My dad , who worked for Eastern from 1940 to 1987, told me in 1967 why all the Constellations had to go away. "You won't be able to make money operating them." Then he pointed to a DC-3 and said: "someone will always be able to make money operating that." he was right.
Ok, I might have forgotten to mention the Basler lol. But I was focused on new Aircraft types. We have Baslers leased from March to September each year so they are technically in the fleet already.
I'm glad I looked, I was about to mention that 8) From what I understand, the FAA in the US certifies them as a 0 time airframe when Basler gets done with them. So they are, sort of, new. LOL 8) --gary
I wonder if there's any NOS Rolls Royce Dart turboprops lurking around somewhere that could be re-engineered onto a C46... That plane would then outlast and out live all of us!
Excellent video! You answered several questions I've had for years. Your dad seems to be getting more comfortable in front of the camera. I really appreciate hearing from him. Also, it is fascinating that a 1935 designed aircraft is delivering consumer electronics that were science fiction in 1935. This is my favorite UA-cam channel!
Barry Simmons some DC-3s were years ago much like B-24 bombers were retrofitted to be business class aircraft. One problem is the cost of the transition and the increased operating costs of a turboprop. In the current day and age, turboprop conversions may make more sense now that radial engine parts and mechanics are becoming more and more rare but they came too soon to be really popular or cost effective.
Great editing and camera shots! Love hearing Joe's story's. Would be interesting to hear him go through the history of Buffalo as it approaches 50 years of flying with some old photos back in the day. And maybe where the family see Buffalo in the next 50 years!
That seemed to be my first notion to solve this problem. Im absolutely certain that its not a simple or what we would call an "affordable" affair however. Lord only knows the costs involved, not to mention the regulatory and certifications involved in that modification... Good Lord. Seems so simple, but I'm sure thats incorrect
Love how Joe fits raw history into his stories like what he said about the kids and the priest with the stick. Love the Monty Python style graphics when showing the load going on and off the C-46.
My Dad grew up working on cars and eventually owned his own shop for many years. I could listen for hours about “back in the day”. Listening to Joe brings back so many memories. I could listen to Joe for hours. Much respect Joe. Thanks for letting some of us reminisce with you. Love the stories.
Mikey I think your dad should write a book covering the 50 years of Buffalo Airways. I love the stories he tells and I know lots of people say the same thing on here. He probably has enough stories and photos to fill thousands of pages.
I love what you are doing here. The little Irish girls talking about the restoration was the icing on the cake. Best wishes to ya and I’m so sorry I passed on the chance to fly DC-3 cargo ops in Alaska a few years ago. I’m a little jealous!
Love the opening shots of this episode! Getting very creative with camera placement and airplane content. Good stuff. I work on airplanes in the NE and every time I see shots of the interior of your hangar I can't help but think of the what it costs to heat that space in that weather up there! BRRRR!
Mikey that beginning was crazzy cool! Lol a awesome veiw and job! I'm glad about the 50th anniversary of Buffalo Congratulations Joe! & your family on your success!✌👍
Cool beans Mikey!! Love to see that C-46 on a nice long haul. Great to see the old workhorse workin'n. Lot of the same things happen down here in the trucking business. Not so much fuel but the operating costs are going way up. Great to see your Dad and Patches today. Your Dad is one smart cookie!! Knows his business. Hello from Minnesota!!!
A Luscomb !! Haven't flown one of those since the early 80s!!! Wow - Looks like a great restoration!! A taildragger that can easily get you into trouble if you don't stay with it.
I'm no pilot, but I flew one. My dad had a 48. Quite the bird if you can handle a tail dragger. He passed in 2007. That bird still had a current CofA when we sold it. I'm no airplane buff, but that thing sure grew an me. I even dreamed about flying it.
Good luck Plane Savers Ireland! I had a share in a 1946 Luscombe Silvaire for a few years and it's a great plane. It still makes great sense now as faster alternative to all the other Cubs and Taylorcrafts.
My Dad flew DC-3s for Hollinger Ungava Transport out of Mt. Jolie Quebec into Churchill and Labrador. He also flew them for MacNamara Construction on the DEW line.
We operated a few vintage aircraft in New Zealand under Air Chathams Especially our Convair 580 both passenger and cargo version. Have the DC3 to, Metroliner is used for passengers only
Brilliant episode thanks! The girls were so cool, my daughter and I watched plane saver DC3 episodes last year, we saw a DC 3 on TV this week and she still remembered the name!
Being hard of hearing, captions are a highly desired. When the Commando started to take off the caption [MUSIC] appeared. That "music" really was sweet, the sound of those 36 cylinders firing.
My dad worked as a mechanic on C-46s and C-47s when he was in the Air Force in the mid '50s. When I told him there was an airline in Canada that flew those planes every day in commercial service, he couldn't believe it.
Mikey you forgot about the de Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo that the RCAF is getting rid of shortly. They have the same hauling capacity as a DC3, so I'd be snapping them up when they come up for sale. Also as an added bonus they have the same name as your company. Winner winner chicken dinner!
