Wright and Pratt powered DC-3 differences.
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:18 pm
Can anyone tell me for sure if the engine change differences were all firewall foreward????
N3Njeff wrote:Can anyone tell me for sure if the engine change differences were all firewall foreward????
The original civil pre-war DC-3's were built with Wright 1820 Cyclones as a follow on from the DC-2 but quickly became available with P&W 1830 Twin Wasps, and I suspect those were only firewall foreward changes.
However most Cyclone powered survivors today would be pre-war or wartime civil DC-3's whereas most Pratt powered survivors (ie the vast majority) are wartime C-47's either as freighters retaining their cargo doors or modified into passenger configuration with passenger door conversions, however they would retain the strengthened floor , underwing hardpoints, glider tow ring etc and all the other C-47 modifications from the basic DC-3.
The C-47B has a particularly different nacelle structure for the high altitude Pratt, although few seem to still carry them?
Regards
Mark Pilkington