And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Trivia-the R985 engine in the Beech 18 had a fuel primer on just the top 5 cylinders, which gave it a unique start up sound that was often used in movie sound tracks regardless of the actual engine being started in the film.
Here's more, It was the first vehicle to have disc brakes. It had "walking undercarriage" which you didn't know about until your first run up and scared the shit out of yourself because you thought the gear was collapsing.
Once upon a time in the late 90's I was helping the ROK Navy transition from the S-2 Tracker equipped with R-1820 radials to the P-3C Orion. At that time the S-2's were still operational and they would fire up the whole squadron on certain mornings. I don't guess I'll ever hear that many radials turning all at once ever again. I realize that's a different plane and engine but this made me think of it.
Greatest sounding aircraft ever: I was on the ramp in BWI when Westinghouse taxied in with their private DC-7C. All four turbo-compound R3350s idling. The power recovery turbines muffled the exhaust enough to let all the mechanical noise, cams, tappets, magneto drives, come through. I've been on the ramp near dozens of other aircraft types, and nothing has ever matched that DC-7.
I'm just a farmboy/truck driver and never heard anything more unique than a Farmall MD switching from gas to diesel until I went to see a fleet of c-47s that passed through on their way to France to celebrate D-Day. Listening to those things firing up was like sweet music.
I was at Fort Irwin for NTC during the summer of ‘99. It got up to 120 a couple of days. Never again. It was like spending 6 weeks with a hairdryer going full blast in front of your face.
Beech 18. I think...
ReplyDeleteThe Wichita bug smasher.
ReplyDeleteTrivia-the R985 engine in the Beech 18 had a fuel primer on just the top 5 cylinders, which gave it a unique start up sound that was often used in movie sound tracks regardless of the actual engine being started in the film.
ReplyDeleteSweet ride.
ReplyDeleteHere's more, It was the first vehicle to have disc brakes. It had "walking undercarriage" which you didn't know about until your first run up and scared the shit out of yourself because you thought the gear was collapsing.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time in the late 90's I was helping the ROK Navy transition from the S-2 Tracker equipped with R-1820 radials to the P-3C Orion. At that time the S-2's were still operational and they would fire up the whole squadron on certain mornings. I don't guess I'll ever hear that many radials turning all at once ever again. I realize that's a different plane and engine but this made me think of it.
ReplyDeleteGreatest sounding aircraft ever: I was on the ramp in BWI when Westinghouse taxied in with their private DC-7C. All four turbo-compound R3350s idling. The power recovery turbines muffled the exhaust enough to let all the mechanical noise, cams, tappets, magneto drives, come through. I've been on the ramp near dozens of other aircraft types, and nothing has ever matched that DC-7.
DeleteNow you gotta explain how PRT's work. I've described to people and had them not believe me.
DeleteI'm just a farmboy/truck driver and never heard anything more unique than a Farmall MD switching from gas to diesel until I went to see a fleet of c-47s that passed through on their way to France to celebrate D-Day.
DeleteListening to those things firing up was like sweet music.
Pussy. Death Valley's been bringing 130.
ReplyDeleteSaw that the other day. 130 is impressive. I happened to be in Saudi one July and it never got above 122.
DeleteI was at Fort Irwin for NTC during the summer of ‘99. It got up to 120 a couple of days. Never again. It was like spending 6 weeks with a hairdryer going full blast in front of your face.
ReplyDelete