The Douglas DC-3 revolutionized flight more than 60 years ago, and many
still fly today. This vintage aircraft was once flown by American Airlines.
of operators his company works with is the Continentals and Lycomings.” last decades longer than they imag-
hobbyists. “These people almost never (Yes, Continental and Lycoming made ined they would, keeping radials air-
‘ride them hard and put them away radials.) “We also do a few Curtis worthy remains a challenge. “A lot of
wet.’ They’re going to be out there pol- Wright and Kinner engines.” these engines that come to us have
ishing their aircraft. They take great There remain a lot of engines and been sitting for a number of years,”
care of their airplanes and engines.” opportunities out there, according says Dalton. “The number one factor
While both Radial Engines and to Curry. “They made over 10,000 in overhauling these engines is cor-
Precision Engines overhaul and Stearmans, which were our primary rosion of their internal parts. Rust
rebuild radials, each specializes in basic trainer airplane, and the rule of accumulates on the steel parts, and
a different size. Precision Engines thumb was to have five spare engines the aluminum cylinders can collect a
specializes in the larger, 1,800-cubic- for every airplane,” he says. “So there white-powder corrosion.”
inch-and-above engines, while Radial were over 60,000 engines made just “It used to be a commercial opera-
Engines concentrates on the smaller for that airframe. And there were a tor would time-out [operate regularly
engines – less than 450 horsepower. lot of other airplanes that used those between overhauls] an engine, so cor-
Both companies say business is good. Continental and Lycoming engines, as rosion wouldn’t be as big of a factor
Precision overhauls about 40 engines well. Who knows how many there are as it is for a guy who flies his airplane
a year; Radial rebuilds about 70. out there?” a few hours a year or lets it sit all
“Our largest volume is the Jacobs winter,” he adds. “Too many of these
engine,” says Curry. “They come in Keep ‘em Flying aircraft are not operated as much as
245-, 275-, 300- and 350-horsepower While the original designers and they used to be, and that’s tough on
versions. They are neck-and-neck with manufacturers made their engines the engine.”
Aviation Maintenance |
avmain-mag.com | Oct/Nov 2009 27
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