Worst engine in aviation

[iflyforpie]

I find the 360s on the 337 pretty easy to work on one you get use to the unusual install. Not my favorite engine overall but we run past TBO with maybe one or two jug changes. Ours isn't a P model though.

I've never seen a Stinson 108 with a Franklin in it so it goes to show they aren't that popular even though it was OEM. O-435 good. O-470 better.

[YYCLAT]

Garrett without a doubt, number of times I bled out doing fuel nozzle lockwire, ughhhh.

The AME debate, always entertaining. Sad part is, most pilots are more than happy cruising along, blissfully unaware of the work behind the scenes to make that possible. Over the years, I have put my job on the line to do the right thing, and dig my heels in when there was a safety concern that the supervisor brushed off because he wanted to play hero to make it fly. An AM "Engineer" is a professional who keeps them safe. A grease monkey is one who does what he is told. There would be smoking holes in the ground all over if we always did as we were told. Guess what those holes would be filled with? Yup, egos are funny things, glad some of you are gods gift to aviation, or so you think. I recall one guy, hated "grease monkeys", and was very lippy about it. He used to shut his engines down on the taxiway, and come rolling into the ramp "deadstick" in a J31, very cool indeed, professional beyond belief. Think I took his criticism seriously? Some of you should realize the value of good engineers and drop them a coffee from time to time.

[iflyforpie]

I started in the back of a hangar and haven't reached my 30th birthday yet

I think some reputations have been damaged by poor operating and maint, just out of interest on my retirment flight on the B767/300/ER the engines had been on the wings for about 17,000 hrs, we sure have come a long way from the Goblin which lasted about 200hrs if you were lucky!

When I was at Flightcraft as an AME we were doing a power recovery on an Allison 501D13 on a Convair. We put the new turbine module in but still couldn't get the power. Turns out the compressor section had 20,000 hours on it and was finally wearing out! Not bad for an engine designed in the late 40s eh?

[200hr Wonder]

Dunno about on pipline but there was an RB211 on 757 that made it 40,500 hrs before being pulled off for O/H

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=99208

[Old Dog Flying]

The absolute worst aero-engine...the bloody Gipsey Major.....more ripped knuckles, more wreching per hour of flight time than anything ever invented by the Devil.

In 56 years of flying..3 engine failures with... you guessed it... the GM

Barney
The world's oldest apprentice

Hey Twotter ..how about swapping lies at the Beaver????

[rustytools]

This AME is/isn't an actual engineer topic is interesting. It's true that my AME course at SAIT offered only the theory and related tables when it came to strength and vibrations, amps and watts and the like, but having done 2 semesters in U of C Engineering, I have to admit that most of my class mates at that time wouldn't pass if it wasn't for their Texas Instrument calculators.

Professional engineers crunch a lot of numbers to make sure parts are built to be strong enough or light enough for a specific purposes. I'm not saying an AME can't do it. Personally I have met many AME's I would class as much smarter then Prof. Eng., they just took their talents in a different direction is all. Same goes for Prof. Engineers.

Finally, it seems that all of the well "engineered" components and systems now a days were arrived at by a TEAM of AME's and Prof. Engineers, working TOGETHER, utilizing the strengths and experiences of both groups to arrive at a superior product.

Back to the actual thread topic, I have been fortunate enough to gain my first experience at a few of my previous occupations under conditions described by the old timers as "The worst they had ever seen." Not having anything to compare these experiences with, the circumstances surrounding these jobs became my bench mark. After finishing these jobs, it was amazing how easy everything else seemed to be!

By looking at things in this manner, what aircraft/engine combinations would you describe as being "the worst". From which one did you learn the most, or in other words, which ones made you a better AME?