Originally Posted by
Baradium
The DC-7s have turbo-compound engines which are incredibly maintenance intensive. The DC-6 was fondly called the best 3 engine aircraft ever made while the DC-7s were flying emergencies. There were also a lot more DC-6s and 4s available to fly than 7s in the first place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright...Duplex-Cyclone
Baradium and Badflaps:
Thanks. I always knew that the 7s engines were an engineers delight and a pilots nightmare. Being a bit of a gearhead in my misspent youth they always appealed to me....but I never had to deal with them, or any other radials, in my career so I can stay with my romantic ideas of them.
Bad: I had no idea they derated a few so they could use 100/130.
Fueled lots of DC-4s, 6s, and 3s...plus a few old Rosenbalm C-46s and some Martin 404's. Always thought it kind of cool that we had an oil truck to service them....pumping in oil from a hose just like a fuel hose.
A turbine can never sound as cool.