What Plane Should I Buy? Triple-Engine Edition

[Tantalum]

The three-engine test bed was N9999W, the original PA-32 prototype. If I remember correctly they had the prototype's original 250 hp O-540 in the nose, and a couple of 115 hp O-235s in the wings, increased during the flight test program to O-320s. Recall that this was during the time when Cessna was selling a lot of C-337s, so weirdness in a light multi-engine airplane was not necessarily considered a bad thing.

The project evolved into the PA-34-180 with two 180 hp O-360s, and still with fixed gear and the PA-32 tail group. Performance must have been abysmal. The next prototype had retractable gear and 180 hp engines; then in succession came the larger vertical tail, and finally the 200 hp engines as on the initial production Seneca.

Thanks! I miss the goofy designs of yesteryear. Same with commercial, everything is just a two engined tube now

 

[aftCG]

The Lockheed Constellation was known (tongue in cheek) to be the finest three engine transport ever built.
There was usually one of them shut down when they arrived at their destination

 

[NJP_MAN]

Nobody said Falcon 900 yet? That's my "If I become a billionaire" plane.

In the OP the 7X was mentioned. No one in thier right mind would want a 900 over a 7X. The 7x goes higher, faster, further and a proper cabin size.

 

[Todd82]

In the OP the 7X was mentioned. No one in thier right mind would want a 900 over a 7X. The 7x goes higher, faster, further and a proper cabin size.

I don't have enough friends to need that cabin. Although if I was a billionaire more would probably latch on

 

[Tantalum]

No love here for the Yak 42 I guess

 

[NJP_MAN]

I don't have enough friends to need that cabin. Although if I was a billionaire more would probably latch on

Dont you know, the bigger the plane the less pax. You'll fill every seat in a clapped out straight wing Citation. But I've never flown more than 3 in a 7X

 

[Groundpounder]

 

[flyingcheesehead]

If my count is correct, I believe it's actually 27 engines...

The RCS shouldn't count as "engines". It's more like the space version of control surfaces. The Orbiter has only 5 engines providing forward thrust, but the SSMEs and the OMS don't fire at the same time, so it's more like 3 on the orbiter. The 5 at launch includes the SRBs.

Really, it's the world's crappiest, most expensive glider.

My Dad told me the the story about a Trimotor Navion. The story was that a guy had a single Navion with bad wings and a Twin with a bad fuselage and put them together. I just googled it and there was one in Dallas.

Huh, cool. He should have fixed up the bad wings and fuselage and made a Navion glider in addition to the trimotor!

That's... Criminal. That's the opposite of lipstick on a pig, that's like taking a beautiful woman and smearing feces on her. Blech.