T-6 SNJ-3/4 Drawings. Where's BDK?

[astixjr]

I'm still looking for parts to install dummy guns in my father's SNJ-5. I remembered that somebody had donated this book of drawings to our museum library collection a few years ago. I thought it was a post WWII scale drawing set from an RC builder but I was wrong.

The book is 32" x 22" and each page (200 total) is printed on both sides. It was created by the U.S. Army Air Corps and is dated August 24, 1944. On top of each page is written "These are reduced size drawings DO NOT SCALE". They appear to be engineering drawings and have North American Aviation Englewood CA. at the lower right corner. What is this and what was it used for?

[Eric Friedebach]

Good find!

Something for the guys in the field?

[bdk]

Drawings like that would never be used in the field. They were provided technical orders. Something like this might have been used at a repair depot or by an NAA field representative.

Inglewood is where NAA was based, now LAX.

[Cvairwerks]

Albert: That is a set or partial set of what are known as general assembly drawings. What they show is how the various parts of the aircraft are assembled, other than riveted structure. Ie. what nuts, bolts, screws, washers, ect. that were required to install each componet and the orientation of the clamps, bolt directions, hose routings and so on. These were for factory or depot level mechanics so that they could assemble or tear down the various installations and return them to the correct configuration. With these drawings, you could throw all the necessary bits and pieces of a T-6 into a crate and the mechanics could lay it all out and reassembly it correctly. If the drawings are for the configuration that you are working on, they are worth a heck of a lot more to a mechanic than the IPB.

[Flying Dog]

These look very similar to the ones I have on 35mm micro film. There are nine reels, covering AT-6A/SNJ-3, through the AT-6F/SNJ-6. I got them from the National Archives about 25 years ago. They were very useful when we were restoring our SNJ-6.

Seeing as how I don't need them anymore,and since my heirs will probably throw them away, I would like to offer them up here,"Free to good home", to any one who could use them, for research or an aid to restoration.

Also have some P-12/P-26 blueprints from the NASM. Same deal.

Thanks,
Rick

[King]

PM sent! I am very interested in your offer.

[t28pilot]

Hey Flying Dog, I could use those SNJ drawings for my SNJ restoration. Do you still have them ??
T28Pilot@earthlink.net