Turbine Grumman Mallard engine starts

The PT6A-34 powered Grumman Mallard engine start at Kuri Bay, Western Australia. These engines contain pitch locks to allow the propeller to lock in fine pitch for starts such as this where reverse thrust is required immediately.
Check out @thatmallardguy on Instagram for more videos!

[@Random-rt5ec]

Best looking plane I have ever seen

[@parqld]

I so love how it looks sitting in the water. The white looks awesome against the Australian colours. My Parents did an outback Safari about 16 years ago with Friends from the USA. My Dad organised the whole thing with my then Flying Instructor. 14 days starting from Hamilton Island across the Gulf Country to to Cape Leveque, back down through the centre and Into Melbourne. They used a De havilland Sea Devon. (great viewing windows). I managed to hitch a ride from Essendon to Moorabbin. 10mins at night but was awesome. The people on the trip still rave about it today as one of their best life experiences. This reminds me of my dad. He would have loved the Mallard and flying around the top end. would love to do it one day!

[@thatmallardguy7955]

Paul Radford great story! We have safaris available on our mallards next year from Darwin to Broome. We did one this year that the passengers raved about!

[@parqld]

@@thatmallardguy7955 Yes I saw the Post on BFDU. maybe one day :)

[@wglgee1347]

Turbines make any aircraft a champ of badassery!!!

[@Paiadakine]

Yeah like a turbine DC-3, and connie.

[@liamodonnell5399]

So cool to see PPT in the water, it looks in its element in Kuri Bay compared to sitting on the ramp in DN

[@soundknight]

She's a beautiful bird!

[@acemannw]

what a gorgeous airplane

[@thatmallardguy7955]

acemannw isn’t it!

[@roye2479]

1 minor correction: the PT6 has locks that put the prop blades "zero pitch" for starting.

[@elengineertony]

Will it reverse? How did he go backwards?

[@roye2479]

@@elengineertony propeller never spins "backwards". The blade angle changes on start-up from "zero pitch " to negative pitch to normal pitch.

[@elengineertony]

Thanks Ro

[@davem5333]

This is the only PT6A turboshaft engine I have ever seen that had its propellers flat pitched for starting. Every other one the propellers are feathered. I can see the advantage of flat blades startup on a seaplane. When the propellers go from feathered to flat they go through a zone where they will produce thrust. They automatically go to feathered position when power is cut. As the gas generator spools up the propeller begins to turn and the blades unfeather. The starter motor does not drive the propeller on startup. The gas generator section, N1, does. Turboprop engines where the propeller is driven by the main shaft go to flat pitch to lessen the load on the starter.

[@pbellbell]

What a beautiful plane outstanding clips.

[@mobiusm7440]

Gorgeous ship

[@solitaregames]

I wish I could fly in a mallard again...

[@AEXRT65]

Jake cutters Goose in future ❤️❤️❤️

[@cuttersgoose]

You know it!

[@duch3573]

ALBATROZ LINDO COM 2 TURBOÉLICES. QUAIS MOTORES ELE USA?

[@fitzyholden1036]

Was this previously VH-JAW ?

[@philconey11]

I'd like to do this to an albatross.

[@dscott130]

The Goose and Mallard need radials, no turbines.

[@RobertoRMOLA]

Why is the propeller sometimes flat pitched and sometimes feathered during start? How is it possible to adjust the propeller in flat pitch with the engine stopped? Doesn't the propeller automatically feather when cutting off the engine and draining oil pressure like on King Airs? I've also seen it happen on a video with a DHC-6 Twin Otter and I didn't understand how and why.

[@philconey11]

Nitrogen gas accumulators that store plenty of pressure.

[@RobertoRMOLA]

@@philconey11 No, there's no gas accumulators on PT6 engines. Anyway, I've (finally) read the video description with an excellent explanation about this particular prop in that plane. Now it seems pretty obvious: it must be in flat pitch to avoid forward movement during start.