On Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:24:47 -0400, Peter Skelton
wrote:

That a single piston is safer than a twin is a classic of
probability theory, taugh in junior high around here (not back in
the day though).

Peter Skelton

As a general rule you put multiple engines on an aircraft 'cause you
want to haul a bigger load. The safety issue is more complex because
just how you add the additional engines can have significant
consequences if one (or more) fail.

There's also, however, a question of environment. Aircraft that
operate almost exclusively over land are going to have some different
considerations than those that operate almost exclusively over water.
There the that junior high principle might not be so clear. :-)

On my one flight in a Skymaster the "rear engine first" technique was
used. Of course if you watch the gauges you can also tell if the rear
engine is producing rated power.

One place that the push-pull system might just work out well is the
seaplane/amphibian. I note that Dornier says it's going to produce a
new one in Canada starting later this year (IIRC). It looks like an
interesting machine. We'll see how well it does in a very depressed
market.