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Old September 7th 04, 02:16 AM
Richard Harrison
 
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Wes wrote:
"I`ve got it: Rolls-Royce! Nope, that`s a German car (BMW)."

Who makes the Rolls-Royce jet engines now?

Our company`s first jet airtcraft was a Vickers Viscount prop-jet. We
were in a long cue waiting for one when a wire from Vickers came saying
Cubana Airlines had defaulted on an executive outfitted Viscount for
Fidel Castro. Did anyone in the cue want the aircraft? Our chief pilot
asked the dhairman if he could buy it? The answer was yes. It was
already outfitted almost as we would have done anyway except our
labeling would have been in English instead of Spanish.

I remember landing in Antafagasto Chile right after we got the Viscount.
The Shell Oil tank truck charged out and the operator asked our pilot,
Charlie Walling, which grade of kerosene he wanted, JP-1,2,3,or 4, etc.
Charlie replied he would have to consult the owners manual, a really big
tome. The book said any grade is fine for the Rolls-Royce turbines.
Charlie told the Shell guy to fill it with whatever grade he was long
on. Sure enough, the engines lit right off and ran fine. Most remarkable
was after a flight from Houston, all the engines only required about a
teacup of oil. Our piston engined aircraft would have consumed gallons
of oil on the same flight.

Besty regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI