[AlaskaRC] Flying radial vs. jet engines

[Steven Lingle]

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> Starting a radial engine aircraft
> Be sure you drain both the sumps. (You can fill your Zippo lighter while you do this)
> Look out the left side of the oily cockpit canopy and notice a very nervous person
> holding a huge fire bottle. Nod to this person.
> 
> 1. Crack throttle about one-quarter of an inch.
> 2. Battery on
> 3. Mags on
> 4. Fuel boost on
> 5. Hit starter button (The four bladed 13' 6" prop will start a slow turn)
> 6. Begin to bounce your finger on top of the primer button.
> a. This act requires finesse and style. It is much like a ballet performance.
> The engine must be seduced and caressed into starting.
> 7. Act one will begin: Belching, banging, rattling, backfiring, spluttering, flame and
> black smoke from the exhaust shooting out about three feet. (Fire bottle person
> is very pale and has the nozzle at the ready position).
> 8. When the engine begins to "catch" on the primer. Move the mixture to full rich.
> The flames from the exhaust will stop and white smoke will come out. (Fire bottle
> guy relaxes a bit) You will hear a wonderful throaty roar that is like music to
> the ears..
> a. Enjoy the macho smell of engine oil, hydraulic fluid and pilot sweat.
> 9. Immediately check the oil pressure and hydraulic gages.
> 10. The entire aircraft is now shaking and shuttering from the torque of the engine
> and RPM of prop.
> a. The engine is an 18 cylinder R-3350 that develops 2,700 HP.
> 11. Close cowl flaps to warm up the engine for taxi.
> 12. Once you glance around at about 300 levers, gauges and gadgets, call the
> tower and taxi to the duty runway.
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> Taking off in a radial engine aircraft
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> 1. Check both magnetos
> 2. Exercise the prop pitch
> 3. Cowl flaps open.
> 4. Check oil temp and pressure.
> 5. Crank 1.5 degrees right rudder trim to help your right leg with the torque on takeoff.
> 6. Tell the tower you are ready for the duty runway.
> 7. Line the bird up and lock the tail wheel for sure.
> 8. Add power slowly because the plane (with the torque of the monster prop and engine
> power definitely wants to go left).
> 9. NEVER add full power suddenly! There is not enough rudder in the entire world to
> hold it straight.
> 10. Add more power and shove in right rudder till your leg begins to tremble.
> 11. Expect banging, belching and an occasional manly fart as you roar down the runway
> at full power. (I have found that the engine can make similar noises)
> 12. Lift the tail and when it "feels right" pull back gently on the stick to get off the ground.
> 13. Gear up
> 14. Adjust the throttle for climb setting
> 15. Ease the prop back to climb RPM
> 16. Close cowl flaps and keep an eye on the cylinder head temp.
> 17. Adjust the power as needed as you climb higher or turn on the super charger.
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> Flying the radial
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> 1. Once your reach altitude which isn't very high! (about 8000 feet) you reduce the throttle
> and prop to cruise settings.
> 2. The next fun thing is to pull back the mixture control until the engine just about quits.
> Then ease it forward a bit and this is best mixture.
> 3. While cruising the engine sounds like it might blow or quit at any time. This keeps you
> occupied scanning engine gauges for the least hint of trouble.
> 4. Moving various levers around to coax a more consistent sound from the engine
> concentrates the mind wonderfully.
> 5. At night or over water a radial engine makes noises you have never heard before.
> 6. Looking out of the front of the cockpit the clouds are beautiful because they are
> slightly blurred from the oil on the cockpit canopy.
> 7. Seeing lightning in the clouds ahead increases the pucker factor by about 10.
> a. You can't fly high enough to get over them and if you try and get under the
> clouds----you could die in turbulence.
> b. You tie down everything in the cockpit that isn't already secured, get a good
> grip on the stick, turn on the deicers, tighten and lock your shoulder straps
> and hang on.
> c. You then have a ride to exceed any "terror" ride in any amusement park ever
> built. You discover the plane can actually fly side wise while inverted.
> 8. Once through the weather, you call ATC and in a calm deep voice advise them that
> there is slight turbulence on your route.
> 9. You then scan your aircraft to see if all the major parts are still attached. This
> includes any popped rivets.
> 10. Do the controls still work? Are the gauges and levers still in proper limits?
> 11. These being done you fumble for the relief tube, because you desperately
> need it. (Be careful with your lower flight suit zipper)
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> The jet engine aircraft
> 
> Starting a jet
> 1. Fuel boost on.
> 2. Hit the start button
> 3. When the JPT starts to move ease the throttle forward.
> 4. The fire bottle person is standing at the back of the plane and has no idea what is going on.
> 5. The engine lights off---and---
> 6. That's about it.
> 
> Take off in the jet
> 1. Lower flaps
> 2. Tell the tower you are ready for takeoff.
> 3. Roll on to the duty runway while adding 100% power.
> 4. Tricycle gear---no tail to drag---no torque to contend with.
> 5. At some exact airspeed you lift off the runway.
> 6. Gear up
> 7. Milk up the flaps and fly.
> 8. Leave the power at 100%
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> Flying the jet
> 1. Climb at 100%
> 2. Cruise at 100%
> 3. It is silent in the plane.
> 4. You can't see clouds because you are so far above them.
> 5. You look down and see lightning in some clouds below and pity some poor fool that may
> have to fly through that mess.
> 6. The jet plane is air conditioned!! Round engines are definitely not. Jet engines are not
> round? If you fly in tropical areas, this cannot be stressed enough.
> 7. There is not much to do in a jet, so you eat your flight lunch at your leisure.
> 8. Few gauges to look at and no levers to adjust. This leaves you doodling on your knee board.
> 9. Some call girl friends on their cell phones: "Guess where I am, etc"
> 
> Some observed differences between radial engines and jets
> 1. To be a real pilot you have to fly a tail dragger for an absolute minimum of 500 hours.
> 2. Large round engines smell of gasoline (115/145), rich oil, hydraulic fluid, man sweat
> and are not air-conditioned.
> 3. Engine failure to the jet pilot means something is wrong with his air conditioner.
> 4. When you take off in a jet there is no noise in the cockpit. (This does not
> create a macho feeling of doing something manly)
> 5. Landing a jet just requires a certain airspeed and altitude---at which you cut the
> power and drop like a rock to the runway. Landing a round engine tail dragger
> requires finesse, prayer, body English, pumping of rudder pedals and a lot of nerve.
> 6. After landing, a jet just goes straight down the runway.
> 7. A radial tail dragger is like a wild mustang---it might decide to go anywhere.
> Gusting winds help this behavior a lot.
> 8. You cannot fill your Zippo lighter with jet fuel.
> 9. Starting a jet is like turning on a light switch---a little click and it is on.
> 10. Starting a round engine is an artistic endeavor requiring prayer (curse words) and
> sometimes meditation.
> 11. Jet engines don't break, spill oil or catch on fire very often which leads to
> boredom and complacency.
> 12. The round engine may blow an oil seal ring, burst into flame, splutter for no
> apparent reason or just quit. This results in heightened pilot awareness at all times.
> 13. Jets smell like a kerosene lantern at a scout camp outing.
> 14. Round engines smell like God intended engines to smell, and the tail dragger is the
> way God intended for man to fly.
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