What Side Should The Door Be On?

[Lil4X]

I remember the drone of the B36. There was so many weird harmonic vibrations in axial counter rotating propeller designs most of them were very short lived. The Russians big Tupolev 95 is the only prop plane I know of that actually made it work. I've read that it is so loud that when our F15 guys intercept them where they're not supposed to be they can be heard inside the fighters from a mile or so away. I guess they're just so overbuilt they wouldn't dare break.

In the Eastern Mediterranean in the late '60's we were often overflown by "Bears". We'd launch the "ready cap" just in case, but we had plenty of time - compared to fighter jets it seemed we could go below for chow between the time Ivan appeared on radar and he was actually overhead. You could hear him coming with that distinctive low growl from the props. Most of the flight deck crew rendered single-finger salutes to the Russian as he passed. I'm sure the photo interpreters back in the Motherland were suitably impressed.

I can also remember when some Reserve units and Air National Guard were still flying F4U4s and P51s. Nothing sounds like a Merlin.

True, unless you consider the twin turbo-supercharged V-12 Allisons of the P-38. I was a volunteer at the Lone Star Flight Museum at Galveston, and the sound of "Putt Putt Maru" on a low pass over the field at an air show was one of the most wonderful mechanical rhapsodies I've ever experienced. I think I cried when she was sold off and departed the field that last day.

For several years she had to be hangared - earthbound because she was the LAST of the "Fork-Tailed Devils" in flying condition. Insurance was impossible. Thankfully as others of her kind were restored, she returned to flight status in time for a final tour with the museum's air shows, and gave a great final performance before heading east to join her new owners. If she or one of her sisters ever appears at an air show near you, if you love the sound of big engines, go hear her sing.

with the elio's center line seating, i was thinking that a hud would be a nifty and functional alternative for an instrument panel. just to give u that aviation feel when driving. i suppose that after a while, it would just feel like the longest high speed taxi u ever did.

Try to avoid hauling back on the steering column in situations where brakes are inadequate. It doesn't work . . . I have it on good authority. Going over an obstacle is not an option for the ground-bound.

Umm, do I dare admit I never saw the dukes of hazards? Z

There is a whole generation of mouth-breathers who think "Dukes" was a driver training film.

 

[Folks]

Umm, do I dare admit I never saw the dukes of hazards? Z

Humor has to have a touch of relevance balanced with a the absurdity. I watched a portion of an episode. Enough to see completely frivolously contrived witless views of down here. DOH was complete absurdity and no wit. Don't know which appeared more silly and stupid; The show itself or those that thought dukes of hazard relevant enough to be funny about anything. Also; Personally, I have a southern accent and frankly my dear those fake accents were grating to my ears.

 

[JEBar]

one major positive, Daisy Duke became a fashion icon ..

Jim

 

[goldwing06]

Humor has to have a touch of relevance balanced with a the absurdity. I watched a portion of an episode. Enough to see completely frivolously contrived witless views of down here. DOH was complete absurdity and no wit. Don't know which appeared more silly and stupid; The show itself or those that thought dukes of hazard relevant enough to be funny about anything. Also; Personally, I have a southern accent and frankly my dear those fake accents were grating to my ears.

wit? what wit? i watched it to catch a glimps of barbara bachs gams sporting her daisy duke shorts!

 

[wheaters]

There was so many weird harmonic vibrations in axial counter rotating propeller designs most of them were very short lived. The Russians big Tupolev 95 is the only prop plane I know of that actually made it work..............

...................Nothing sounds like a Merlin.

But the Griffon sounds as close as you can get to a Merlin, albeit a bit harsher to most ears.

And we British had an aircraft with four contra-rotating props on Griffon engines helping patrol our shores for over forty years (so it was quite successful)!

 

[goldwing06]

But the Griffon sounds as close as you can get to a Merlin, albeit a bit harsher to most ears.

And we British had an aircraft with four contra-rotating props on Griffon engines helping patrol our shores for over forty years (so it was quite successful)!

excellent clip on the history and development and as an aside, i was looking on utube for some elio clips and ran across some interesting p38 clips including some with lindbergh in the pacific.

 

[Folks]

But the Griffon sounds as close as you can get to a Merlin, albeit a bit harsher to most ears.

And we British had an aircraft with four contra-rotating props on Griffon engines helping patrol our shores for over forty years (so it was quite successful)!

Dadgum, Wheaters!! Please let me know ahead of time and I'll have time to pop some popcorn for this full length feature movie. LOL
I've always contended that the British make the best documentaries. Thanks Wheaters. PS Only the Brits could come up with the name Shackleton for an Airplane.LOL That Griffon Engine I'm not familiar with. Anything on how much horse power?

 

[wheaters]

The Shackelton was so named after one of our famous explorers. The Griffon was a bigger capacity, later development of the Merlin. 37 litres instead of 27 litres, well over 2,000hp. It went in later versions of the Spitfire and of course the Shacklebomber, as it was known by many in the RAF. I recall the summer of 1990, sitting in my Bulldog at RAF Leuchars, waiting to take off on a formation flight, while a Shack was doing circuits and landed just a few yards away from us. It was a time warp aircraft, retired only a few weeks later.

The Rolls Royce owned, Griffon engined Spitfire, in my earlier photo, is a Mark 14. It suffered a landing accident on its first flight after a major rebuild earlier this year. The undercarriage retracted after landing on the runway, smashing the five bladed propellor. Ironically, the only company in the world who could supply another prop is German!

I think we have a major case of thread drift here, for which I apologise! To make it relevant to the original topic, the door of a Shackleton is on the right!

 

[goofyone]

I think we have a major case of thread drift here, for which I apologise! To make it relevant to the original topic, the door of a Shackleton is on the right!

 

[wheaters]

This Griffon thing has taken over my day because by some strange coincidence; I've been led to a parallel link elsewhere.
It looks like a Shackleton will soon fly again in UK. One is being restored to flying condition, by a group based less than 15 miles from where I sit. It taxied last Saturday! Look here:

At 1:00 minute it does show the door on the right...