Scudrunners

Got a chance to take a PT-26/Cornell around the patch today (yeah I know they had one name or the other depending on country of ownership but I forget what Norway called ‘em) and while comically gutless it was a pretty pleasant flight. Made me look like I knew what I was doing which makes me question it’s efficacy as a trainer but whatever.

Anyways, my question is where’s the fine print on this thing? Obviously my complacency will come knocking some day but other than that what dumb weird hidden habit does this thing have that’s just waiting to kill me? Surely there’s something nasty hiding in there somewhere.

Cornell is a gentle old cow. Ridiculously heavy. If it had 1000 hp instead of 200
it would be a lot more fun. Larry Loretto used to carry and install a climb prop
to get over hills, then land and switch it back for cruise.



Free advice: with the inverted inline 6, every cylinder is the bottom cylinder
of a radial, so I worried about it hydraulic locking. Someone here with a clue
(JW Scud?) educated me that it was impossible, but maybe he was talking
about wild packs of Gypsies. I always pulled the prop through a bunch of
turns.

I think I started it on the left mag, but it's been a few years, so I'm not sure
any more. Research that.

Prop was wooden blade, so no pitch-yaw coupling. Bueno.

No one ever checked me out in it, so I probably missed something. I would
do wheel landings and gently lower the tail, because I was on a looong (4000
foot) paved runway.

Have fun! I have a video somewhere, of my 17-year old (at the time) son
teaching himself aerobatics in it. Hint: get the nose WAAAY up before stick
over. I never did acro in it. What Dear Old Dad says about the Cornell is
unprintable, but he was spoiled by the other stuff he flew.

Wooden prop time: I think I've mentioned this before ... nobody ever does
this, but maybe once a year - esp when the prop is new - pull the cotter pins
and gently re-torque the prop nuts/bolts. You will be amazed how loose they
are. Shrinkage, as George once said.

Please use new cotter pins. People that re-use cotter pins, star lock washers
and condoms make me sad. Give me your address, I'll mail you some, and I'll
even toss in some sample-sized tubes of Astroglide and copper anti-seize. Don't
mix them up, ok?

EDIT

Found this: www.pittspecials.com/etc/PT-19_POH.pdf

My next question was “Anyone got a PDF of the POH?” Thanks!

Did a POH even exist back then I would google Cornell interest groups, I know there are some enthusiasts out there. I'm sure they would be more than happy to answer questions.

Liquid_Charlie wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 31, 2020 2:00 pm

Did a POH even exist back then

Barely, but it seems they did. I like going back to airplanes just five years older that got all of their procedure from your brain and performance figures (aka lies) from the sales brochure. Oh, and maintenance manuals that give torque specs like, “Tighten smartly,” which IIRC is in an ancient Continental manual.

I do need to read the book before taking the Cornell up again. Yesterday I had the owner in the back seat to bounce questions off of as I went, and as it turned out I could have kludged my way around the patch without him but either he or the book are good sources of info for what to do when stuff breaks.

As for it being a big, gentle cow; I couldn’t agree more. I can’t for the life of me imagine why Fairchild made the thing as big as they did. That airplane could be three quarters its size (keep the engine, though) and be better at everything while still being comfortable inside.

Colonel wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 31, 2020 12:00 am

Larry Loretto used to carry and install a climb prop
to get over hills, then land and switch it back for cruise.

He was great. All the other airline pilots hated him, because he loved to fly.

He'd max out his AC hours, then go fly budworm spraying on turkey bombers.

Or, fly Bradley's 727. He told them, I know all about flying the 727, but I don't
know sh1t about flying in the north, so you teach me about flying in the north
and I'll teach you about the 727.

The union hated him. My kind of guy.

We flew 421 charter. He was a hoot. I remember, there was some really aggressive
limousine driver in Toronto that Larry wanted to dodge at the airport, but the limo
driver learned to check flight plans, so we didn't file (IFR) and we were (ahem) dodging
clouds VFR and answering puzzled queries from center about being VFR ... because of
a limo driver in Toronto.

I have to wait decades, until after people are dead, before I can tell these stories.

What can I say. I was young. They told me it was art. I needed the money.

maintenance manuals that give torque specs like, “Tighten smartly,”

I think it was the T-craft mtce manual that said to tension the tail wires
to a "low bass note". :^)

Actually, there is a wide range of acceptable tensions. As long as they're
symmetrical, you're good.

I keep my O.A.S cap in my car and wear it all the time, Larry gave it to me so long ago I can't remember when it was.

He was a super nice guy that was also a superb pilot.

As to the Cornell it sure was an easy tail wheel airplane to fly with real good visibility.

No one else except Larry could have kept this thing straight on dry pavement with a crosswind:



I was happy to clean the spark plugs for him, any time. He was my friend.

Larry thought I was insane, which is high praise, indeed.