Looking back 70-some years, several sounds stick in my memory. Possibly the most vivid memory, the R-3350s in Constellations, particularly at idle and at take-off power. The visual experience at night was also interesting, the exhaust manifolds would turn cherry red and become translucent, allowing one to observe the flow pattern of the gasses up to the cylinder head (for me the primo seat in a Connie was a window seat just ahead of the wing leading edge. Another sound memory was from a P-38, the turbos giving a burble that might be compared to a Ferrari V-12 motorboat.
My most memorable turbine aircraft encounter was sitting number two for the active runway behind a pair of Marine F4Ds, they went into burner and began slowly skidding down the strip with brakes locked for a second or two before being released for take-off. That was another experience where both the sound and sight combined to make an indelible impression.
In autos, I was always a Porsche 4-cam fan and particularly enjoyed to “pop” of a speed shift in the upper gears. The V-12 whine of many Ferraris was also a very sweet song.
Vertical twin British motorcycles could really sound sweet, especially with open pipes and megaphones. However, the recent BMW 4 cylinder superbikes really sing.
The last sound that I will mention was when I was a wiper in the engine room of a River towboat and would manually start the Rootes supercharged diesels. While standing on top of the engine and rolling it on compressed air, I would cut in the injectors and with a whoosh and roar it would settle into the most satisfying smooth idle rumble that only a slow turning V-16 can produce.
I consider myself fortunate to have experienced some of the most exciting encounters with machines that our 20th and 21st centuries have to offer.
Best regards,
Artie Bob
