HFF Douglas DC-7B engine Start Up and Take Off

[@davidappleton9345]

I was a mechanic for EAL 1963-1991. As mechanics we were trained to taxi all types of EAL aircraft. The DC7B had Wright3350 turbo compound engines. Turbo compound meant that the exhaust was directed through 3 'power recovery turbines' (PRT's) which added about 300 HP at take-off power as these turbines were helping to drive the crankshaft through hydraulic couplings. We usually started the engines #3, #4, #2, #1.

[@bergejermakian6540]

One of my favorite aircraft at the time. I earned a good living repairing these birds along with others of the day. It took a lot of manpower to keep them on schedule.

[@jetfreak4]

What a beauty. So great that people recognize the need to preserve these ancient birds. Especially the DC-7, which along with the Super Constellation represented piston technology at its zenith.

[@Alijae1019]

This is great! My dad was qualified to work on, and did, the DC-7b & 7c; so now I know what he heard when running up those engines. Nice.

[@jameswest8280]

Gotta love the sound of those cyclone engines.

[@EduardoJimenez-rk8nw]

Spectacular !👍👍👍♥️

[@ford9572]

I tell you, There is NOTHING more SWEETER sounding than the HEALTHY and POWERFUL ROAR of WELL-TUNED and WELL-MAINTAINED radial engines like the R-3350 and Pratt & And Whitney Wasp Major!! They just have that BEASTLY aura about them that these modern-day High-Bypass Ratio Turbofans cannot even come CLOSE to!!! And neither can any turboprop!!!! Plus unlike a turboprop, You know that a lot of that BEAUTIFUL sound you're hearing is being generated by the engine and not just the propeller!!!

[@twistedyogert]

I thought the buzzing was entirely caused by the propeller blades going near supersonic.

[@johnrichardson2377]

This is a delight. My family flew frequently in Eastern DC7B aircraft, and my father always reserved four seats in the cabin forward of the props so watching and listening to this is so familiar. Wonderful airplane, great food, service, luxury, everything. It saddens me now flying and remembering this experience. It will never be replaced.

[@Redhand1949]

John Richardson Indeed. I am old enough to have done some prop passenger time as a kid in DC-3s, and as a military dependent in C-47s and C-54s in the 1950s and 60s. There is NOTHING today to compare with the inherent novelty and romance of traveling in these wonderful, if slow, radial-engined birds. The extra time was worth it, because of how much one felt part of the airplane and the flight, even as a mere passenger. Today, we are human sardines jammed into antiseptic tubes; commercial flying is an aggravation to be gotten over with as soon as possible. Where possible, I always take the train rather than subject myself to it.

[@douglasrodrigues332]

John Richardson, during my younger days, I got to fly on a DC-3, a Super Constellation, and a DC-7. Although much slower than modern day jets, the seats were more comfortable, and the food was great.

[@themomentchannel3498]

douglas indeed made beautiful planes

[@craigpennington1251]

Boy that takes you back. I remember flying in those things going from St.Louis,Mo. to Washington DC. Pretty nice actually,relaxed,comfortable ,and smooth all the way.

[@neatstuff8200]

This thing could indicate 300 knots no problem. That's about a true airspeed of 360. Awesome, Wright turbo compound.

[@timundheim9323]

A beautiful blast from the past - for me, flying as a child between Bangkok, Thailand and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam on the Air Vietnam DC-7.

[@jackyclaiborne2142]

The 60 cycle flicker on the computer or TV screen creates an optical illusion of the props going slow or backwards. The props turn slowly when the starter is turning the engine over, but when the engine actually fires up, the props rapidly go into a spin. The piston prop engine puts out a lot of smoke when it fires up. While the piston engines make a putting sound like a Briggs and Straton, the props make your basic box fan sound in taxiing, and in takeoff and inflight, buzz like the wings of a bumble bee, creating the bass hum and vibration that you get inside the cabin. .

[@1100HondaCB]

I love these old aeroplanes. If I had my way, I'd have a collection of them and I don't mean model ones. The United States was home of the radial and I just love the sound.

[@IvanHernandez-wm4jj]

Nice video. I wish I would have been on that plane. As far as I remember, the only piston airplane I flew was the DC-3 in the late 60`s. The DC-3 was owned by Creole Petroleum Corporation, the company my father used to work. Unfortunately, I was just a baby when the DC-7B and other similar piston airplanes were in service. It`s nice that there are people really care about preserving these old airplanes.

