Most fun flying...

[enigma]

I just don't know if I could equate fun with flying any of those aircraft. To me, fun, is a SuperCub, or a Skybolt, or an empty Lear.

So, I choose the one that I would consider the greatest experience and that would have to be the four round motors on the Connie.

Now if you'll allow me to pick one based upon how much fun you could have in it, I would guess that the 707 would win hands down. It has power levers (four only), no mixtures, no feather levers, no turbos, etc. It has hydraulically boosted controls and it's obviously stronger than just about anything other than a modern jet fighter. Of the ones you listed, I can't imagine any other being more pure fun to yank, bank and play with. Still given the choice of only flying one of your choices, I'd rather experience the Connie.

regards,
enigma

 

[transienttorque]

Hardly a fair question. Any real pilot would offer a testicle (or similarly precious body part) for a chance at the top three and gleefully elbow his best friend in the face for a shot at the rest.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Any real pilot would offer a testicle...for a chance at the top three...

No, I don't think so. I don't know many pilots who'd give their nuts for anything.

On the other hand, they'd gladly give yours...

 

[bigD]

I don't know many pilots who'd give their nuts for anything.

No no no - I'd give *a* nut to fly a Connie, but not both!

And there are enough DC-3's around that I believe I could get some time in one without resorting to cutting into my manhood!

 

[Thrust Master]

It would have to be the Lockheed Tristar.
Only aircraft I think of that is not associated
with UAL or every has been.

The Snake is back

 

[LR25]

True

DC-3, jets are for pussies

And props are guys who know how to fly airplanes.

If I won the lottery, no airplane I own would burn Jet-A, and they all will have round engines.

AvGas= Aviation perfume!

 

[Boeingman]

It would have to be the Lockheed Tristar.
Only aircraft I think of that is not associated
with UAL or every has been.

The Snake is back

When UAL bought some of Pan Am's pacific routes, didn't they get some of their L-1011's and operate them for a very short time?

 

[pilotyip]

DC-3 best on list

But the best prop plane is the L-188, only those who have not flown it fail to understand how awesome the 4 eng prop was. No airplane has a go around capability like the L-188. But the round engine noise, and tail wheel make the DC-3 a classic.

 

[XGmaninGA]

Put me down for the Connie. She defines the romance of aviation.

 

[T-Gates]

When UAL bought some of Pan Am's pacific routes, didn't they get some of their L-1011's and operate them for a very short time?

Yes... They got -500's from Pan Am in 1985...

 

[Boeingman]

Yes... They got -500's from Pan Am in 1985...

--03M

Thanks. Also, I 'm glad the memory is still intact. They say that it is the second thing that goes.

 

[A Squared]

What is it about a constellation that causes ordinarily sane, healthy men to become myopic and lose all aesthetic sense? Look at it, the airplane is gangly and awkward with this grotesque humpback, sort of a Quasimodo with wings. For pete's sake, the airplane's design was dictated, not by aerodynamics, but by the need to fit through someone's too small hangar doors, and it looks it. Compare to the DC-6's clean, utilitarian lines and purposeful look. There is an airplane which was designed to fly, not to fit in a hangar, and fly it does, I flew one yesterday, tomorrow I'll fly one again.

So, ask yourself, if the Constellation is really all it is made out to be, why aren't they flying anymore?

Oh, and put me down for the DC-3 training, they're still flying too.

 

[f9driver]

Tri-Star/UAL

Thrustmaster, UAL did fly the L1011. They got about 10 of them from Pan Am when they bought the Pacific Division.

 

[crash-proof]

What is it about a constellation that causes ordinarily sane, healthy men to become myopic and lose all aesthetic sense?

Your answer, sir...

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/155093/M/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/162340/M/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/162339/M/

http://www.metva.com.au/users/enno/photos/avalon/lconn2.jpg


I would however, LOVE to fly the DC-6.

 

[Vector4fun]

What is it about a constellation that causes ordinarily sane, healthy men to become myopic and lose all aesthetic sense? Look at it, the airplane is gangly and awkward with this grotesque humpback, sort of a Quasimodo with wings. For pete's sake, the airplane's design was dictated, not by aerodynamics, but by the need to fit through someone's too small hangar doors, and it looks it. Compare to the DC-6's clean, utilitarian lines and purposeful look. There is an airplane which was designed to fly, not to fit in a hangar, and fly it does, I flew one yesterday, tomorrow I'll fly one again.

FLAME BAIT!



Compairing the Connie's sexy curves to the DC-6's "clean utilitarian lines" is like compairing Jane Russel's curves to Patricia Neal's "utilitarian lines"; to use a period example. I suppose you find a Spitfire gangly also?

So, ask yourself, if the Constellation is really all it is made out to be, why aren't they flying anymore?

I asked myself that very question, and myself answered:

"Four very good reasons, Wright 3350s vs P&W 2800s. Same reason you don't see many clean, utilitarian DC-7s flying anymore neither."


BTW, Lockheed tried to change to R-2800s early in the program, when the 3350s had so many teething problems, but the Army insisted on waiting for the Wrights to work out...

 

[Thrust Master]

Re: Tri-Star/UAL

Thrustmaster, UAL did fly the L1011. They got about 10 of them from Pan Am when they bought the Pacific Division.

Thanks for the update, I did not know that.

In that case my chioce would be the Beech Skipper.

 

[A Squared]

FLAME BAIT!

Hehe, how did you know? Pot stirring aside, I really do find the Constellation rather unattractive. To me it looks like an overgrown Ercoupe with a bent back

"Compairing the Connie's sexy curves to the DC-6's "clean utilitarian lines" is like compairing Jane Russel's curves to Patricia Neal's "utilitarian lines"; to use a period example. "

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if Jane Russell had an unnaturally hunched back and 3 asses, her film career wouldn't have been nearly as successful. Perhaps a better analogy would be that she wouldn’t have been quite as popular if, instead of those breasts, she had been equipped with brass milk spigots on top of her head so she would fit into the *existing* sweaters so that new sweaters wouldn’t have to be constructed.

"Four very good reasons, Wright 3350s vs P&W 2800s. Same reason you don't see many clean, utilitarian DC-7s flying anymore neither."

True, but the engine isn’t some sort of distantly removed entity, the choice of an engine is an integral part of what *makes* an airplane. If the P-51 hadn’t replaced the allison with the merlin, it would have never been anything more than a mediocre ground attack aircraft, a distant second to the P-47 (there’s that R-2800 again)

That being said, the DC-7, despite being saddled with the same engines, was operated commercially long, long after the Constellation became a museum curiosity, in fact there's still a few -7's operating out there

Douglas...........Lockheed
DC-3...............Hudson
DC-6...............Constellation
DC-10.............L-1011

All the Dougs are still flying, I'm betting there will still be a bunch of DC-10 operating when the last tri-star is parked.

 

[T-Gates]

I'm betting there will still be a bunch of DC-10 operating when the last tri-star is parked.

Dont make a grown man cry.... It's not nice....

 

[Vector4fun]

Hey A Squared,

All kidding aside, who's still operating a -7 and where? Haven't seen one in ages. I've actually seen more Connies lately. I saw one on the ramp at Salina Ks about six months ago as I drove by on 135. Don't believe it's in annual however...


Don't dis dem Lockheeds too much, the Air Force may be flying their C-130s around yr 2100 or so....



ps:

We actually worked DC-3 and CV-240 overflights yesterday....

 

[jsoceanlord]

a paraglider - but it seems sort of scary