| ACE-OF-ACES |
09-25-2012 03:02 PM |
Here are a few more P-38 accounts..
That prove it was no big deal to fly on one engine..
Keep in mind these accounts are from actual military trained pilots that flew the P-38 WWII!
That is to say, a modern civ trained pilot may read something in the pilots manual some 70 years after the fact and falsly conclude that all twins require must land ASAP and avoid any sort of maneuver other than level flight while looking for a place to ditch..
But as you can see from the following accounts, that was not the case at all
Quote:
Stan Wood: Two engines in the P-38 gives a person a feeling of security that one engine can never do. I came back once with an oil fire in my right engine and landing with the remaining engine was no trouble.
Regarding flying the 38 with one engine feathered, I was told that one should not turn into a dead engine. However, I remember a demonstration by Tony Lavier who feathered an engine on takeoff and then did a slow roll into the dead engine. Tony was one of the original test pilots on the 38 for Lockheed and could do things with it that were almost impossible. I wouldn't have even tried it at altitude let alone on takeoff.
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Quote:
Captain Stan Richardson: The airplane was a "dream" on single-engine. While I was instructing in P-38's at Muroc AAF, on occasion the instructor and three students (four ship flight) would each feather the right propeller (remember, only a single generator, and that on the left engine) for a "tail chase" which included loops, slow and barrel rolls, and just generally having a good time. The exercise was to instill confidence in the pilots ability to control the aircraft on one engine.
It was a dandy flying machine in instrument conditions associated with poor weather. I had to return once from Berlin on one engine. No problem."
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Quote:
Richard E. Smith: I liked flying the P38 the most, out of all the airplanes I flew, mainly because it had two engines. There were many missions, when our guys would fly back to base on one engine. I remember one time, flying back from Rabaul, I saw two P-38;s . One was the C.O.’s and he had one engine out. I trotted back to stay with him, but he waved me on home. Later when he got back over base, he turned on the other engine, and landed on two. The guys would often do that. If the engine got damaged, shut it off, and save the fluids, then they could try and restart it when the got back. In New Guinea, especially, that was very important because you didn't want to bail out!
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And that is just three accounts.. There are many more of these out there on the web and in books
Enjoy! |
