C-47B, 43-49531, Restoration Progress December 20th 2009

[noizeedave]

Hi there everyone.

So the restoration is moving at full steam! Had a couple set backs this month and some things spring forward. The Radio/Nav. Room Walls, if you dont remember, were relocated sometime after the war forward shortening the Radio/Nav. Room. We have drilled them off the plane early in 2009 and plastic blasted them. We have been in a slow stage of recondioning the walls and actually adding the nearly 5 inches of sheet metal that was cut off to make them fit further forward in the flightdeck. I'm Proud to annouce that the RH wall is installed and the LH side is almost completed and put back in! This means that we can start painting the Green interior finally into the troop compartment all the way back to the tail compartment. The latrine was also stripped, and the tail compartment. They all have been primed and are ready for paint. It actually has started but I dont have photos to share yet. I do have the primed photos below to inspect.











The Floor in the Latrine have been completly remade and are getting the covering this week.



Other progress is the side exits doors are ready for paint shortly, then reinstallation, the troop seats, which I dont have a pcture of have been repainted already and are awaiting installation. The Bathroom Toilet, Urinal, Sink and Cabinet, troop seats, and troop seat backs will all be installed prior to 1 Jan.! Very Exciting stuff!

On another note.... I will be going overseas for 2-4 months "real soon" and wont be around much. I will still get emails and hopefully updating you all with this knowledge. I know last year when I was there I could still get on WIX, so hey, you might be recieving Posts from me while in a Combat Zone!

And for those of you who know our B-25J "Executive Sweet", thought Id just share a photo from this weeks' working enviroment! Enjoy!

[gschwartz]

Looks like good progress on the Douglas, Dave.

Keep your head down - I'll be looking forward to hearing from you in the spring!

[noizeedave]

Painting Updates today!

With the string of good weather, and the fact that the sheet metal, and other repairs are complete in the fuselage and cargo compartments, I have started painting the interior. Paint has been color match to Douglas WWII C-47B color hue charts. PPG has graciously donated all the paint for the restoration!

These pictures are at the end of day 2. Yes I see the bare areas! Not done. The latrine still has some areas to finish, then a complete walk thru to get bare spots and apply a good second coat.











As you can see we are still working on the LH radio/nav room wall. Hopefully 1 more week and itll be done too!




Till Tomorrow,
Dave

[Obergrafeter]

Would be great if PPG could donate paint for ours, but in leau of that what color would one order for the interior from them?

[noizeedave]

If one were to order the interior color I used, one would need the Color Hue Chart from Douglas for the time period of 1943 to 1944. PM your email address and I send you a file with the color hue charts for inside and outside. I sent them the chart and they used the hue chart to mix my paint. They are also painting the outside of our aircraft once its time. So we definitely scored big with this sponsor!

[gschwartz]

How are you set for troop seats? I have a line on a source.

[James Dagg]

If Dave doesn't need seats, and I doen't think that he does, we would be interested in them for our C-47 project which is nearing completion. We are particularly interested in obtaining a left hand seat side beam. James Dagg

[noizeedave]

I have all the seats. Would be interested in building a spares package since we are going to be selling rides on her....

FYI Seat beams are primed and painting today since the weather changed from rain to 50knot winds!

Theyll be put back on this weekend!

[James Dagg]

Dave, do you have main window seals? We invested in a die for cutting our own and they work great. We got the last of our windows installed last weekend. Jim

[noizeedave]

Very interesting, a die huh? You have pics? I would love to get ahold of some. I had the idead of using modern window seal, Skyflex and then making an internal mounting ring to go around the screw holes on the inside to help seal better and distribute pressure equally when torqued and find some rubber groments to put inside screw holes. But would be very interested now that painting is almost done to get the windows in and done so Its weather proof with all our rain and winds out here all the time near the coast. It they seal good i would interested in paying you for some or borrowing tool to make some or some type of arrangement.

Let me know
Dave

[James Dagg]

You're up awful early for California. The die punches out a perfect rectangular pieces the same size as the original seal, and then we place 3 specially ordered grommets into each hole and when compressed makes a perfect seal. I'll ask Andrew today about what he would like to do? I know we paid over a thousand dollars for the die. Any idea about where we could get a side beam? Our hydraulics are nearly done and the electrical is coming right along. Jim

[noizeedave]

if that die is that much, just see how much youd like per seal. Wouldnt want to take responsiblity for a die that expensive you know! But Im interested. Did you try Tradewinds? If no go there, try Texas, a guy whoes got 2 birds and sugar load of spares, his name eludes me right now....Ill let you know though when I get it back in my head!

Dave

[James Dagg]

We have been completely thru Trade Winds, and I believe that the other Texas guy you mentioned has sold all of his stuff to the guys from the Tulsa Air and Space museum for their Flagship Tulsa restoration with no sidebeams. I think that we can sell you the seals along with the gromets. I should be able to get back to you later today. When do deploy for your TDY?

[soko121]

Hi Dave,
we spoke several months ago about the Percival. It turns out i have just taken on the return to flight of my families DC-3. we operated untill the mid 2000's and then if you remember there was a tornado that damaged lots of planes. You might have even spoken with my dad. Well, i just wanted to get back in touch and see if you have any parts or need any. once i start road trips up there ill be digging through lots of junk to fix. we need a replacement left wing, and repair/replace both wing tips and vertical, then cover and install all controls. i have a slot reserved in the flyby at OSH in July !!!!
http://www.thelasttime.org/

spread the word, we need all DC-3 folks involved.
hope to hear from you soon.
Simon

[craigwadsworth]

We are hoping to be at OSH this year for the flight.

BTW: What spark plugs do people reccomend?