Page 35 - Volume 15 Number 7

hum. True airspeed works out to an honest 210 mph or a bit more, with a fuel burn of 45 gallons per hour. The engines will be quite happy with good automotive fuel if things get tight with 100LL, Craig says.The Century III autopilot keeps the H18 on a steady course, usually following the GNS530’s magenta course line. During descent and initial approach, the first 15 degrees of flap can be extended at 180 mph IAS and the gear can come down at 160 mph, although Craig normally slows to 145 before adding any drag. A 30-degree flap extension is also permitted at 160, but the full 45 degrees are allowed only at 140 mph and below, with power off.There’s an odd limitation of 120 mph if flaps are extended with power on, possibly because that was the original flap speed for the D18S. Fuel selectors are placed on the main tanks and fuel boost pumps go on.Maximum landing weight is 9,500 pounds, so about 67 gallons of fuel must be burned off after a full-gross departure. Landing the tri-gear Twin Beech is fraught with much less adrenalin than the conventional gear airplane, for which a 10-knot crosswind requires some aggressive rudder, aileron and braking action. Approach speed is around 115 mph and touchdown will come at a comfortable 90 mph or so. The rollout tracks straight with the C.G. forward of the main gear and parking and shutdown reverts to the early days. It’s normal to run radial engines up a bit and pull the props back to high pitch, to scavenge oil from the propeller domes before chopping the mixtures. The rhythmic clacking of a P&W radial winding down is a distinct departure from the descending whine of a turbine. What a way to arrive!Beech’s Model 18 HistoryWalter Beech was a contrarian by nature, and his approach to building airplanes followed a no-compromisesBLR Aero- space Half Page 4/C AdF Dowty F lArge inventory Rocky MountainFF MCCAuley F unCoMproMiSeD QuAlity F Mt propeller F CoMpetitive priCeSF HArtzellkeyMountain Propln Sixth Pagec. Sixth PageRocPropellers Inc.FF rApCo DiStributor F FACtory trAineD teCHniCiAnSSenSeniCHorllAArrAntyF wooDwArD pt6A http://www.rockyprop.com4/C Ade-mail: rockyprop@rockyprop.com4/C AdFwDClSAMeDSS we2865 Airport Drive F erie, Co 80516FAx: 303-665-7164 F faa/EaSa crS fr6r545nrsIAy SHippingJULY 2011TWIN & TURBINE • 33