Latest puzzler answer says private planes with props have chrome spinners to act as mirrors, lets the pilot see if the landing gear is down. I pulled up a number of prop plane pics, found no relationship between single vs. twin, fixed vs. retractable gear as far as chrome spinners go. And many of the twins with chrome spinners seem to have the engines too far forward for the spinners to do any good as mirrors, anyway. Any pilots care to comment?
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I do agree, more like chrome is what the owner wanted.
Ever see chrome spinners on a passenger or military plane?
Actually, no spinner on that DC-3. That’s the prop hub, a spinner would cover it, make it more aerodynamic. Here’s a Beech with a chrome spinner:
This Super Connie has them:
Sounds like if needed because cockpit indicators fail, Do not know much about planes, but do believe there is an indicator to confirm landing gear are locked in place. OK landing gear down but not locked in place, problem. Another fun thing I saw today, corner dust guards for stairs!
Most of the spinners are polished aluminum. while some owners have them chromed the FAA doesn’t want them chromed. and you can be fined for having chrome spinners.
Why Not Chrome It? - Chrome Plating Comanche - Aviation Performance Products, Inc.
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Good to know - substitute ‘polished’ for ‘chrome’ in my posts.
Most planes have a window in the floor if you have to check for down and locked gear. Same window for up and locked. We didn’t want runway incidents in the Air Force because Servpro charges us double to clean it up.
I was curious about that puzzler too. Particularly that it seemed to imply airplanes with two engines are always equipped w/ retractable landing gear. I wouldn’t have guessed that to be the case. Aren’t there quite a few small 2-engine airplanes designs w/ fixed landing gear?
Nope, none that I know of, not recent ones.