-> What engines did a Baron have (IO-540 comes to mind but I have a hard
-> time keeping Lyc's and Cont's straight sometimes). When I was trained
-> as an A/P we did magnafluxing and dye-penatrant on EVERYTHING.
Barons have IO-520 Continentals.  You can tell a Baron from an Aztec
without even looking because of the difference in exhaust notes.  (The
Aztec IO-540 having a much growlier roar.)  A Baron on the other hand
wraps up much quicker and sounds more like a 265Cu In Chevy SB.
Playing with the throttles while jockying for taxi gets everybody's
attention in a Baron.
The TGIO-520's in the Excalibur Beech with the HUGE augmenters have the
prettiest sound in flat engine aviation! (Nothing compares with a R-985
idling though!)
-> I think I would have PUSHED him out to fix it :)
It sounded a lot worse than it really was. About a thirty degree
retarded spark makes for a LOT of backfiring and bucking.  The poor old
engine couldn't figure out whether to just jump OFF the wing or lie down
and die.  Getting the power off it improved its outlook on life a LOT.
-> Besides a Baron is not a real airplane anyway... engines that look
-> like they got ran over, somebody chopped off the upper wing
The engines are altogether too flat to be photogenic, and the tail
_would_ look better closer to the ground, but appearances aside that's a
moneymaking essobee!  Just about anything you can get IN it it'll fly
away with.  Maybe a few pounds less than an Aztec, and not as easy to
load, but 20 knots faster on the same gas loaded.  Nicer on people cargo
too!  
-> Last good Beech was the 17, but the 18 was at least 2/3's of an A/C
Nope, you've overlooked the Queen Air / Excalibur conversions!  Jeezuz
you can haul 6 bales of hay, the cowboys AND the horses, and hold a
dance en-route!  I've seen one loaded FULL of TVs, VCR's, and Catapillar
parts get off in 800 feet, and land to a stop in 500! DAMN SCARY!
Firewalling THAT 1200 horses is awsome!
-> Great Lakes any day. as of twenty years ago it was the only A/C I
-> know of that never had a A.D. against it.
I don't doubt that for an instant!  They were built for bear and
intended to last.  A 110 pound GIRL showed up at an aerobatic contest
with one once, and kicked EVERYBODY'S butt!  Wish I could remember her
name.  Little bitty scrawny thing with long brunette hair.  Knew what to
push and pull to make that thing dance. I'd have traded my Airknocker
for her........
So little time and so many old airplanes to fly!
 ^..^
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