[…]I flew the Classic Whale for 16 years plus 16 years in the C-141. They both are hot wings, of course, and icing wasn’t a real problem because we passed through those icing levels quickly. My flight experience in the T-29 and C-118 (CV 240 and DC-6) was a different case. All was out of Mather in Sacramento, CA, and icing was a continuous issue all winter especially because we flew the -29 mainly at the freezing level. We had hot wings and empennage plus prop heat. It was a real challenge to keep the temps maxed out, the carb temp at 15 degrees max, the MAP where needed, etc., ad nauseum. With the big radome underneath, we often came home really loaded down with ice. Even had to open the DV window on occasion to crack enough ice off the windshield to see to land. Ah, the good old days of 145 avgas, props, and round engines.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/features/reader-mail/top-letters-and-comments-september-8-2023