DC-3 Recovered from Tennessee

[gary1954]

Thought I’d share some photos of a DC-3 that has been recovered from Tennessee.
She is N2312G and according to the FAA, the serial is 33216. This –3 came from one of Dave Tallichet’s Specialty Restaurants in Tennessee. She is now located in Thomaston, Georgia where she will be made airworthy and flown to the new owner in the Mid-West. Information will come as I get it. I will take up-date photos if anyone is interested.

The fuselage from 11 O’Clock


Nose


Center section


Interior

[N3Njeff]

WOW, its going to fly??????? I am for saving it but I got to ask, what is so special about this one???? I was there in Nashville in the mid 90's and I have pics of the airplane. She was rough then. I could never figure out what the story was but that it was some kind of research airplane. It had a bunch of racks mounted inside the airplane. In your pics, you can see all the cannon plugs hanging there.


Would love to hear the story on this one.

[DB2]

Even if the owner got it for free, it would seem foolish to return that bird to airworthy condition, when there are several nice flying ones out there on the market in the $200k - $300k range.

I'm all for putting as many in the air as possible, but that DC-3 looks like it would take a whole lot of $$$ to get it back in the air. A decent panel alone could run upwards of $100k.

[aerovin]

From the metalled over window aft of the cockpit, the lack of the "mail door" behind the cockpit, and the airstair type door, it is an old CAA/FAA flight check bird. The interior radio racks were standard mods for about 60 FAA DC-3s used for navaid checks from the early 1950s until about 1980. (See also currently flying FAA DC-3 N34.)

And, as noble as it sounds, good question as to why many, many dollars would be spent to rebuild a derelict when there are DC-3s in good condition available for less money. Looks like good static display material there.

And for those who really care, msn 33216 was TC-47B-35-DK 44-76884 to R4D-7 BuNo 99838 that served until 1956, then to the CAA/FAA as N7073C to N30; in service with the FAA until 1974, then excessed and sent to the USDA for use as a sprayer, first as N2004J then as N212GB; sold to Bob McSwiggen at Griffin, GA, in July 1978, then to various owners as N2312G until 1982, when it went to Specialty Restaurants. See also, again, Douglas DC-3: 60 Years and Counting and still a great little book.

[Dan Johnson II]

Is it possible the guy who bought it, just let it get under his skin as the one he wanted to save?

I gotta believe every last one of you has a specific bird out their you'd love to have the money to restore, even while there are already flying birds available, whether it be a P51 or a C47

If the guy wants to save this one for some reason, more power to him

Dan

[spookyboss]

Guys, If someone with some money wants to restore it I say Great, Yes there are some that can be bought now ready to fly. But if we all have that atittude than most warbirds today would be just statics. It may not be a P-38 but 10-20 years from now we all might be Very happy to see it flying as perhaps one of the last true WWII aircraft still able to fly.

[Steve S]

what happened to the Restaruant- was this at the 101st airborne place in Nashville. Drove buy a couple of times but never had the chance to stop in.
What is happening with his restruants overall now that he is no longer with us.


Steve

[muddyboots]

And, as noble as it sounds, good question as to why many, many dollars would be spent to rebuild a derelict when there are DC-3s in good condition available for less money. Looks like good static display material there.

Because he wants to? Good for him. If all of us wasted our lives listening to the rest of the sheep baahing, we'd never have strapped rockets to our asses so we could go to the moon, found America, or flown for that matter. Leave the guy alone. He's doing a damned good thing, imo.

[BK]

what happened to the Restaruant- was this at the 101st airborne place in Nashville. Drove buy a couple of times but never had the chance to stop in.
What is happening with his restruants overall now that he is no longer with us.


Steve

Yes, this was the 101st restaurant, it closed in Jan. 2006.
Look about three quarters of the way down:
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/deepsouth.htm

BK

[gary1954]

Even if the owner got it for free, it would seem foolish to return that bird to airworthy condition, when there are several nice flying ones out there on the market in the $200k - $300k range.

I'm all for putting as many in the air as possible, but that DC-3 looks like it would take a whole lot of $$$ to get it back in the air. A decent panel alone could run upwards of $100k.

I seem to recall, a B-24 that to many people, it appeared to be a write-off, yet through the dedicated personnel of Tom Reilly, she is currently flying with the Collins Foundation. I Seem to recall a B-25 that was full of corrosion, took years to rebuild, this aircraft was also saved by the dedicated personnel of Tom Reilly, and flies today as Panchito. Carl Scholl and Aero Traders, the Fighter Factory, all are miracle workers. If the “new owner” of this particular DC-3 has the means and dedication as many of you out there do, to bring one back from the dead, Right Frickin’ On! I only wish I had the time to dedicate in bringing this one back to life.

[mustangdriver]

This is the same aircraft that DT told us that we could have flying in a month.

[Thomas]

Thats going to be a lot of work, our museum has a DC-3 ( www.prairieaviationmuseum.org ) and keeping it in flight status is extremely expensive. We currently need an annual done on it and it ain't cheap. But If someone has the time and money to put into this -3, I say get it back in the air!

[tulsaboy]

Wow, Gary! That makes me feel better about our project, Flagship Tulsa. Please let me know who is in charge of the project. If there is anything that we can do to help out/double up efforts, I'd be happy to talk about it. Anything to put another vet in the air!

kevin

[gary1954]

tulsaboy, check your PM

[AVATRBR]

This looks like a project of diminishing returns..for 80g's you can get a licenced and fly away 3.