DC-3 on one engine at sgf today

[bell47]

I just watched a dc-3 flying on one engine over Nixa, MO headed towards Springfield. He was about 1000 feet agl and really slow. Right prop feathered! He had about 15 miles to go and looked like he was doing OK.

 

[nosehair]

Yeah, that's how you do it on the old 3's, ya know.
Take off on two, level at 1000', shut one down (alternate each leg), saves on engine time. I mean, if yer fully overloaded, ya hafta keep both runnin', but mainly on the 91 dead legs, save that engine time.

 

[DC3Flyer]

Flies just fine on 1 engine, most of the time anyway!!

 

[bell47]

I'll try and find out what happened. It was only about an hour ago.

 

[FlyingFisherman]

I'll put $5 on an engine problem.

 

[sleddriver71]

I'll put $5 on an engine problem.

Ya think? I thought maybe it was an electrical problem, that would be why he shut down and feathered an engine, it just makes so much sense.

 

[ePilot22]

I'll put $5 on an engine problem.

Engine problem = Price of fuel!








I hope everything works out.

eP.

 

[pilotyip]

You burn more gas SE engine becasue you have to run at higher RPM, than the same IAS on two engines at lower RPM. If you fly the DC-3, you shut down engines, once about every 250-500 hours.

 

[Captn]

Artist Rendition ...

 

[DC3Flyer]

Hey yip

Hey yip, where do you guys get your engine work done at these days when it's time for an overhaul?

 

[bell47]

You burn more gas SE engine becasue you have to run at higher RPM, than the same IAS on two engines at lower RPM. If you fly the DC-3, you shut down engines, once about every 250-500 hours.

Why would you shut down engines once every 250-500 hours? If properly maintained you should not even have an oil leak on a radial engine. Much less having to shut one down. All that bull about them leaking all the time is just an excuse for lack of maintenance. I flew and worked on radials for almost ten years(P&W 1340's and 985's) and never heard of this.

 

[FreightPup]

Why would you shut down engines once every 250-500 hours? If properly maintained you should not even have an oil leak on a radial engine. Much less having to shut one down. All that bull about them leaking all the time is just an excuse for lack of maintenance. I flew and worked on radials for almost ten years(P&W 1340's and 985's) and never heard of this.

The Beech I flew only used a quart every 4-5 hours or so! Good MX is priceless.

 

[FN FAL]

I'll put $5 on an engine problem.

I see your five bucks and raise it another $5.

 

[pilotyip]

bell47 and freight pup how much time you guys got behind a real man's round engine? I only know what other DC-3 pilots have told me, and what I have experienced. They are not building any new 1830's anymore. 500 MTBF hours per engine is two shutdowns every 500 hours or one every 250. Even at 1000 MTBF, close to TBO on a 1830, that would be shutdown every 500 hours. That is normal now days on these old engines. Our TBO's on the 1820's in the Navy was only 500 hours. I had a brand new overhauled engine, 54 hrs on it. It burned 26 gallons in 25 minutes with a cracked piston. How about it MVA or Sabre pilots how did your DC-3 engines make out?

 

[bell47]

bell47 and freight pup how much time you guys got behind a real man's round engine? I only know what other DC-3 pilots have told me, and what I have experienced. They are not building any new 1830's anymore. 500 MTBF hours per engine is two shutdowns every 500 hours or one every 250. Even at 1000 MTBF, close to TBO on a 1830, that would be shutdown every 500 hours. That is normal now days on these old engines. Our TBO's on the 1820's in the Navy was only 500 hours. I had a brand new overhauled engine, 54 hrs on it. It burned 26 gallons in 25 minutes with a cracked piston. How about it MVA or Sabre pilots how did your DC-3 engines make out?

REALLY? I'd say a 1340 on an Airtractor 301 and 401 at ten feet( yeah thats 10) agl with a load of chem. IS a REAL MAN'S round engine. Our engines were old too. I flew one that had 1200 hours on it SMOH at Younkin and only burned about a quart an hour of oil. I'd personally think one hour of ag-time would amount to about 500 of sitting up at altitude, in a twin engine two pilot aircraft, but that's just my opinion.

 

[FreightPup]

MVA / A.K.A. Hogan always had great MX. Those 1830's have been overhauled soooo many times now. Towards the end of MVA, the cylinder heads would always just pop right off. Ahhh, I can still see Joe Mama standing there smoking his cigarette while hosing down an engine with solvent and cussing like a sailor!!

 

[kamikaize]

was that dc-3 camo painted? we parked our lear next to one on the ramp in sgf yesterday!!

 

[bell47]

was that dc-3 camo painted? we parked our lear next to one on the ramp in sgf yesterday!!

YEAH, it was camo, kinda tan and green maybe.