I was Power plant officer on P2's in a patrol squadron, for a couple of years , 3350 time!
IF we got 2000hours between change outs we were really happy .
But much of the damage was due to Navy stoopidity (suprise!).
Each and every TO was done at full power , as you would use getting off a 3500ft Nav Fac (a small island) even tho some runways were 8000, or 9000 ft long.2900RPM , 52.5 in of manifild pressure with alchohol and water injection, 5 min max.
Only in the air line did I learn the secret of TO by Da Book with much reduced power settings.
But they sure did sound good at TO.
The best was on Command changes , we would TO as a section , 4 planes going at once.
Of course it was illegal by Navy rules
, BUT the old CO wasn't going to NOT hand over the squadron , just to raz some junior officers,and the new CO had the problem of it" didn't happen on his watch".
Fun for the feeble minded maybe , but great fun indeed.
-- Edited by FF at 06:03, 2008-10-18