[@erwinschmidt7265]

Ivan - Last for me was '61 Lan Chile DC6 Panama - MIA. Lost 3 engines which 2 blew up in fireballs. Low/slow over Cuba w/2-MIG17s. Approached Miami at dawn w/all kinds of emergency craft over water & equip dotting taxiway as knew we'd crash but not where. Landed threshold bumped onto runway!!!!

[@FSM_Reviews]

I once got to see a C-47 Skytrain start it's engines and takeoff.

[@TheSirjohn2012]

This was at one time an airliner that was flying all across our oceans and made cross country flights to many cities around both in America and the world. Boeing took over douglas back in the year 1994,eventualy these engines will be turboprops due to the scarcity of piston engines.

[@1100HondaCB]

How on earth would that be regarding the engines? These machines are preserved and it would be criminal to have anything other than these beautiful piston engines in situ. The preservationists club together to keep these machines in their original form and airworthy.

[@chaseehrgott3313]

Was just watching this and thinking that looks an awful lot like the airport I learned to fly at lol. Read the description and saw it was FMY. Instructed out of there for years and now Im at the airlines. Would have been cool to see a DC7 there

[@kjrivas7419]

Physically the most beautiful of the Douglas DC series, but that incredible, harmonizing engine-prop music of the DC4 and DC6 was lost when they went to the big 4-bladed props which don't harmonize with the 7 or 9 cylinder-row radial engines. If they installed big high efficiency 3-wing props then the sound of this bird would be like the DC6 only bigger. No music on earth can surpass the sound of one of these preserved big prop airplanes!!

[@trainedwarrior502]

And then the Dc-10 came out... Not that good of an aircraft, at one point, a coffin fell from one as it broke down in the skies. Think about that for a moment... a coffin...

[@guntherachterhof4876]

I remember that. I was trained on DC-10 at one point when I was an FO. It was an omen, wasn't it? :-(

[@4vndd]

Simply superb!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@phantony8330]

Coi lại trong video này mà cảm giác nhớ hồi nhỏ đi trên những chuyến bay khi cất cánh động cơ mở hết công suất nghe đã lổ tai uùùuù nghe mà nhớ thời nhỏ trước 1975 quá ....huhuhu....

[@richardschindler8822]

Great video, beautiful aircraft

[@paulciprus9582]

Just imagine..,the Dc-8 and the 707 cut the travel times in half….😲😲

[@hjebone]

Exactly as I remember it.

[@tommarck4296]

Those Pratt and Whitney engines.Looks like Eastern airlines colors

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

It was the DC6 that had P&W.DC7 had Wright Cyclones.

[@22fret]

Wonderful as usual, thx for the clip... :-)

[@pietervisser8890]

Done that 100s of times

[@twistedyogert]

These things must've been pretty complicated to fly having to manage the choke and the propeller blade angles. Fun but complicated, and who could beat the buzzing of those propellers. I realize that jets have made air travel cheaper but they seem boring by comparison.

[@helthuismartin]

Thats a real B29 sound

[@mprophet100]

no its not derelict....its on display at the Carolines Museum...with an engine out..no sponcers available..😕

[@SBrown-ov9lz]

A lead-sled...when compared with 707 for that time! Lots of fuel burn for weight to lift ratio.

[@XY_Dude]

starting with #1?? New crank policy?

[@andreiii276]

Красавчик

[@richardhodge4556]

Does anyone know the fate of this bird? I live in nearby Fort Lauderdale and haven't been to OPF in a long time. I read somewhere they ran out of funds and it's sitting derelict (I really hope not) If that's the case someone needs to pool up some cash and get it flying again.

[@derekwall200]

too bad the exhaust doesnt blow flames out the pipes

[@jeffbridges666]

Does this bird still fly ?

[@mprophet100]

No...its grounded after an engine failure..several years ago.

[@erikmeidoorn1745]

Het Eerste Drukcabine Vliegtuig

[@erikloggen6340]

Klang von Kruckenberger Schienen Zeppelin 1931

[@erikloggen6340]

Dennis Bergkamp Gebrom

[@erikloggen6340]

Grote Vliegende Brombeer

[@neatstuff8200]

You were close but the constellation was pressurized and it came out before the DC six and seven.

[@erikloggen6340]

Smoking A Hannibal Smith

[@erikloggen6340]

keep doors shut FOOL!!!!!!!!!!!! afz B.A Baracus