Here let me help you out.There's a saying about milk and a cow, but I can't remember it.
It is a true saying regarding marriage.
Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for nothing.
DC-3 Type Rating
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Chuck Ellsworth
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:25 pm
It is a true saying regarding marriage.
Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for nothing.
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Chuck Ellsworth
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:25 pm
As for the DC3.
Of all the airplanes I flew during my career the DC3 is by far my favorite, I flew them for over 5000 hours.
My second favorite is the Turbo Commander.
My third is the Stearman.
Of all the airplanes I flew during my career the DC3 is by far my favorite, I flew them for over 5000 hours.
My second favorite is the Turbo Commander.
My third is the Stearman.
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Colonel
- Posts: 2517
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:02 pm
- Location: Over The Runway
Interesting collection of airplanes, Chuck!
I was trying to explain why I like some airplanes ... in no particular order
here are some characteristics I subjectively like:
1) it goes very fast
2) it goes very slow
3) it has wonderful, light, balanced flight controls that are very effective
4) great power to weight ratio. Enough thrust to consume all your fuel in a matter of minutes.
5) low drag - esp under high G (low induced drag at high alpha)
6) low wing loading ==> it turns like a bandit
7) high wing loading ==> a great ride in the bumps
8) ridiculously strong airframe. Design G at least +/- 15G, Ultimate (yield) at +/-30G.
9) tailwheel
10) tube & fabric
11) radial engine
12) biplane
13) great visibility. Either an open cockpit, or a bubble canopy.
14) stick - not a steering wheel - in your right hand
15) throttle(s) in your left hand
16) light rudder pedals with stirrups and long, smooth, light travel (T-34 was the worst)
Now, you're never going to find an airplane that ticks all the boxes, but you might get some.
PS People can roll their eyes about "open cockpit" but one day, my friend Bobby
didn't latch the canopy on his L39 and guess what he did. Yup, lost the canopy
on takeoff - I didn't see it, my wife actually did - and he drove around the pattern
at 200+ knots with an open cockpit. Said it was kind of breezy. Perfect landing.
Dear Old Dad was pretty impressed. Everyone he knew in the RCAF that lost a canopy
(Sabre, -104, etc) ejected and had a pretty bad day, all around.
Bobby makes me look normal. TC hates him even more than me. After he dies,
I have some incredible stories to tell. Some of them might even be true.
-- EDIT --
The most precious airplane, regardless of it's score on the list above, is probably
the one about to become extinct. I know I'm really weird, but I want to fly airplanes
that are soon going to disappear forever. That is precious knowledge to me. I know,
I should get another hobby like motorcycles or guns or dogs.
I was trying to explain why I like some airplanes ... in no particular order
here are some characteristics I subjectively like:
1) it goes very fast
2) it goes very slow
3) it has wonderful, light, balanced flight controls that are very effective
4) great power to weight ratio. Enough thrust to consume all your fuel in a matter of minutes.
5) low drag - esp under high G (low induced drag at high alpha)
6) low wing loading ==> it turns like a bandit
7) high wing loading ==> a great ride in the bumps
8) ridiculously strong airframe. Design G at least +/- 15G, Ultimate (yield) at +/-30G.
9) tailwheel
10) tube & fabric
11) radial engine
12) biplane
13) great visibility. Either an open cockpit, or a bubble canopy.
14) stick - not a steering wheel - in your right hand
15) throttle(s) in your left hand
16) light rudder pedals with stirrups and long, smooth, light travel (T-34 was the worst)
Now, you're never going to find an airplane that ticks all the boxes, but you might get some.
PS People can roll their eyes about "open cockpit" but one day, my friend Bobby
didn't latch the canopy on his L39 and guess what he did. Yup, lost the canopy
on takeoff - I didn't see it, my wife actually did - and he drove around the pattern
at 200+ knots with an open cockpit. Said it was kind of breezy. Perfect landing.
Dear Old Dad was pretty impressed. Everyone he knew in the RCAF that lost a canopy
(Sabre, -104, etc) ejected and had a pretty bad day, all around.
Bobby makes me look normal. TC hates him even more than me. After he dies,
I have some incredible stories to tell. Some of them might even be true.
-- EDIT --
The most precious airplane, regardless of it's score on the list above, is probably
the one about to become extinct. I know I'm really weird, but I want to fly airplanes
that are soon going to disappear forever. That is precious knowledge to me. I know,
I should get another hobby like motorcycles or guns or dogs.
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Chuck Ellsworth
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:25 pm
Describing what your favorite airplane fells like to fly is like trying to put into words the feelings you got with your first piece of tail Colonel.
The DC3 is that kind of experience, it handles like a dream in flight and is awesome to sit in on the ground as are sitting so high above the ground you think you are already flying.
The best advice I can give you is find someone who will take you for a ride in one and let you fly it.
I guarantee you it will be like your first piece of tail.
The DC3 is that kind of experience, it handles like a dream in flight and is awesome to sit in on the ground as are sitting so high above the ground you think you are already flying.
The best advice I can give you is find someone who will take you for a ride in one and let you fly it.
I guarantee you it will be like your first piece of tail.
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Colonel
- Posts: 2517
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:02 pm
- Location: Over The Runway
VanN pointed me at this:
https://incredible-adventures.com/dc3.html
It's just down I-5 from me. I need to call them and ask if they have hangar space for a biplane.
I know there's probably something wrong with me, Chuck but ... I want to roll it. Seriously.
https://incredible-adventures.com/dc3.html
It's just down I-5 from me. I need to call them and ask if they have hangar space for a biplane.
I know there's probably something wrong with me, Chuck but ... I want to roll it. Seriously.
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Chuck Ellsworth
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:25 pm
That is a natural thing for a real pilot Colonel.I know there's probably something wrong with me, Chuck but ... I want to roll it. Seriously.
It rolls just fine.
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Scudrunner
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1168
- Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:18 am
- Location: Drinking Coffee in FBO Lounge
- Contact:
David MacRay wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:28 pmPlus a guy can get this real nice one for just a bit more than the cost of a C-185.
https://www.controller.com/listing/for- ... n-aircraft
That’s 172 money these days.
What the heck are those red things on that Tesla?
5 out of 2 Pilots are Dyslexic.
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Colonel
- Posts: 2517
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:02 pm
- Location: Over The Runway
Those are stickers which indicate that it can legally drive in the HOV
lane, one person, any hours.
See, a Tesla is genius marketing. It allows you to signal that you're
rich, yet environmentally conscious. Brilliant.
lane, one person, any hours.
See, a Tesla is genius marketing. It allows you to signal that you're
rich, yet environmentally conscious. Brilliant.
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Colonel
- Posts: 2517
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:02 pm
- Location: Over The Runway
Don't tell me that a DC-3 is too big to do an airshow ... here's
an old 20th century pilot flying a Herc in Europe:
I'll bet that old guy doesn't have a facebook page - or any virtue
to signal - but he's a fucking AWESOME stick.
Gimme a week with an empty BT-67 and I'll bet I could put on a
decent show ....
an old 20th century pilot flying a Herc in Europe:
I'll bet that old guy doesn't have a facebook page - or any virtue
to signal - but he's a fucking AWESOME stick.
Gimme a week with an empty BT-67 and I'll bet I could put on a
decent show ....
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