Post by jinx on Mar 10, 2006 3:09:38 GMT -5
:)One of the British aircraft which featured heroically and often under cover in some RAF war operations (Malaya crisis among others) was the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer. Mike Stone has done an FS2002 and an FS9 version, and, if I am not mistaken, there is a third version by Vladimir Zhyhulskiy, all ready in RAF markings and camouflage of bluish grey and green with red vertical fin areas--all available at avsim.
:)Below are two texts about the "TwinPin" which I read in a magazine and find hilarious. Have fun reading them:
Here are 2 parts from an article that appeared in "Air Enthusiast" (Quarterly at that time) Magazine. issue 51. Aug-Oct.1993, by Nick Hemming, pilot of Air Atlantique, concerning Twin Pioneer G-BCWF of Flight One Ltd at Gloucester-Staverton being ferried to Coventry.
First Section:
------------------------------------------
'Six-and-a-half-ton, 1,280hp Piper Cub'
========================================
Whisky Foxtrot had been rolled-out of the hangar and an engineer
gave us a stack of paperwork, the keys, and assured us it was full of
fuel, and he then sat back tï watch the fun. ÁÉÉ the paperwork was
ßn order, so all that was needed was a thorough pre-flight and we
could be off. This was not as easy as it sounded as little things like
checking the fuel are not that easy when the fillers are 16ft (5m) up
to the top of the wing and there were no passing window cleaners
with ladders that big. The only way round this was to climb through
the emergency hatch ßn the roof and crawl halfway along the wing
to the filler caps. Owing to the steep camber of the wing when the
aircraft is on the ground, a tight grip on the leading edge is required
if an Eddie the Eagle off the trailing edge is to be avoided.
=============================================
Second Section (from further down the article):
-------------------------
If the engine objects tï the sequence and íigour with which these controls are used, it indicates its displeasure by a series of bangs, flames from the exhaust, and in the case of the Leonides, blowing the air filter off the engine (in flames if it's been ïíerprimed). It is a tradition within the company that any pilot or flight engineer who obtains a good bang during a start is escorted to the bar at the end of the day and iníited tï buy 'bang beers' for anyone who heard it. As the starting of the Twin Pin was tï be íery much educated guesswork and our arriíal at Coíentry would co-incide with opening time, my co-pilot was getting thirsty and looking forward tï a 21 gun salute. There were nï bangs but the smoke produced would haíe done credit tï an artillery regiment. All the needles pointed at the green bits ïn the gauges and when the smoke cleared a bit of taxying about seemed ßn order.
The tailwheel is non-steerable and fully castïring and therefore
nït a great help with directional control and although there are three
rudders, a reasonable amount of power or forward speed is needed,
for them tï be effectiíe. As one would expect for a STOL aircraft,
the brakes are íery effectiíe due tï the 1,500psi proíided tï them
by reduction from the main hydraulic system pressure of 2,500psi.
===================================================
:)Below are two texts about the "TwinPin" which I read in a magazine and find hilarious. Have fun reading them:
Here are 2 parts from an article that appeared in "Air Enthusiast" (Quarterly at that time) Magazine. issue 51. Aug-Oct.1993, by Nick Hemming, pilot of Air Atlantique, concerning Twin Pioneer G-BCWF of Flight One Ltd at Gloucester-Staverton being ferried to Coventry.
First Section:
------------------------------------------
'Six-and-a-half-ton, 1,280hp Piper Cub'
========================================
Whisky Foxtrot had been rolled-out of the hangar and an engineer
gave us a stack of paperwork, the keys, and assured us it was full of
fuel, and he then sat back tï watch the fun. ÁÉÉ the paperwork was
ßn order, so all that was needed was a thorough pre-flight and we
could be off. This was not as easy as it sounded as little things like
checking the fuel are not that easy when the fillers are 16ft (5m) up
to the top of the wing and there were no passing window cleaners
with ladders that big. The only way round this was to climb through
the emergency hatch ßn the roof and crawl halfway along the wing
to the filler caps. Owing to the steep camber of the wing when the
aircraft is on the ground, a tight grip on the leading edge is required
if an Eddie the Eagle off the trailing edge is to be avoided.
=============================================
Second Section (from further down the article):
-------------------------
If the engine objects tï the sequence and íigour with which these controls are used, it indicates its displeasure by a series of bangs, flames from the exhaust, and in the case of the Leonides, blowing the air filter off the engine (in flames if it's been ïíerprimed). It is a tradition within the company that any pilot or flight engineer who obtains a good bang during a start is escorted to the bar at the end of the day and iníited tï buy 'bang beers' for anyone who heard it. As the starting of the Twin Pin was tï be íery much educated guesswork and our arriíal at Coíentry would co-incide with opening time, my co-pilot was getting thirsty and looking forward tï a 21 gun salute. There were nï bangs but the smoke produced would haíe done credit tï an artillery regiment. All the needles pointed at the green bits ïn the gauges and when the smoke cleared a bit of taxying about seemed ßn order.
The tailwheel is non-steerable and fully castïring and therefore
nït a great help with directional control and although there are three
rudders, a reasonable amount of power or forward speed is needed,
for them tï be effectiíe. As one would expect for a STOL aircraft,
the brakes are íery effectiíe due tï the 1,500psi proíided tï them
by reduction from the main hydraulic system pressure of 2,500psi.
===================================================