Turbine Equipment really is better

[jergar999]

All this talk about turbines and motorcycles got me thinking and searching and I found this:

http://www.marineturbine.com/superbike/

 

[bugchaser]

Hey guys let me tell you that I love radial engines as much as anyone. I have been fortunate enough to have experienced many hundreds of hours behind those great marvels of engineering. However, I would not trade my PT6 for a truckload of radial engines. You say that turbines have no soul. Thats not really true, they just speak a different language than the old radials. The one thing that I do hate about the turbine is the exhaust fumes. When the wind is right (wrong) it can just about choke you while loading.

 

[Flying Illini]

That turbine motorcycle is pretty sweet! I wonder if it has a lag in it when you give it some juice? Even so, it would be really cool pulling up to some guy in some crappy crotch rocket and revving it up a little. I'd pay to see that look on their face! Just not 185,000 dollars.

 

[LR25]

Hey bugchaser, turbines do speak a different language, but there just tone deaf.

You just set the ITT and go, but with the radial, you bring the mixture down to the rivet, wait a minute, look down at the exhuast and then fine tune the flame, that was from my Beech 18 days, and only worked at night.

Turbines= reliability, which is a good thing.

Radials= real flying, with the occasional, "what was that".

I guess its easy to say once you dont fly them everyday and you fly jets all the time. But they sure were fun.

 

[saabtrash]

Please allow me to translate Flight Crew's original post:

HEY EVERYONE! I fly a jet.

 

[Bluto]

You've got it Saabtrash. I kept thinking to myself: What is his point?! Now it makes sense.

 

[prodigal]

Yep, I'm out of JQF.

 

[A Squared]

>>>Turbine engines start up perfectly almost every time.

Well, which would give you a greater sense of satisfaction:

A: Working the primer paddle, ignition boost and throttle just right to get a nice smooth start with no backfiring or popping on an R-2800 after a quick turnaround on an hot day,

or,

B: jabbing the start button on your CRJ with your index finger and watching it go through the autostart sequence.

I know what my answer is, I'd rather risk buying the occasional pitcher of beer for the crew for banging one on start, knowing that I'm doing something that is challenging and not everyone can do well.

I have a friend who recently checked out in the CRJ. Listening to him describe it, I was dumbfounded by just how much everything is done for you. Unless I misunderstood him, according to his company policy, they are only actually flying the airplane for a minute or 2 of each leg, and even when they are hand flying it, there's a lot of assistence from from the magic, like that little display that shows exactly what your airspeed will be 10 seconds from now as you move the throttles or change configuration.

I dunno, I'm not trying to put down anyone flying a CRJ, or any other highly automated airplane. If you like it and it pays the bills, great. It's just a long, long way from what attracted me to flying.

 

[LR25]

100LL, aviation perfume.

 

[Cardinal]

Turbine engines start up perfectly almost every time.

I dunno. I have a relatively scant amount of turbine time, but I've seen a few hung starts on Garretts, and that wonderful little PT6 is not fond of colder climes. Frozen nozzles, 8% N1, it's only as strong as it battery in the cold. Although I've heard that there is an, ahem, "alternative" technique to get a PT6 started when the gas generator is feeling sluggish in the morning.