| SINGLE ENGINE PROCEDUREWhenever hangar fliers "work over" the P-38, sooner or later single engine flight procedure is brought up; and we '38 test pilots are no exception. The other day when the chief heard us "flying" around the waiting room on single engine, he broke up our little session by saying: "There's a right and wrong way of doing everything - particularly flying on one engine. Our engineers have spent many hours checking the best procedures for single engine operation, and it's about time you new fellows are acquainted with these findings. It isn't hard to fly on one engine - it's just knowing how." |
 |
When an engine quits, reduce the power on the live engine and correct yaw with hard opposite rudder; then increase power as much as you can hold. The dead engine's mixture control should be set to idle cut-off, to reduce fire hazard by stopping the flow of fuel. Set the feathering switch to full feather, and pull the throttle back to "close". That's all there is to getting set for single engine flight. |
| If the flight is
going to be for any duration though, you'll find that the following operations make for
safer and better flying: turn off the booster pump of the dead engine, trim the rudder
tab, close the tank selector valve, the prestone shutter, and the oil cooler flap of the
dead engine.
Don't burn up your good engine-31 inches of mercury with 2300 R.P.M. is satisfactory cruising power, and for single engine climb 37 inches with 2600 R.P.M. is recommended. The use of more power is unnecessary. The single engine power stall occurs at 90 M.P.H. indicated, and you will experience a big change in directional trim with change in speed, comparable to the torque effect in single engine airplanes. |
| Joe Towle*
Says:
Don't be afraid to
lose one engine - remember you still have a
mighty fine single engine ship under you".
|
 |
* Engineering Test Pilot for P-38, Constellation and
other Lockheed experimental models, with over 5000 hours Lockheed pilot representative to England and South Africa Barnstormer and Aerial Surveyor |
| Single engine
landings are a cinch - but never count on a twin engine plane maintaining altitude with
both the gear and flaps full down. Once full flaps are extended the landing MUST be made,
so extend flaps 100% only when you see it's "in the bag".
|
REMEMBER: For Single Engine Flight due to "Flakitis"*
|
| * Flakitis - A serious and sometime fatal disease commonly found in engines returning from enemy lines. Loss of manifold and oil pressures, followed by spasmodic coughing,wheezing, are general symptoms. |