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Starting a PT-6

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I would eliminate this statement, though...
Regardless of propeller lever position, the propellers WILL go to feather upon shutdown, as they are spring-driven that direction, and the loss of oil pressure will allow the springs to do their things.

Fly safe!

David


Very True. No oil = Feather...regardless of prop lever position.

The checklist does call for the prop levers to be placed below the feather detent on shutdown.

Again...this is true of the prehistoric A90 I've flown. King Air's manfactured post WWII may have other procedures
 
Hey Avbug, I got another good reason to always start in feather. At least in an Ag airplane. If you don't have the prop in feather, when you get out to get your coffee, map or whatever, the airplane might decide to come out of feather and wander off. Can be kind of humorous when it happens to the other guy. Seriously though, good explanations as usual.
 
Hey Avbug, I got another good reason to always start in feather. At least in an Ag airplane. If you don't have the prop in feather, when you get out to get your coffee, map or whatever, the airplane might decide to come out of feather and wander off.

True story. Having climbed out of piston ag airplanes to load, fuel clear a nozzle, take a leak...being able to do so in a featherable turbine airplane is like a guilty pleasure.

Being able to feather on the ramp when loading means less noise, less confusion, less blast in the face for the person at the loading valve; it's nice. Same when loading skydivers or passengers or freight on and off an airplane.
 
Jeez, just put the PCL in the start range (when the start light comes on) and then move the starter switch to auto/reset. 30 seconds later you have a started PT-6.
 
Jeez, just put the PCL in the start range (when the start light comes on) and then move the starter switch to auto/reset. 30 seconds later you have a started PT-6.

What are these things you speak of? PCL? start light? Must have been in one of those fancy people airplanes. I just lean in and hit the starter, when it sounds about right I turn on the sparkers and go full rich on the mixture or whatever they call it and then wait a while till its runnin. Works almost every time.
 
Jeez, just put the PCL in the start range (when the start light comes on) and then move the starter switch to auto/reset. 30 seconds later you have a started PT-6.

Most PT6 installations aren't stared like that, of course...
 
Yeah, I was just kidding around. That is how the start on the T-6 Texan II goes. It's all automatic and guards against the "start brothers": Hot, Hung, and No. The PCL is the power condition lever or something like that, kind of like a fadec.
 
I think that it is the PMU or Power Management Unit that controls the start in the T-6. It is what acts like a FADEC not the PCL.
 
Blasphemy! Starting a T-6 involves a primer, mixture, throttle, wobble pump, and mags!
 
........

I never thought about the issue of melting the cockpit side windows (on a BE20) when starting in feather and leaving it in feather for some extended period of time until one of the engineers (mechanics) mentioned it to me about a year ago during a test run. Seems logical I suppose, not sure why it didnt occur to me.

Anyone actually damaged the side window before?
 
I never thought about the issue of melting the cockpit side windows (on a BE20) when starting in feather and leaving it in feather for some extended period of time until one of the engineers (mechanics) mentioned it to me about a year ago during a test run. Seems logical I suppose, not sure why it didnt occur to me.

Anyone actually damaged the side window before?

I never damaged it but it got really hot when I did it on the B-350
 
A lot less shaking if you start out of feather.

If your engine is properly mounted and the propeller ballanced, you shouldn't be having any shaking. You shouldn't be experiencing any in feather anyway, and regardless of the prop position, you've got to transition out of feather all the same...so the issue is pointless. You've got to go there regardless of the start position.
 
So far as the propeller itself, the engine doesn't know if it's turning or not; it's not attached. It's a free turbine engine, meaning the movement of the propeller with respect to rotation is strictly function of exhaust gas. In theory, you could hold on to that propeller during the engine start and prevent it from turning at all, though in reality the torque would toss you and likely hurt you, too. Point is, the exhaust gasses from the gas turbine generator (Ng) are turning that prop, after the engine is done with the gas flow...nothing mechanical between the engine and the prop but the case...and the oil.

There used to be a video of some guy holding a prop during start. I tried to youtube it but just can't find. Pretty cool video.

I start the KA in Feather all the time. For a variety of reasons. One of them is since I fly it single pilot and have a bunch of stuff to do in the cockpit after engine start this reduces my chances of the plane rolling forward while I'm setting up the cockpit.

Also during the winter this prevents a unanticipated slide on a slick ramp.
 
I start the KA in Feather all the time. For a variety of reasons. One of them is since I fly it single pilot and have a bunch of stuff to do in the cockpit after engine start this reduces my chances of the plane rolling forward while I'm setting up the cockpit.

Thank you Diesel. I tried to tell this to a DO and a DOM a few years back. They suck anyway. I say start in feather, if only for the "oops I forgot the brakes" issue. My pax liked it better also.
 

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