2002 01:01:26 AM

In reply top Are turbines ruining aviation? posted by Tony on Thu Oct 17, 2002 09:06:53 PM



The original poster read my mind. There's nothing like the sound of a radial, either at full power or startup. (But startup is more entertaining!)

I can't even stand to hear a jet at an airshow. There should be piston-only airshows for the fans of the big old iron. One thing that annoys me to no-end is that airshow performances are so closely-timed that you don't get to hear the old engines as they were. There's just a lot of noise of airplanes of all types, including jets, all warming up to get to their place in the takeoff position for their time-slot in the show.

I've said to friends on several occasions that I wish radials would make a comeback (not necessarily for passenger aviation, but for general aviation or cargo.) I don't think it would happen due to the fuel supply issues, unless they run them on something else.



: Original poster
:
: I.M Esperto on the PPrune Board, and an ex-intrepid Naval
: aviator....
: (and a bloody good bloke)
:
: 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 switc
: h from "OFF"
: to "START," and then remember to move it back to "ON" afte
: r 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 l
: ady-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 click
: s, 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 yo
: u can
: concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine is lik
: e flicking on
: a ceiling fan: Useful, but hardly exciting.
:
: Turbines don't break often enough, leading to aircrew bore
: dom,
: 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 lante
: rns. 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.
:

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