On 11 Sep 2003 20:25:43 -0700, (Walt BJ) wrote:

Pushing an airplane beyond its flight manual, FAA-mandated or design
limits is no rarity. Sometimes it happens because of emergency
conditions. Sometimes it's operational priority. Sometimes it's
because of a (pick the ones that match the situation)
dumb/unthinking/ignorant/'high-spirited' operator.
BTW a 60000 C47 is about the twice the normal operating weight. but
there's no difficulty about taking off overweight as long as nothing
breaks. All oen needs is lots of long smooth hard-surface runway. A
stiiff headwind is nice, too. Taking off at twice normal weight
requires 143% of normal lift-off speed. (Lift is proportional of
square of speed). As long as the tires don't blow, the wings bend and
break or an engine quits . . . I personally know a man who flew a C47
with 74 people aboard on an emergency wartime evac in Burma. FWIW the
106 that was at the AFA went out to about 2.45M, .45 over its red line
(ISTR). The J75 was cranked up about 30% over rated thrust, too. I
also know the guy who took a 104A out so far it scorched the paint on
his Sidewinders. He never owned up how fast that was except to say it
was well past the SLOW light (121C). As for the Lanc engines -
adjustments can be tweaked, as was done on the 106 above. I heard N1
on that bird was upped to about 97.5% vice a normal 93. And who here
has never exceeded a red line on his personal automobile?
Walt BJ

Of course you want to be *really* sure that you don't load a 47 tail
heavy. That makes for a very short, very interesting flight :-)

Al Minyard