What a great introduction, showing work in this cold winter! Beautiful! Does it make sense, you ask? It makes a lot of sense! Physical limitations of course, and financial limits, too.
In 1962, attached to U.S. Navy Air Development Squadron Six - VX-6, we flew ski equipped Dakotas and Skymaster's, C-47s, engines 1820 and 1830s on Antartica to provide logistical support to all the researchers down there for almost 8 months. We could land on glaziers without falling in with our 8 foot long skis. Though we had C-130s, ski equipped they could not be used but bringing cargo and VX 6ers from New Zealand and they also made round robins from McMurdo to Byrd, then Pole Station and Little America and back . We stopped doing that around 1995 plus or minus two years and were then disband to be replaced I think by the Airforce. It was nice on the ice but peachy in Chi-Chi.
The Aurora (Canada) and Orion (USA) submarine hunters, based on the Electra, may be considered warbirds to the non-purists, I suppose, as they saw service in certain watery war zones and also did border and fishery interdiction work.
Great episode and answers to those questions. You missed a couple of alternatives though. Turbines on the DC3 like Basslers and (though you will need certification) turbines on the C46.
My thinking is this. The C46 fleet are tried and tested airframes that are known to the airline. Each aircraft is a known quantity to the engineers. Replacement engines could be an issue. Would be looking at something in the 2000 hp class something like the Rolls Royce Dart range has engines in that class. That also is a known commodity. It wound be a matter of getting the conversion worked out, ground tested, flight tested and certified. That,'ll be where the money drain and headaches would happen. Tha Alison same as the Electra would probably be too powerful.
You pretty much answered my questions within the first 2 lines. If its a warbird reconfigured with turbine engines it will undoubtedly make money. Its the engine(s) thats the most expensive part of any plane and a turbine engine offers similar capablities of a full size jet engine without the same maintenance costs as one. Its like buying cheap used car then adding a few aftermarket parts to revive it again.
When I first started flying in Pickle Lake Ontario, Air Manitoba used to have a few C46's and DC 3's. They used to haul supplies all around the north and were a common site. As the years passed they slowly faded away and were replaced with the HS748. I believe you guys bought one of their C46's they ground looped? Found memories of those days scud running around and being past by a C46 at 100 feet.:) Love your videos.:)
I can understand the C-46 still flying for many more years with parts and fuel. But when the mechanic pulls a dash panel on the Electra... Wow ive never seen that many wires! And those aircraft are 60 + years old amazing. I know you people love the DC 3s but my favorite is those DC 4s .love those old birds.
Great to see the girls from Ireland. Best wishes for their Grandfather. Love Luscombes. I have owned two of them. Efficient airplanes but challenging on the runway 😐
We just appraised the DC-3 fleet for Florida Air Cargo here in Miami, Florida for a bank loan and yes we proved to a local South Florida bank that you can make money with 70 plus year old planes and now our client could buy another.
One plus of the aircraft you fly is the durability of them they were built to be strong and to take a beating, also their simplicity and ease to work on there is a lot less that can go wrong or break , and when they do you have a much better chance of the crew to to do a temporary fix to get it home
Pretty neat how they snuck that generator right behind William as he stood on the very edge of that cargo door! 👍😁 I'm a big fan of electronics-free (regarding the engines), older equipment of every kind - cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, aircraft, so for me, any explanation you give regarding old warbirds works. But your dad is a very smart man! That's the perfect moneymaker right there. Plus you've got enough parts to keep them rolling for many lifetimes! SMART!! 😎 Could you imagine what a brand new DC-3 of the same build quality would cost today? I'd bet it would be in the 9-figure MILLIONS. But, it would last many, many lifetimes! Great vid, Mikey - thanks! 👍🍻
My only question about the BA146 is are there any airframe restrictions on total hours or cycles. I remember when TNT bought the BA146's. I was working for Skypak at SFO.
@@iannarita9816 They are good for up to 60,000 flight cycles at the present time. No reason why it couldn't be extended again if the interest is there. The UK MoD want to dispose of the 146 fleet in the next couple of years, two of the aircraft are QC versions with a cargo door. I'll put in a good word for ya Mikey!!!
@@aserta well I'm not sure on the exact number they built, I am definitely NO expert, some sources say online they only built 4 of them. However I put this on the Plane Saver Facebook Group Page Feed. with a picture, just to give Mikey a razz and some people said there was a lot of them made. People stated that one of them is "under restoration now" but is being converted back to a normal B-17E. The B-17 restoration project of Desert Rat. So I messaged them, and told them, about this latest video from Mikey, and told them they should give him a bit of a razz too. As far as I could tell from them messaging me back they stated they had the cargo door still to show him. Mikey's reaction on the Facebook page was like "What the hec" apparently he never knew about this cargo configuration. Some people on the Facebook chat, said they were used in to the 70s for cargo purposes. There is quite a story in history about this conversion. I just learned about all this since I posted this earlier this afternoon. When I posted this it was just a joke to give Mikey a razz, as the B-17 is one of my favorite aircraft of all time, and when he said this in this video, I remembered that there was a cargo version, but I didn't know much about it, till I Googled it. So there's everything I've learned in the past few hours. Check out the Facebook your Page, and please do your own research, I would like to know some answers now myself too.
