[WebMaster]

I live on a 2,700 ' long grass strip. Both Herb and Jerry have been here, more than once. Summer, winter, it doesn't make any difference. What does make a difference is weight. I don't try to take off at max gross, ever. I generally operate with less fuel, or less people/cargo. I have not experienced any problems with my prop. Herb has had more problems with his prop, but not here. Lead with the rear, get it going, rolling at a good speed, then push in the front engine, you should have no problems.

One important question is altitude. If you are near sea-level, you will have no problems. If you are at a higher altitude, you might consider a turbo, just to improve take off performance. To get the best, consider a Skymaster with Horton Stol, and the MT 3 bladed prop. Herb has that on his, and is consistently off the ground long before I can be. The MT is smoother, and accelerates faster.

There is another person with a Skymaster who operated out of a 2000' dirt strip near Cancun, and he had no problems getting off the ground.
Taxing is simple, I leave the front at idle, and use the rear for propulsion. You will find that there is plenty of thrust using primarily the rear engine. You will also find it creates a lot of dust for those behind you. On that subject, always be careful of taking off right behind a skymaster. The 'wake turbulence' caused by the rear engine is enormous.

Oh, and if you don't currently own a Skymaster, there is one for sale on E-Bay, that has Horton Stol, and MT props. It's a '68 with dual hydraulic pumps.