Did I imagine this?

[4bee]

Went down to Henley Beach yesterday which is under the NW approach path to Adelaide Airport secondary runway.

While sitting there eating my Fish & Chips ( as you do) a twin engine aircraft came over the top but it sounded a bit odd to my ears & sounded like it was powered by Radial Engines, you know ( clatter clatter clatter etc)

Being in the Adelaide Hills I am used to REX turboprops, Commercial Jets, Flying Doctor etc overflying the house including the Air New Zealand B777 & it's lovely, to me, slow climb out, always right over the top. [smilebigeye]

Anyway,I digress, are there Radial powered aircraft still flying in Australia or was I mistaken?

Did I hear correctly or was it the sound of an aircraft throttled back on approach, change of prop. pitch etc, it certainly sounded different & as I mentioned & ^^ one I am not familiar with here? Didn't have time to get a Rego or any other details as she went as fast as she arrived overhead.

Thanks.

[Hugh Jars]

149774If it was one of those plastic fantastic Diamonds from FTA at Parafield, they were/are powered by 2x 2.0L turbodiesels. Could that be the noise?

[4bee]

Thanks J, it could well have been, but it disappeared over so fast & came from behind a tree copse that I didn't notice the silhouette in detail, but I think it was the fuselage shape of a typical 2 engine bird. ie. multi pax/commuter.

Maybe I need another trip back to Henley for some more Fish & Chips on a nice Autumn day soon & hope it flies again? [smilebigeye]

[DeanoH]

Along a similar vein, the recent Gippsland bushfires were 'just over the hill' from us and the only good thing that came out of it for us was a grandstand seat to our own air show. Many aircraft 'on show' here over the period of the fires both fixed and rotary wing, large and small, jet and propeller aircraft.

The one aircraft that got my attention on the morning after the lightning strikes was what I'll swear was a large 4 engine propeller plane, I didn't get a real good look but it was definitely a large four engine plane with that distinctive sound/beat of what I guess is not quite synchronized engines. Sounds nothing like a jet though there was also a large 4 engined jet flying about as well. The next day there was a large modern looking 2 engined jet with upswept wingtips in service as well. I didn't need a ticket to Avalon, they came to me :)

What's got me though is I didn't think there was any of these planes left in service. The last one I saw was probably 10+ years ago in brilliant polished fuselage and (from memory) TAA livery coming in to Mildura for what must have been an air show. Magnificent. Any ideas or was I imagining it ?

Deano.

[goingbush]

Along a similar vein, the recent Gippsland bushfires were 'just over the hill' from us and the only good thing that came out of it for us was a grandstand seat to our own air show. Many aircraft 'on show' here over the period of the fires both fixed and rotary wing, large and small, jet and propeller aircraft.

The one aircraft that got my attention on the morning after the lightning strikes was what I'll swear was a large 4 engine propeller plane, I didn't get a real good look but it was definitely a large four engine plane with that distinctive sound/beat of what I guess is not quite synchronized engines. Sounds nothing like a jet though there was also a large 4 engined jet flying about as well. The next day there was a large modern looking 2 engined jet with upswept wingtips in service as well. I didn't need a ticket to Avalon, they came to me :)

What's got me though is I didn't think there was any of these planes left in service. The last one I saw was probably 10+ years ago in brilliant polished fuselage and (from memory) TAA livery coming in to Mildura for what must have been an air show. Magnificent. Any ideas or was I imagining it ?

Deano.


Could it have been Zeus C-130 Airtanker, In Australia ATM

NSW to acquire its own large air tanker - Australian Aviation (https://australianaviation.com.au/2018/12/nsw-to-acquire-its-own-large-air-tanker/)

[Hugh Jars]

Nice retirement job :D

[DeanoH]

Could it have been Zeus C-130 Airtanker, In Australia ATM

NSW to acquire its own large air tanker - Australian Aviation (https://australianaviation.com.au/2018/12/nsw-to-acquire-its-own-large-air-tanker/)

Wasn't a C130 as they're pretty distinctive. This was a low winged 4 engine plane that reminded me of an old Constellation, much bigger than a Herc but I didn't get a good look at the tail configuration.

