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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0163.PDF
16110 Febn 1956 One of the US.A.F.'s two YC-97J turboprop transports which passed through London Airport on a M.A.T.S. route-proving flight to Rhein- Main, Germany, seen starting up and taking off tor Germany. TWO T34-POWERED U.S.A.F. TRANSPORTS THE first of the two Boeing YC-97J experimental turboprop- •- powered transport aircraft visited England, passing through London Airport, on the week-end of January 29th. The aircraft is a standard U.S.A.F. C-97 freighter fitted to take four Pratt and Whitney T-34 turboprops giving 6,000 e.h.p. each. Both the YC-97Js are operated by the U.S.A.F.'s 1700th Air Transporta- tion Group at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, a unit which has the task of evaluating the series of turboprop-powered aircraft de- livered to the U.S.A.F. These include two Convair YC-131Cs powered by two Allison T-56s, which have been flying for over two years, and two Lockheed YC-121Fs with P. and W. T-34s which are shortly to be delivered by the makers. In charge of the aircraft which visited London was Col. Claud Smith, who com- mands the 1700th Group. The YC-97J is now an operational aircraft and carries no special instrumentation. The U.S.A.F. is using it to build up flying time with the new engines, and operational performance is being simulated by the present M.A.T.S. route-survey flights between Kelly A.F.B. and Rhein Main in Germany. The aircraft crossed the Atlantic from Stephenville, Newfoundland, to Prest- wick in 6 hr 4 min at an average speed of 395 m.p.h. with a following wind of 15 m.p.h. This is a record time for the crossing. The YC-97J is the second turboprop type to cross the Atlantic, the first, of course, being the Viscount. The YC-97J turboprops, which have Curtiss three-blade square-tipped airscrews with scarlet-painted spinners, are started by compressed air. At London Airport the air was supplied by a gas-turbine-powered starter trolley which the aircraft had brought with it. The procedure followed was that the trolley was con- nected to the aircraft and the turbine run to start No. 3 turbo- prop. Then the trolley was disconnected, wheeled round to the rear-loading doors and lifted aboard by the aircraft's own gantry hoist. The remaining turboprops were started by taking a transfer bleed from the No. 3 engine. No. 4 started well, but several attempts were required to start Nos. 1 and 2 and the aircraft in fact taxied out to the end of the runway to run up to full power before starting the last engine. Such difficulties arc simply due to the starting-air ducts in this installation being a little small for the job. When all its engines were running the YC-97J got away to a remarkably quiet and quick take-off. The ground run lasted some 12 seconds. The aircraft was probably not flying at full load, although it was carrying 21 people and, among other equipment, the ground-starter. According to inscriptions on the nose of the aircraft the T-34 uses JP-4 fuel (wide-cut gasoline) to specification TO-06-5-1. No precise information was available on the spot about the handling of the engines or the cruising technique. Operating altitude, however, according to the length of the flight, is gener- ally between 25,000ft and 35,OOOft. Received from Long Beach, California, as we go to press, is this "roll-out" picture of the first Douglas C-133A. This 2SSfiO0-lb machine is the only production appli- cation of the T34 engine. We expect to make further reference to this impressive transport in our next issue.
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