Thread: Changing a wheel in midair!!

No pictures, but compare this with the efforts of P.G.Taylor during the abortive aimail flight of the Southern Cross from Sydney to NZ in 1935. A rocker cover came off the centre engine, damaging the propeller on the starboard engine, which had to be shut down. The resulting need to use high power settings on the two remaining engines after they turned back led to abnormally high oil consumption on the port engine.

Taylor climbed out to the shut down engine, and drained oil into a thermos flask, and then climbed out the other side, pouring the oil into the engine while Smithy momentarily cut it to an idle. This was done a total of six times, with the aircraft operating virtually in ground effect over the Tasman Sea. For this effort, Taylor was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal, later exchanged for the George Cross.

John

I've shown this to my Navigator so that she knows what duties will be expected of her should we experience a similar failure.
She said and something about hell freezing over....

IN one of PG Taylor's books he describes this event and commented that the center engine, which kept running without missing a beat throughout the entire flight, had been spread all over the floor of the hangar a few days before they departed on this flight...

C00P

Occ health and safety rep is going to hear of this. Where is the safety harness?
Working at heights!
https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/safe...ing-at-heights

Originally Posted by C00P

I've shown this to my Navigator so that she knows what duties will be expected of her should we experience a similar failure.
She said and something about hell freezing over....

IN one of PG Taylor's books he describes this event and commented that the center engine, which kept running without missing a beat throughout the entire flight, had been spread all over the floor of the hangar a few days before they departed on this flight...

C00P

You have an Auster with three engines?

I have most of Taylor's books - my father went to school with him, and as a result kept up an interest in his career. One of his more interesting activities after the war was to operate a charter flying boat service out of Sydney using a Sandringham he bought in the UK and flew out from there.

John

...You have an Auster with three engines?...

If you own an Auster, it's always a good idea to have some spare engines.... One to fly, one to wait in the wings (so to speak...) and one in the Operating Theatre

.

Dunno that three engines is all that necessary - the Gipsy Major (fitted to most Australian Austers) is, if properly maintained, both reliable and long lasting between overhauls considering the age of the design. Even if they do use a lot of oil.

John

An interesting segment on ABC this morning, did you catch it John?

Conversations with Richard Fidler

Originally Posted by V8Ian

An interesting segment on ABC this morning, did you catch it John?

Conversations with Richard Fidler

No, missed it. I'll listen to the audio though, thanks for the tip. I try to get that programme, but it is on at a time when I rarely have the opportunity to listen.

John