A B17 makes no cents as a freighter. They are to rare and expensive to purchase. Plus they really do not have the capacity to carry enough freight to make money, even if they had a big cargo door. The transition away from aviation gasoline to just turbine fuel is a significant barrier, and I do not know of much in the way of Diesel engine piston engines which could be substituted which could operate on the jet fuel.
There was one B17 converted to turbine power and operated as a fire bomber. It used 4 British made turbines. It’s performance was actually very good and cost effective, but unfortunately it crashed and was destroyed while being used on a fire fighting mission with the fatal loss of its crew. There was a 2nd test article B17 modified to carry a test turboprop motor in the nose to provide air testing for the new motor. It retained its 4 radial engines for normal flying.
@@americanrambler4972 B-17 we're not rare to find back in the day "as they say" after the war... The cargo model however was very rare. A B-17 had plenty of cargo capacity especially with the modifications that were done to make it a cargo plane. The only limiting factor at the time of why a DC-3 was the saved warbird of choice over the B-17 was simply fuel cost, most cargo flights could easily be done "distance wise" with a DC-3 which only had two engines burning fuel, the B-17 had much greater range, but with its four engines, however typically the extra engine burning fuel for range it just was not needed. Now with the problem that Buffalo is now facing with trying to get fuel in different locations, that greater range would help... however ultimately they're not going to be able to get the fuel anywhere. Not to mention also the extra cost, and work to converting a B-17 into a cargo model, even back in the day, when there were already plenty of DC-3 is that already had cargo doors, why would you convert a B-17... The B-17 that we're already cargo planes, did continued serving as cargo planes for 30 years after World War II, but with the small number of planes that were originally produced, and no demand to convert more after the war, of course there's none left today... well except for one of them being restored as a showbird.
Wow thanks for clearing this up - I thought the reason was the just the time continuum wouldn't new airplanes to land at old remote airports :) Love your show and commitment.
Got a million to buy it, then more money to overhaul it and certify it for commercial service? The RCAF DHC-5sv are military variant which in Canada cannot be converted to commercial model without recertification and factory seal of approval. It could be done - at great cost.
I have had that thought also. The t-64 engines are dogs. But a stc for allison 501s derated would fix that up quick and work out well with the Electras. Having Viking and Joe involved would make it doable to certify I think.
@@robauer5496 One problem, The DHC-5 was never Transport Canada (or FAA) certified using Commercial Aircraft requirements. That means Viking would have to start from the ground up certifying a commercial variant - with complete test cards. It would cost far more than future buyers are currently willing to pay. The DHC-5 was spec'd as a military transport right from the start and never had to comply with Transport Canada requirements. That said, Summit Air did operate two DHC-5s as civilian registered aircraft. The conversion rule (military aircraft to civilian operating) was withdrawn back in the late 1980s or early 1990s. An airline in Africa flew them for over a decade. Viking has stated several times it has explored starting brand new production if customers can be found. Given that Viking is currently focused on building Twin Otters and now, Dash 8 / Q400's, I'm not sure how realistic it is for them to dive into a third assembly line.
It would be interesting for you to display what survival and emergency communications gear that you carry on your aircraft for when your pilots fly to these remote areas.
Basler, no other words needed. Same gorgeous airplane, no fuel availability issues. The sound however just won’t be as nice. Yes I know you’ve already mentioned it, but it needs to be said again.
Interesting to hear a little how you guys operate. I still like the old Hercs, though. Seems kind of funny you couldn't get one? In the meantime it hit my newsfeed your latest and greatest is a 737. That's cool! And of course the ubiquitous DC-3 - Hope things go well for you. Thanks for sharing.
Yet another great and very informative episode Mikey. I for one really appreciate you doing this warbird stuff. It just proves to us all what a great design ethos was around in the 1930s and 40s. These planes were 'designed to do a job' and all these years later, that job still has the same requirements, and STILL has the same dependable and well built aircraft doing it. Just goes to show that modern day designers struggle to come up with a plane that can "do it all" like a DC 3 or C46. Sadly the Avgas availability is bringing restrictions to you, and your customers. Yours and their choices will only end up being one of increased costs eventually.
Really enjoyed this video bro, you guys really hit the jackpot with William and Benjamin as new employees. .All the best from a forecast 30c in a few places NZ
Cool bird in Ireland. Looks just like the Luscome Silvaire my dad had. His was a 48. Back when they still made real machines. Fully airobatic right from the factory and it had no flaps because you didn't need them. You couldn't stall one. I know. As long as you could land and take off, you never had a problem in the air.
Just have a look at Embraer e-jet planes, E170, E175, E190, E195 and KC390. Some companies in the US are using them for regional service, if C130 is expensive have a look for KC390.
Tons of questions; DH Caribou, Buffalo Air tanker service with avgas to pitstop airfields. how about Grumman Greyhound, high wing monoplane turboprop meant for marine landings and capable of ten K for a thousand miles also capable of in-flight refuelling all doable in our frigid north. thoughts
Mikey just got my sweatshirt today florescent orange with your logo on the front really cool fits great and perfect for Buffalo winters Ill be seen thanks man!
Thanks for this video Mikey! I agree that the SkyCourier looks very interesting as a possible new aircraft to the fleet. Can't wait for it to be flying.
Hey, Mikey. Another great video. I like where you're going with the editing especially the "Monty Python" style of animation. It's and ode to Terry Gilliam. By the way. I still have the C-46 t-shirt that you guys jammed into the exhaust pipes of the actual C-46 for me. I wear it sparingly so I don't wash the soot off.
Woah, I didn't notice the match cut from timelapse / realtime footage in the intro, so when the camera panned into your walk-and-talk it totally threw me. Very smooth transitions, you've clearly learned a few things from your time around TV crews.
Great episode (as always) Mikey, enjoyed it very much! For people like me who’s world is poles apart from yours but share a common interest and passion Plane Savers (& Ice Pilots) always make fascinating viewing! Thank You! Ps. Liked Jasper’s photo-bombing too...!
My dad , who worked for Eastern from 1940 to 1987, told me in 1967 why all the Constellations had to go away. "You won't be able to make money operating them." Then he pointed to a DC-3 and said: "someone will always be able to make money operating that." he was right.
Dale Eastern brat No truer words have been spoken.
@@MikeyMcBryan Can't you buy premium car gas and add lead and perhaps octane booster from a bottle that you can bring with you?
@@MikeyMcBryan What about Antonov An-12? An-72? C-27? An-3, 8, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 38, 74, 132, 140, 148, 158, 178? BA-146QT? CASA C-212? LET L410? Shorts 330?360? Short SC.7 Skyvan? C-23? Shannxi Y-8, Y-7, Y-9, Y-12? Sh-5? Be-12, 30, 32, 200? CL-415? US-1A? IL-18, 20, 22 or 114?
@@alan6832 Ok, send Mikey the catalog already! ;p
@@respectbossmon I forgot DHC Carabou and Buffalo, but Canucks can hardly have forgotten about them.
Ok, I might have forgotten to mention the Basler lol. But I was focused on new Aircraft types. We have Baslers leased from March to September each year so they are technically in the fleet already.
I'm glad I looked, I was about to mention that 8) From what I understand, the FAA in the US certifies them as a 0 time airframe when Basler gets done with them. So they are, sort of, new. LOL 8) --gary
🙂
@@gtr1952 The Airframe time does move over from the DC-3 to Balser. I asked that very question.
I wonder if there's any NOS Rolls Royce Dart turboprops lurking around somewhere that could be re-engineered onto a C46... That plane would then outlast and out live all of us!
@@davidjones8680 agreed, the Dart is damn near bombproof, a great engine. There are probably quite a few ex Viscount units around the globe.
Excellent video! You answered several questions I've had for years. Your dad seems to be getting more comfortable in front of the camera. I really appreciate hearing from him. Also, it is fascinating that a 1935 designed aircraft is delivering consumer electronics that were science fiction in 1935. This is my favorite UA-cam channel!
Thanks, bud!! I'm. happy I finally got to answer some questions that have been on people minds
@@MikeyMcBryan why can't either of these two planes be turbo prop refitted?
@@barrysimmons4724 $$$$$$$$$$
@@MikeyMcBryan Ever think about upgrading the DC-3's into BT-67's?
Barry Simmons some DC-3s were years ago much like B-24 bombers were retrofitted to be business class aircraft. One problem is the cost of the transition and the increased operating costs of a turboprop. In the current day and age, turboprop conversions may make more sense now that radial engine parts and mechanics are becoming more and more rare but they came too soon to be really popular or cost effective.
`'How do you turn a billionaire into a millionaire- answer: start an airline', no truer words spoken.
Shout out to Hannah and Abby, wishing that your granddad has a quick recovery!
A rare example of a adapt as you go business. . A BIG SHOUT OUT to GRANDPA!!!!Great episode Mikey
Great editing and camera shots! Love hearing Joe's story's. Would be interesting to hear him go through the history of Buffalo as it approaches 50 years of flying with some old photos back in the day. And maybe where the family see Buffalo in the next 50 years!
Loved the segment from Plane Savers Ireland, well done girls!
We have several operator's out of Opa Locka, FL running DC-3s re-engined with turboprops. It would solve your future fuel issues.
That seemed to be my first notion to solve this problem. Im absolutely certain that its not a simple or what we would call an "affordable" affair however. Lord only knows the costs involved, not to mention the regulatory and certifications involved in that modification... Good Lord. Seems so simple, but I'm sure thats incorrect
@@SquillyMonyeah but a 70million $ new plane or 10million converting a dc 3?
Love how Joe fits raw history into his stories like what he said about the kids and the priest with the stick. Love the Monty Python style graphics when showing the load going on and off the C-46.
Hannah and Abby are great kids. Speedy recovery and all the best to their grandpa!!
My Dad grew up working on cars and eventually owned his own shop for many years. I could listen for hours about “back in the day”. Listening to Joe brings back so many memories. I could listen to Joe for hours. Much respect Joe. Thanks for letting some of us reminisce with you. Love the stories.
Mikey I think your dad should write a book covering the 50 years of Buffalo Airways. I love the stories he tells and I know lots of people say the same thing on here. He probably has enough stories and photos to fill thousands of pages.
I love what you are doing here. The little Irish girls talking about the restoration was the icing on the cake. Best wishes to ya and I’m so sorry I passed on the chance to fly DC-3 cargo ops in Alaska a few years ago. I’m a little jealous!
One aircraft that was not mentioned was the BAe 146/RJ freighters. Great field performance, large cargo door and the abulity to use unpaved strips.
Love the opening shots of this episode! Getting very creative with camera placement and airplane content. Good stuff.
I work on airplanes in the NE and every time I see shots of the interior of your hangar I can't help but think of the what it costs to heat that space in that weather up there! BRRRR!
Miss you guys from mainstream media. Glad I found you here (U.K. admirer).
Same, not from uk though... close enough ,.. Ireland.
Mikey that beginning was crazzy cool! Lol a awesome veiw and job! I'm glad about the 50th anniversary of Buffalo Congratulations Joe! & your family on your success!✌👍
OMG those girls are adorable!!!
Cool beans Mikey!! Love to see that C-46 on a nice long haul. Great to see the old workhorse workin'n. Lot of the same things happen down here in the trucking business. Not so much fuel but the operating costs are going way up. Great to see your Dad and Patches today. Your Dad is one smart cookie!! Knows his business. Hello from Minnesota!!!
A Luscomb !! Haven't flown one of those since the early 80s!!! Wow - Looks like a great restoration!! A taildragger that can easily get you into trouble if you don't stay with it.
I'm no pilot, but I flew one. My dad had a 48. Quite the bird if you can handle a tail dragger. He passed in 2007. That bird still had a current CofA when we sold it. I'm no airplane buff, but that thing sure grew an me. I even dreamed about flying it.
You gotta love kids. They are so full of hope. Hope that their grandfather feels better real soon.
Good luck Plane Savers Ireland! I had a share in a 1946 Luscombe Silvaire for a few years and it's a great plane. It still makes great sense now as faster alternative to all the other Cubs and Taylorcrafts.
My Dad flew DC-3s for Hollinger Ungava Transport out of Mt. Jolie Quebec into Churchill and Labrador. He also flew them for MacNamara Construction on the DEW line.
I love your Dad's stories !!
Love the way the 46 purrs, when pulling up to the hanger.
We operated a few vintage aircraft in New Zealand under Air Chathams Especially our Convair 580 both passenger and cargo version. Have the DC3 to, Metroliner is used for passengers only
Wow. The entrance of the majestic Greasy Three. I spent so MANY hours on these in Timmins. Fond memories.
Brilliant episode thanks! The girls were so cool, my daughter and I watched plane saver DC3 episodes last year, we saw a DC 3 on TV this week and she still remembered the name!
I think the Belgian Air Force is currently looking to sell its Hercules if you want ... ;)
Being hard of hearing, captions are a highly desired. When the Commando started to take off the caption [MUSIC] appeared. That "music" really was sweet, the sound of those 36 cylinders firing.
How did the captions work on this video?
@@MikeyMcBryan captions worked great!
Jasper the Cat needs voice-overs when showing up in video's
Great idea!!
@@MikeyMcBryan or even popups with captions.
My dad worked as a mechanic on C-46s and C-47s when he was in the Air Force in the mid '50s. When I told him there was an airline in Canada that flew those planes every day in commercial service, he couldn't believe it.
Mikey you forgot about the de Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo that the RCAF is getting rid of shortly. They have the same hauling capacity as a DC3, so I'd be snapping them up when they come up for sale. Also as an added bonus they have the same name as your company. Winner winner chicken dinner!
Thanks for answering that very question I have been wondering about with the fuel. Always love hearing Joe's stories. Your an inspiration.
Wonderful to see Buffalo Joe. Tell him we miss him, glad he is doing well and still going strong.
Nice to see they have the Union Jack the right side up on that electra
What a great introduction, showing work in this cold winter! Beautiful!
Does it make sense, you ask? It makes a lot of sense! Physical limitations of course, and financial limits, too.
In 1962, attached to U.S. Navy Air Development Squadron Six - VX-6, we flew ski equipped Dakotas and Skymaster's, C-47s, engines 1820 and 1830s on Antartica to provide logistical support to all the researchers down there for almost 8 months. We could land on glaziers without falling in with our 8 foot long skis. Though we had C-130s, ski equipped they could not be used but bringing cargo and VX 6ers from New Zealand and they also made round robins from McMurdo to Byrd, then Pole Station and Little America and back . We stopped doing that around 1995 plus or minus two years and were then disband to be replaced I think by the Airforce. It was nice on the ice but peachy in Chi-Chi.
I just cant beleive how beautiful these warbirds are
Those old radials sound so good, it's a shame they're getting so rare.
The new turbo prop are way better
Hanna and Abbey bought tears to my eyes..Great vid Mikey.I now understand more about operating classic aircraft.Long May it continue for you.
Hey, just recently started watching your old shows, and found you on UA-cam. Glad to see you guys are still flying.
taxing to park over the camera: best Plane Savers intro to date!
The Aurora (Canada) and Orion (USA) submarine hunters, based on the Electra, may be considered warbirds to the non-purists, I suppose, as they saw service in certain watery war zones and also did border and fishery interdiction work.
Great episode and answers to those questions. You missed a couple of alternatives though. Turbines on the DC3 like Basslers and (though you will need certification) turbines on the C46.
I was thinking the same thing.
Don't think putting turbines on a C46 would make financial sense.
My thinking is this. The C46 fleet are tried and tested airframes that are known to the airline. Each aircraft is a known quantity to the engineers. Replacement engines could be an issue. Would be looking at something in the 2000 hp class something like the Rolls Royce Dart range has engines in that class. That also is a known commodity. It wound be a matter of getting the conversion worked out, ground tested, flight tested and certified. That,'ll be where the money drain and headaches would happen.
Tha Alison same as the Electra would probably be too powerful.
I'm not sure If I would like to see a C-46 with turbines, I just love the sound of the piston engines
@@VMCAviationVideos same here but if it keeps the airframe flyable and viable then that's OK by me.
You pretty much answered my questions within the first 2 lines. If its a warbird reconfigured with turbine engines it will undoubtedly make money. Its the engine(s) thats the most expensive part of any plane and a turbine engine offers similar capablities of a full size jet engine without the same maintenance costs as one. Its like buying cheap used car then adding a few aftermarket parts to revive it again.
When I first started flying in Pickle Lake Ontario, Air Manitoba used to have a few C46's and DC 3's. They used to haul supplies all around the north and were a common site. As the years passed they slowly faded away and were replaced with the HS748. I believe you guys bought one of their C46's they ground looped? Found memories of those days scud running around and being past by a C46 at 100 feet.:) Love your videos.:)
I like how the captions state, '[music]' when the C46 is taking off.
I can understand the C-46 still flying for many more years with parts and fuel. But when the mechanic pulls a dash panel on the Electra... Wow ive never seen that many wires! And those aircraft are 60 + years old amazing. I know you people love the DC 3s but my favorite is those DC 4s .love those old birds.
Great to see the girls from Ireland. Best wishes for their Grandfather. Love Luscombes. I have owned two of them. Efficient airplanes but challenging on the runway 😐
Mikey you're getting good at those animations are killing me! Yes and plain savers from Ireland was great to
We just appraised the DC-3 fleet for Florida Air Cargo here in Miami, Florida for a bank loan and yes we proved to a local South Florida bank that you can make money with 70 plus year old planes and now our client could buy another.
Luv your Dad's dog! Juan Brown would love seeing that Lubskin.
Love the 737-200. Would be great to see a gravel kit 737 in Buffalo colours. And those opening montages are getting cinematic!
The run way is way to short for the 737 200
One plus of the aircraft you fly is the durability of them they were built to be strong and to take a beating, also their simplicity and ease to work on there is a lot less that can go wrong or break , and when they do you have a much better chance of the crew to to do a temporary fix to get it home
Well done Mikey, you’ve become a real pro with the Graphics. And great to see your dad so relaxed too...
Just started my dinner and I was looking for a good vid. Great timing mikey!
That C46 takeoff was music to my ears!
I really enjoy the looks and sound of the DC-3 and C46.
Pretty neat how they snuck that generator right behind William as he stood on the very edge of that cargo door! 👍😁
I'm a big fan of electronics-free (regarding the engines), older equipment of every kind - cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, aircraft, so for me, any explanation you give regarding old warbirds works. But your dad is a very smart man! That's the perfect moneymaker right there. Plus you've got enough parts to keep them rolling for many lifetimes! SMART!! 😎
Could you imagine what a brand new DC-3 of the same build quality would cost today? I'd bet it would be in the 9-figure MILLIONS. But, it would last many, many lifetimes!
Great vid, Mikey - thanks! 👍🍻
What about the BAE 146 ? Large cargo door, cheap, and lots of availability?
And a gravel kit option. Strong landing gear too. I used to be on the team looking after the TNT fleet here in in the UK.
My only question about the BA146 is are there any airframe restrictions on total hours or cycles. I remember when TNT bought the BA146's. I was working for Skypak at SFO.
@@iannarita9816 They are good for up to 60,000 flight cycles at the present time. No reason why it couldn't be extended again if the interest is there. The UK MoD want to dispose of the 146 fleet in the next couple of years, two of the aircraft are QC versions with a cargo door. I'll put in a good word for ya Mikey!!!
What a beauty ominous darkness with the red flashing Beacon on the bely on the Airplane
"Could you use a B-17? No there's no cargo door" The C 108 version reaction: What Mikey am I just not worth anything in history to you?
How many of those puppies are even around anymore, tho?
@@aserta well I'm not sure on the exact number they built, I am definitely NO expert, some sources say online they only built 4 of them. However I put this on the Plane Saver Facebook Group Page Feed. with a picture, just to give Mikey a razz and some people said there was a lot of them made. People stated that one of them is "under restoration now" but is being converted back to a normal B-17E. The B-17 restoration project of Desert Rat. So I messaged them, and told them, about this latest video from Mikey, and told them they should give him a bit of a razz too. As far as I could tell from them messaging me back they stated they had the cargo door still to show him. Mikey's reaction on the Facebook page was like "What the hec" apparently he never knew about this cargo configuration. Some people on the Facebook chat, said they were used in to the 70s for cargo purposes. There is quite a story in history about this conversion. I just learned about all this since I posted this earlier this afternoon. When I posted this it was just a joke to give Mikey a razz, as the B-17 is one of my favorite aircraft of all time, and when he said this in this video, I remembered that there was a cargo version, but I didn't know much about it, till I Googled it. So there's everything I've learned in the past few hours. Check out the Facebook your Page, and please do your own research, I would like to know some answers now myself too.
A B17 makes no cents as a freighter. They are to rare and expensive to purchase. Plus they really do not have the capacity to carry enough freight to make money, even if they had a big cargo door. The transition away from aviation gasoline to just turbine fuel is a significant barrier, and I do not know of much in the way of Diesel engine piston engines which could be substituted which could operate on the jet fuel.
There was one B17 converted to turbine power and operated as a fire bomber. It used 4 British made turbines. It’s performance was actually very good and cost effective, but unfortunately it crashed and was destroyed while being used on a fire fighting mission with the fatal loss of its crew. There was a 2nd test article B17 modified to carry a test turboprop motor in the nose to provide air testing for the new motor. It retained its 4 radial engines for normal flying.
@@americanrambler4972 B-17 we're not rare to find back in the day "as they say" after the war... The cargo model however was very rare. A B-17 had plenty of cargo capacity especially with the modifications that were done to make it a cargo plane. The only limiting factor at the time of why a DC-3 was the saved warbird of choice over the B-17 was simply fuel cost, most cargo flights could easily be done "distance wise" with a DC-3 which only had two engines burning fuel, the B-17 had much greater range, but with its four engines, however typically the extra engine burning fuel for range it just was not needed. Now with the problem that Buffalo is now facing with trying to get fuel in different locations, that greater range would help... however ultimately they're not going to be able to get the fuel anywhere. Not to mention also the extra cost, and work to converting a B-17 into a cargo model, even back in the day, when there were already plenty of DC-3 is that already had cargo doors, why would you convert a B-17...
The B-17 that we're already cargo planes, did continued serving as cargo planes for 30 years after World War II, but with the small number of planes that were originally produced, and no demand to convert more after the war, of course there's none left today... well except for one of them being restored as a showbird.
De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou.
Made right there in Canada.
Pen Turbo Aviation in New Jersey converts them into turbo props.
What a gem of a channel. So glad I stumbled on it!
You certainly make sense to me. It's horses for courses as always and the old workhorses are the horses for your course without a shadow of doubt
I watched this tv show, ice pilots. Y’all pretty cool. The show didn’t really talk too much about the plane itself so this was nice.
I didn’t realize Lynden had all the hercs. The hercs definitely save the day getting equipment around on the slope
Wow thanks for clearing this up - I thought the reason was the just the time continuum wouldn't new airplanes to land at old remote airports :)
Love your show and commitment.
How about buying the RCAF DHC-5 Buffalos once they come up for sale in the next few years?
Especially as Viking Air is able to totally overhaul them as the owner of the flight certificate.
Got a million to buy it, then more money to overhaul it and certify it for commercial service? The RCAF DHC-5sv are military variant which in Canada cannot be converted to commercial model without recertification and factory seal of approval. It could be done - at great cost.
I have had that thought also. The t-64 engines are dogs. But a stc for allison 501s derated would fix that up quick and work out well with the Electras. Having Viking and Joe involved would make it doable to certify I think.
Ah, here a week too late. Had the same thought.
How much would that be? If even that is too much, then you really are stuck with old warbirds.
@@robauer5496 One problem, The DHC-5 was never Transport Canada (or FAA) certified using Commercial Aircraft requirements. That means Viking would have to start from the ground up certifying a commercial variant - with complete test cards. It would cost far more than future buyers are currently willing to pay. The DHC-5 was spec'd as a military transport right from the start and never had to comply with Transport Canada requirements. That said, Summit Air did operate two DHC-5s as civilian registered aircraft. The conversion rule (military aircraft to civilian operating) was withdrawn back in the late 1980s or early 1990s. An airline in Africa flew them for over a decade. Viking has stated several times it has explored starting brand new production if customers can be found. Given that Viking is currently focused on building Twin Otters and now, Dash 8 / Q400's, I'm not sure how realistic it is for them to dive into a third assembly line.
There might be an airline c-46 for sale in central or South America. I think I saw it on platinum fighter sales, a while ago.
Those kids were great!!!
Most interesting... I knew 100LL was getting more scarce but it is sad to see on a map like that. I wish I had some Luscombe wings to sell.
Very interesting piece with Joe.
Convert the C46 and DC3 to turbines. MFI out of FLL uses two turbine conversions and one that still uses the radials as an example.
Brilliant , thank you.
It would be interesting for you to display what survival and emergency communications gear that you carry on your aircraft for when your pilots fly to these remote areas.
Basler, no other words needed. Same gorgeous airplane, no fuel availability issues. The sound however just won’t be as nice.
Yes I know you’ve already mentioned it, but it needs to be said again.
Interesting to hear a little how you guys operate. I still like the old Hercs, though. Seems kind of funny you couldn't get one? In the meantime it hit my newsfeed your latest and greatest is a 737. That's cool! And of course the ubiquitous DC-3 - Hope things go well for you. Thanks for sharing.
Apparently, there are two Hercs up for sale...one is a 1962, and the other is a 1958.
How does general private avation manage if the is no avgas?
What a cool guy! He kinda sounds like Glenn from the Superstore show
Yet another great and very informative episode Mikey. I for one really appreciate you doing this warbird stuff. It just proves to us all what a great design ethos was around in the 1930s and 40s. These planes were 'designed to do a job' and all these years later, that job still has the same requirements, and STILL has the same dependable and well built aircraft doing it. Just goes to show that modern day designers struggle to come up with a plane that can "do it all" like a DC 3 or C46. Sadly the Avgas availability is bringing restrictions to you, and your customers. Yours and their choices will only end up being one of increased costs eventually.
Beautiful aircraft; a work of art.
Really enjoyed this video bro, you guys really hit the jackpot with William and Benjamin as new employees. .All the best from a forecast 30c in a few places NZ
There is a C-130 for sale right now, including spare parts and such for it but the buyer has to be approved by the US Department Of State.
Cool bird in Ireland. Looks just like the Luscome Silvaire my dad had. His was a 48. Back when they still made real machines. Fully airobatic right from the factory and it had no flaps because you didn't need them. You couldn't stall one. I know. As long as you could land and take off, you never had a problem in the air.
Just have a look at Embraer e-jet planes, E170, E175, E190, E195 and KC390. Some companies in the US are using them for regional service, if C130 is expensive have a look for KC390.
I would think a Grumman C-2 Greyhound would be a good choice for a hard working Canuck plane 😁👍
Tons of questions; DH Caribou, Buffalo Air tanker service with avgas to pitstop airfields. how about Grumman Greyhound, high wing monoplane turboprop meant for marine landings and capable of ten K for a thousand miles also capable of in-flight refuelling all doable in our frigid north. thoughts
That pull up of the 46 was fantastic. Also....I love how Joe has mellowed for the camera since Ice Pilot days.
The plane pulling up to park in the beginning is a DC-3....
@@tomsamuelson8512 ya you're right. I was half awake lol
Mikey, you have the best lead in's for your vids. All of them.
Lee
Mikey just got my sweatshirt today florescent orange with your logo on the front really cool fits great and perfect for Buffalo winters Ill be seen thanks man!
How is Chuck ? I still watch his video about the Electra where he watches a DC 3 take off and exclaims "I've been on faster snowmobiles"
Thanks for this video Mikey! I agree that the SkyCourier looks very interesting as a possible new aircraft to the fleet. Can't wait for it to be flying.
Can you get your DC-3's converted to Basler BT-67 specs to take advantage of jet fuel?
Hey, Mikey. Another great video. I like where you're going with the editing especially the "Monty Python" style of animation. It's and ode to Terry Gilliam.
By the way. I still have the C-46 t-shirt that you guys jammed into the exhaust pipes of the actual C-46 for me. I wear it sparingly so I don't wash the soot off.
Woah, I didn't notice the match cut from timelapse / realtime footage in the intro, so when the camera panned into your walk-and-talk it totally threw me. Very smooth transitions, you've clearly learned a few things from your time around TV crews.
Thank you Harry! It makes me very happy when people notice the little bits like that!!! :)
Great episode (as always) Mikey, enjoyed it very much! For people like me who’s world is poles apart from yours but share a common interest and passion Plane Savers (& Ice Pilots) always make fascinating viewing! Thank You! Ps. Liked Jasper’s photo-bombing too...!