[Physico]

Having owned a couple of 337s and a couple of 336s in my life, I feel qualified to comment on some of the factoids that are being passed around. First and foremost, please don't call a skymaster an easy plane to fly. Yes, it flys as stable as a kitchen table but when transitioning from a 172, or some such forgiving plane, a 336 or 337 can be a handful when the going gets tough. I had an examiner pull the rear engine shortly after take off with the gear in the process of retraction and the result was amazing. We were heading for the trees and barely made it after the gear doors closed. Don't be too quick to retract the gear after take off. I will not pull the gear handle until at least 500 feet off the ground above flat terrain, and 1000 feet in the hills. It gives me the shivers when I see instant gear retraction after take off.
I now own a 336 (my second one) and love it. It is slower than a 337 but cannot be beat on take off and landings. There is no problem with rear engine over heating and I usually keep the rear cowl closed! The trick is to always run both engines when moving on the ground. That keeps the air moving over the fuselage and into the rear engine. Don't taxi on the rear engine alone! It really helps to keep the climb angle at a reasonable degree and maintain about 100 mph. Don't climb like a banshee at 70 mph with the engines screaming and zero visibility over the nose. The 336 will outclimb many 337s, however the visibility over the nose is not as good. If you really need two engines, or just want them for whatever reason, there is no finer airplane than a 336.