Deano :)

[JDNSW]

There are probably a few radial twins still flying in Australia (although not very often), such as DC-3, and perhaps some smaller ones.

HARS has a variety, including DC3, Catalina, Neptune, Convair. There will be a few others.

[4bee]

Thanks John, I am aware of the old 'Doug' sound but it's silhouette was certainly similar but not as large.


A Mini Doug perchance?

Maybe it's identity is meant to remain another Aviation mystery forever, but at least I know where this one landed unlike MH370?[bigsad]

[p38arover]

Anyway,I digress, are there Radial powered aircraft still flying in Australia or was I mistaken?

DC3
DH Beaver
DH Caribou

Connie (in the Illawarra)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEkB07P_S-s

[cripesamighty]

Was it a single or twin tail? Couldn't have been a classic/warbird type could it, ie. Beechcraft C45, Lockheed 12A, etc?

[rick130]

There used to be polished Beech but may have been a Lockheed flying out of Camden 20 years ago.
I lived under the training area and you'd occasionally hear it.
I'd race out of the shed, it was bloody gorgeous, a radial is a distinctive sound.

[JDNSW]

There may still be the odd Beech 18 still flying. I don't think there are any Lockheed 14s though.

[Hugh Jars]

When I was working at Parafield, my company were custodians of the DeHavilland historic flying unit. They had a few older aircraft, including radials. One was the three-engined thing (Fokker), but I think HARS owns that now.

Some say the Connie was the best 3-engined aeroplane ever built [emoji23][emoji23]

[4bee]

Some say the Connie was the best 3-engined aeroplane ever built https://emoji.tapatalk-cdn.com/emoji23.pnghttps://emoji.tapatalk-cdn.com/emoji23.png



I see what you did there, J.




cripesamighty
Was it a single or twin tail? Couldn't have been a classic/warbird type could it, ie. Beechcraft C45, Lockheed 12A, etc?



As far as I could tell from directly underneath it was single tail.


I am starting to believe that maybe I did imagine it, but thanks all for your opinions, I wish I could help more.

[4bee]

There used to be polished Beech but may have been a Lockheed flying out of Camden 20 years ago.
I lived under the training area and you'd occasionally hear it.
I'd race out of the shed, it was bloody gorgeous, a radial is a distinctive sound.


Oh yes, the Caribous used to fly near here from RAAF Edinburgh to Murray Bridge Army Training Area & one could hear them approaching & departing a million miles away.

Ah happy days.[smilebigeye]

[Hugh Jars]

I see what you did there, J.

As far as I could tell from directly underneath it was single tail.
I am starting to believe that maybe I did imagine it, but thanks all for your opinions, I wish I could help more.

I was a Grade 1 Multi-engine instructor at the Australian Aviation College.

Enjoyed my time there [emoji1303]

John.

[4bee]

...and today you probably fly your B737 over my roof. Please be a tad quieter on the 0600 - 0630 flight out to Melbourne if you please, John.[smilebigeye]

[Hugh Jars]

Mate, I’m in Brisbane ATM. Bris-Canberra-Bris-Williamtown tonight.
Scheduled to land at the same time as the F35’s are recovering from Richmond and environs. More fuel [emoji23]

[4bee]

Make sure you stay out of their way, right?[smilebigeye]

[Hugh Jars]

What a disappointment, 4bee. No JSF’s to be seen. Must’ve been raining somewhere [emoji23][emoji23]
All we got was ‘Mariner 50’ (I think one of the new Poseidons) loitering around the area.

[4bee]

[bigsad] No doubt you will catch up with them somewhere in OZ or they with you. Very quickly.

I can just hear the flight deck conversation now. "WTF was that that went past our port Wingtip Skip?":burnrubber::Rolling: