Bill,

Yes the time is right.

There are at least three P 38 ARF’s. P 38’s are notorious at turning over and entering an inverted flat spin on engine out. The fundamental reason (design characteristic) appears to be wide spaced engines and high wing loading in the 40’s. The two high-end P 38 ARF’s will require well over $1,000 of gear in the air.

For some time Twinman has advocated rudder gyro’s to dampen the effect of P 38 engine out and to give the pilot an extra half second or so to recognize the out and react. The solution is probably wrong headed but may have been the best solution available at the time. Although I don’t mean to speak for Twinman (he articulates very well for himself) he might be open to a rudder bias on engine out. Twinman where are you?

It is guessed that those without twin experience will be inclined to throttle up to full after an engine goes down. The human mind seems to be naturally programmed to believe that more is always better. Since no one practices engine out the ‘more is better’ mentality is working in reverse as they attempt to learn in emergency time. Another destroyed airplane.

The new Cessna 310 is expected to be an ill-tempered monster. It is pretty, overweight and underpowered. Even the manufacturer suggests that a one engine go around is questionable. An engine out 400’ away means landing at almost full throttle on the good engine at a stall speed of 35 mph probably in the high grass or trees assuming the engine out is recognized. Scary. Yes with over $1,000 in the air every Cessna purchaser needs engine out alert.

A Dual Ace with .45 engines measured weight was about 12 1/2 pounds. It should fly and land properly on one engine. Yet failure to recognize engine out before the cascading mistakes put my friends Dual Ace in a far away tree. The tree climber cost $150. A new wing and a few engine parts put the crash cost above $300. Yes an engine out alert would have saved money.

The Phoenix twin should be somewhat less critical with .60 engines and a target weight of 12 to 13 pounds. It remains to be seen if the additional power will adversely affect single engine performance.

An email has been sent.

Bill