Golden Jubilee
Posts: 5187
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm
Location: Lyman, IA
Re: Fort McMurray Fire
I have a friend who was a "factory rep" for a radial engine builder. He has install many in the bush in Canada and Alaska. In fact, he has been all over the world installing and working on "round engines" In Alaska and Canada, most often they were installed where they failed, sometimes in less then ideal conditions. He also is an IA (aircraft inspector) and has worked on the "smoke jumper" fleet in Missoula, Not just the engines are stressed, he said the airframes have crack in places that most never crack, all from the repeated loading and unloading, so many times in one shift. He told me they are going over to turbo-prop's but the abrasives in the smoke play havoc with the turbine blades. No free lunch.