Anyone here flown a Beech18 ?

[Waldom]

If Ukaviator is right about the operator, most of my previous post was for naught and I sure hope that Tathepilot's flying is better than his or her research.

But, Tathepilot, if you find out that you will be flying one of these airplanes, let me know which one and I will try and help you.

I have been a designated company instructor on recip. engine, conventional-gear Beech 18s and probably checked out 15 pilots in that type including two that had no previous tail wheel experience. That's 15 pilots that checked successfully. After a brief evaluation checkride, I probably rejected twice the number. The airplane is not really that hard to fly, it was the very limited time that the operator alotted for initial training that was the limiting factor. These poor folks were going to be turned loose single-pilot in our 14 junk airplanes in the middle of a Midwest winter. If I couldn't teach them enough to survive in about six hours of flyng I would have attended a lot of funerals.

I also have experience in both types of the Garrett-engined Volpars and the Hamilton Westwind II.

 

[avbug]

The lack of conventional gear experience alone, to say nothing of other issues, indicate a strong potential for one to get in far over one's head, here.

 

[nosehair]

Hard to believe you were approached for the job with no t/w time. That ain't one to learn on.

 

[tathepilot]

thanks to everyone that is giving me much needed info here.. i agree with some of the comments about being in over my head.. at this point in my career, or at any point, i don't want to put myself at risk for the sake of flying a 'cool a/c'.. the weather down here does get crappy, and when it does, it normally stays for at least a week.. so i would have to fly the 18 in the icy soup.. i do speak the truth about being approached, but to be honest, i should have said a co-worker who is good friends with the cp was down in fl, and the cp told him that he needs someone to fly the b18, and this is when i got the phone call.
i have some short term goals, and switching companies to fly a b-18 is not on the horizon.. (pun intended)..

i am just gathering info at this point..

thanks everyone, lets keep it going..

 

[FreightPup]

Do you have lots of tailwheel time, or are you slovenly dressed and unkempt with the smell of oil hanging about you, so that you may appear to be a tailwheel-round-engine pilot?

Ha Ha!
That's funny 'cause it's true

 

[Waldom]

Great avatar, Freight Pup. That Keith Ferris print is part of our living room decor. Good thing the wife's a pilot and the background colors are the same as that of the furniture! And yes, you're right; there is no romance associated with an engine that whines.

 

[alaskaborn]

Sounds like Hankins

 

[tathepilot]

Sounds like Hankins

that is it!

what do you know about them?

 

[kfscapn]

I didn't realize 231LJ was back in the air. I know it disappeared from YIP a few years ago in non-flying condition. I never flew it, but I flew the Turboliners and Westwind II's Kitty Hawk/Kalitta had. They were a solid, stable airplane good for about 200 knots true on 80gph.

 

[727gm]

N123LJ is actually the only Westwind IV, by Hamilton Aircraft.

The Westwind III is the standard tailwheel Beech 18 with PT6A-20 or-27 engines. Here's a picture of the unfortunate demise of my favorite, by it's new operator:

http://www.bahamaspress.com/?p=506

The Westwind series(I, II, III) was STC'ed by American Turbine Engine Company of Pasadena, CA and the aircraft were modified in Long Beach, CA in the mid-to-later sixties. The STC was sold to Hamilton, and more aircraft were converted by Hamilton later, including N38L (1975).

As I said long ago about this aircraft:

Or howzabout the good ol' Beech 18T ( Hamilton Westwind III), what a machine! Rolling in on the field gear down, flaps 45, props FWD, brakes checked, crabbing down to the ground in a strong crosswind, rounding out and aligning with the runway, coming to idle with one throttle, rolling one wheel on first and making it stick, closing the other throttle and planting the other wheel while easing the first throttle over the gate into beta/reverse (a twist of the wrist in a Westwind) then the other throttle to idle and more reverse on the on the first engine, hauling them both into a split-reverse while flying the tail down and keeping it straight. Tail becomes less effective with the big flaps near the ground, but the wing angle makes the ailerons moreso. Short field, throw in hard-but-not-too-hard braking and reverse while tail is still up and elevator to compensate. Hard to explain, a challenge and a joy to accomplish, different from most aircraft, a sweet ZEN machine.