A Rolls-Royce Dart can be interesting to start on some days.



"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
...
Not all turbine engine starts are automatic, not just the
PT6, but other pure jets require a fair amount of skill to
not burn up the engine on starting.

The PT6 air-flow is not straight thru, but enters at the
rear and goes forward.

BTW, jets are round too.


"john smith" wrote in message
...
| DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO FLEW BEHIND ROUND ENGINES
|
| We gotta get rid of those turbines, they're ruining
aviation and our
| hearing...
|
| A turbine is too simple minded, it has no mystery. The air
travels
| through it in a straight line and doesn't pick up any of
the pungent
| fragrance of engine oil or pilot sweat.
|
| Anybody can start a turbine. You just need to move a
switch from "OFF"
| to "START" and then remember to move it back to "ON" after
a while. My
| PC is harder to start.
|
| Cranking a round engine requires skill, finesse and style.
You have to
| seduce it into starting. It's like waking up a beautiful
and classy
| mistress. Treat her right and you're in for a thrill.
Abuse her and
| you'll regret it!!!!
|
| On some turbine planes, the pilots aren't even allowed to
start the
| engine...
| Turbines start by whining for a while, and then give a
lady-like poof
| and start whining a little louder.
|
| Round engines give a satisfying rattle-rattle,
click-click, BANG, more
| rattles, another BANG, a big macho explosion or two, more
clicks, a lot
| more smoke and finally a serious low pitched roar. We like
that. It's a
| GUY thing...
|
| When you start a round engine, your mind is engaged and
you can
| concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine is
like flicking on
| a ceiling fan: Useful, but hardly exciting.
|
| When you have started his round engine successfully your
Crew Chief
| looks up at you like he'd let you kiss his girl, too!
|
| Turbines don't break or catch fire often enough, which
leads to aircrew
| boredom, complacency and inattention. A round engine at
speed looks and
| sounds like it's going to blow any minute. This helps
concentrate the
| mind!
|
| Turbines don't have enough control levers or gauges to
keep a pilot's
| attention. There's nothing to fiddle with during long
flights.
|
| Turbines smell like a Boy Scout camp full of Coleman
Lamps. Round
| engines smell like God intended machines to smell.