6 ms·
I worked on a seaplane dock as a teen. Radial engines use AvGas which is high octane gasoline. Turbine engines use Jet A which is a kerosene blend fuel. Most
by tastyfreeze 6y ago
I worked on a seaplane dock as a teen. Radial engines use AvGas which is high octane gasoline. Turbine engines use Jet A which is a kerosene blend fuel.
Most de Havilland Beavers in my area are still radial engines due to the nostalgia that sells to tourists. Most companies have converted their de Havilland Otters to a turbine engine. I have seen turbine Beavers from other areas. You can visually identify the engine by the shape of the plane nose. A radial engine plane has a big, round, blunt nose and sounds like an idling drag racer with a deep glug glug glug noise. A turbine engine plane has a pointy nose and sounds like the high pitch whine of a jet engine.
- steffan 6y ago> still radial engines due to the nostalgia that sells to tourists Given the relatively thin margins in aviation, I think it's probably less about nostalgia and more about the $1M USD price of e.g. a PT-6 turbine
- tastyfreeze 6y agoI am sure that is a consideration. The performance of a turbine Beaver is also not as much of an improvement as a converted Otter. Margins on transportation flights are thin. Margins on flightseeing are not. The company I worked for chartered a Beaver between $600-$700 an hour and a turbine Otter at double that. Seats for 45-minute flightseeing (through a national monument) were priced at $185-$250. 6 pax in an Beaver and 10 in an Otter.
- canadianfella 6y agoPax?
- Sebguer 6y agoPassengers.
- baybal2 6y agoThere are no avia piston engines left above 500-600HP today, and 1000+hp are completely unheard off. This is why a lot of radial engine powered planes that are many decades old have no options for new engines if there are no turbine conversion available.
- SV_BubbleTime 6y ago>Turbine engines use Jet A which is a kerosene blend fuel. I’m always amazed how people don’t know this and think “jet fuel” is some magic stuff. I’m missing steps, but I think it’s pretty much: oil >> tanker fuel >> diesel >> kerosene >> jet fuel
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- throwawayboise 6y agoYes, and diesel, kerosene, home heating oil, and jet fuel are all very close to the same thing. Different purity standards and additives of course.
- nickik 6y agooil >> tanker fuel >> diesel >> kerosene >> jet fuel >> RP1 (rocket fuel)
- na85 6y agoI had a professor in school that hated turbines. You press a button, it whines, and with a small puff it starts. A radial looks, sounds, smells dangerous, like it's going to fly apart at any second, and that's awesome. Every so often some old warbirds fly over my neighbourhood and it's such a treat to hear those big radials thundering away. They should prescribe that sound as antidepressants.
- jacquesm 6y agoThis happened here last liberation remembrance day. Four planes in formation, it was like the voice of God, incredible what a sound. I didn't realize what it was at first so it scared the willies out of me and then I saw the silhouettes and immediately knew what was up. You just can't describe the sound of those engines 300 meters up right over your office. Originally there was supposed to a 4 engined Lancaster as well but it wasn't deemed airworthy so that got postponed, even so, it was mighty impressive.
- na85 6y agoI used to live in Ontario near where the only airworthy Lancaster lives. It's based out of Hamilton, and the Lanc is powered by inclines rather than radials but still an awesome sound. I got to ride in it once, it was a lifetime experience.
- jacquesm 6y agoEven if you know what's coming... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iOoiEbtf2w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iOoiEbtf2w
- canadianfella 6y agoI didn’t realize some Beavers are equipped with turboprops now.
- MaxBarraclough 6y ago> Radial engines use AvGas which is high octane gasoline With lead.