1. #1
    The_Stealth_Owl's Avatar Banned
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    I like to fly areound in Il2, like a civilian aircraft, or a liasion, I like to land on bases, and take off, and stuff.

    Example:

    I know the P-51 only lasts about 200 hours, the frame; and its engine only lasts 18 hours. So that plane won't do.



    What plane is all weather, durable, has reliability, and long life on frame and engine?


    Salute!

    Owl
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  2. #2
    The Merlin only had a service life of 18 hours?
    What book are you reading?
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  3. #3
    Unpressurized airframes do last as long as you fancy spending money on them.

    So do engines.

    At frequent times, both require checks and overhauls, though.
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  4. #4
    Cajun76's Avatar Senior Member
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    It also makes a big difference if you are flying combat or putting around.

    Regardless, there are certainly hourly and calender interval inspections required.

    I spent 5 years in the USAF doing the yearly inspections required on C-130 engines.
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  5. #5
    The_Stealth_Owl's Avatar Banned
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    Originally posted by Choctaw111:
    The Merlin only had a service life of 18 hours?
    What book are you reading?
    Some guy told me that on TS.
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  6. #6
    Cajun76's Avatar Senior Member
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    The Me-262 had real low engine life like that.

    There's a big difference between "engine life" and "maintenance interval"
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  7. #7
    DrHerb's Avatar Senior Member
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    TBO in civil Merlins are approx 600 hours from what Ive read.
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  8. #8
    There's a big difference between "engine life" and "maintenance interval"
    Well, technically, your engine could last "forever" - all you need is the serial-No., even if everything else is "new"
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  9. #9
    icrash's Avatar Senior Member
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    Considering the number of P-51's still flying, I find the 200hrs on the airframe life span hard to believe. Maybe as a service interval, but not as a life span.
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  10. #10
    Cajun76's Avatar Senior Member
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    There are steps that can be taken to extend airframe life.

    I know the nacelle on the C-130 engine can be rebuilt and "Zero timed", I don't know if an entire airframe can be done that way, probably not.
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