Best Radial Engine Sounds, Volume 1


Today we celebrate some of the most cherished sounds in aviation on which to feast your ears...radial engines. I have lovingly curated a list of some of my favorites, though many left out will be added to another video soon. This is my first go at this series, and I’m welcome to your radial recommendations for my next video!


00:00 C-46
Curtis C-46 Commando, with Pratt & Whitney R-2800s. The C-46 has large diameter propellers that turn very slow. As a result, the C-46 makes quite a unique buzz-saw sound when taking off as the prop tips reach supersonic speed. In addition, the exhaust note is fantastic.

1:48 Caribou
The DeHavilland Caribou is an absolute beast of an aircraft. Designed to lift huge loads out of tiny spaces, it also might be the slowest aircraft with 3,000 total HP. Its Pratt & Whitney R-2000s have augmented exhausts which rip up the air as it slowly floats by. Caribous saw a lot of action in Vietnam. The Australians kept their Caribous operational, well into the 2000s. Allegedly, there was no other aircraft that could replace them. Currently, only a small handful are kept airworthy.

3:29 Avro Anson
The Avro may seem out of place in the company of such powerful aircraft. But the 7-cylinder Cheetah powered Anson sounds surprisingly big and powerful for such a small twin. In fact, it sounds a little bit like the Caribou! It’s an odd-looking plane, but is pleasant to listen to.

4:23 Albatross
The Albatross, asides from being one of my favorite planes, is also one of the most bad-ass sounding. Powered by 2 Wright 1820s with 1,475HP, they produce what can be best described as pure mayhem when in full throttle. Whereas most large radials have large displacement and turn slowly, the Wright 1820 uses high-gearing to obtain the most power from its 9 cylinders.


6:14 Convair 240 / Convair 340 / Convair 440
The Convair Metroliner family had possibly the best sound of all large radials. Powered by Pratt & Whitney R-2800s, the Convair sounded very smooth and rumbled deep with its large 3-blade propellers. A handful of Convairs still operate cargo routes and can occasionally be seen in the Miami skies. The perfectly harmonized sound of the big radial and big prop makes an almost haunting sound, But it’s beautiful music to my ears!


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Video Credits:
   • C-46 commando taking off in Gimli  
   • Buffalo Airways C-46 Takeoff  
   • C-46 Taxi and Take Off | LIVE STREAM  
   • Buffalo Airways C-46 C-GTPO in Kashec...  
   • De Havilland DHC4 Caribou A4-234 Disp...  
   • De Havilland Canada DHC-4A Caribou's ...  
   • HARS de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribo...  
   • Caribou Test flight by Scott Slocum  
   • Video  
   • Avro 19 / Avro Anson :  WW2 Bomber Tr...  
   • Avro Nineteen   Anson  
   • grumman albatross takeoff  
   • Grumman HU-16 Albatross - Culpeper Ai...  
   • Grumman Albatross G-111 Start-up  
   • Close up!!! Grumman HU-16B Albatross ...  
   • Air Tahoma Inc Convair CV-240 | Takeoff  
   • Airliners International 1992 Convair ...  
   • AMAZING PLANESPOTTING TJSJ - SPECTACU...  
   • Convair C-131B Departure | N145GT | N...  
   • Air Atlantique Convair 440 Display, C...  


If one of the clips featured is yours and I did not correctly give credit or you would like to have the clip removed, please contact me via e-mail. Thanks!

Tags
Radial sounds, radial engine sounds, Curtis C-46, Curtis Commando, Dehavilland Caribou, Avro Anson, Grumman Albatross, convair 240, convair 340, convair 440