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Rajay · **Posted:** Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:28 pm

Eric,
Why do you have to take it so far apart before you move it? How far do you have to move it?

Last fall, I had to move a Goose (G-21A) about 9 miles from one off-airport site to another, and it was in about the same basic shape as your Twin Beech (OK, not quite so nice!)

It already had a trailer hitch mounted to the keel in the old aft baggage compartment and the rest of the tail from the Sta. 29 bulkhead (aft end of the aft baggage compartment just forward of the tailwheel) back to the rudder post at the Sta. 36 bulkhead had already been removed too. I don't know when the last time was that the MLG wheel bearings were greased, but the tires were re-treads stamped with dates from the late 1970's!

We hooked it up to my truck and towed it backwards on its own wheels along some back roads to its new home and we didn't have any problems. We just went slow with our flashers on. Of course, we also had an escort from the Sheriff's department. No problems at all!

PS Keep up the good work and please continue to keep us informed of your progress!

AviationArtist · **Posted:** Fri Jul 09, 2010 4:50 am

Hi Eric,

Here's the panel I have. The first shot is of it as recieved, the second is as it is now, I still need the missing instruments. Now that I've seen the full fuselage out of the undergrowth it looks like your plane is an SNB-5P which was the modified version carrying the full camera kit. (The door has the camera access hole in it.) If that's the case there will be camera doors in the floor as well just aft of the cockpit.

This is the panel as received. It had a black crackle finish over the original Navy light grey, this may well have been a field mod for anti-glare.

This is as the panel is now. I have chosen to go with the original Navy colour. The stencils will be correctly screen printed onto the black areas you can see, before stripping I measures the exact sizes of the typeface, line separations etc so that the new ones will be identical including the minor discrepancies of 0.5mm that I measured between some lines. I still need the missing instruments, the ones I have are the correct types although only two have the correct yellow/green dials the USN used. I’d also like to get hold of sub panels, seats, floor, windows etc etc. the rudder behind is newly covered...thinking of painting it with red and white bars...?

I’m glad you like the Avatar, yes it is of a drawing I did a couple of years ago. I draw from life (not copying photographs) and this lovely Twin Beech came over to the UK for a show so I took the opportunity of sitting by it for a couple of hours with my pen and sketchbook. Here's a bigger image of the drawing. (I've also done a number of paintings of Beech 18s).

AviationArtist · **Posted:** Fri Jul 09, 2010 1:53 pm

Eric,

I've got home now and have scanned the relevant pages from the Maintenance Manual. See what you think...

That's what I have, it's a 1951 All Weather SNB-5

...and this is what a 5P would look like.

Hope these help somewhat,

Dom

AviationArtist · **Posted:** Fri Jul 09, 2010 4:21 pm

AND ANOTHER THING...

I've looked at Bob's book and your plane is indeed an SNB-5 not a 5P, and I aint about to argue with Bob! Interesting about the camera door though!

I have a .pdf copy of an SNB-5 Pilot's Manual if that is of any use to you. I have other's as well, but not for the '5'. The scans I've posted are from a large original Maintenance Manual that covers JRB-4, 5,6 and SNB-2,3,3E,4,5 and 5P. I could scan relevant pages if that could help you also.

Ok, I'm backing off now...

Project Warbird · **Posted:** Thu Jul 15, 2010 9:11 pm

Well, another great trip this past weekend. I was able to get the nose section off.

Then I took out the floors, cables, plumbing, wires,and started to drill the aft section off.

I found this little treat on the side.

Rajay,
I'm drilling the plane in parts because of the size. I have to move it 270 miles, so pulling it will not work. The South Carolina DOT is no help with all the fees and insurance they want. Same with North Carolina. I also have to do it to fit it in the hanger, and it gives me a good start on working on it. I would like to see pics of the Goose.

AviationArtist,

I think your panel is GREAT. Your doing such a great job. I hope I can make mine look that good. Thanks for the manual pages. I need all the info I can get. This is the first time I have worked with the Beech 18 line and I'm learning a lot. I have to find out why my panel has the square hole in it. I might have to fix that. Where did you get the control handle knobs? I plan to go with the original color also. Here are a couple pics of my panel.

AviationArtist · **Posted:** Fri Jul 16, 2010 3:19 am

Eric,

Great pictures and continuation to the restoration!

I think your panel is exactly the same as mine, a 1951 SNB-5. The square hole is more than likely an addition added later for newer avionics, so many Beech 18 panels were modified over time. Keep a hold of the instrument eyebrows if you are going for authenticity, trying to find full-face ones is impossible I've discovered. They should be easy enough to clean up.

I've got a bunch of pages scanned from the Maintenance Manual, let me know if there's anything particular you'd liek and I can very quickly scan the relevant pages for you. Also have a Structural Repair Manual as well.

Yours is only the third panel I've seen with the original fuel selector switch on it as well. Got the throttle knobs from Tom Leatherwood in CA. He says he's the only full-time Beech 18 parts guy left, also deals mostly with Grimes stuff I think, I'll try and pull out his contact details for you.

When you strip your panel, and if you are able, I'd love to have scans of the placards. I have none and need to get some made up. I have the tools to do it but only have photographs to work from, a scan would be much more helpful. Don't worry if you can't.

Keep going!

Dom

AviationArtist · **Posted:** Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:32 pm

Eric,

Am I right that you asked somewhere about the stenciling below the pilot's window? I've done some research and made up the following:

The S/N would obviously go after the 'SERIAL NO.' bit.

I've tried to be accurate to the original. If I'm right you might be able to make out the remains of what you do have

Project Warbird · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:39 pm

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm trying to save another plane. I have purchased Leon's C-45H project. I'm trying to set it up to go up in Sept to start bringing it down. I will have more info and pics then.

Here are a few pics.

rcaf_100 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:25 pm

Eric Miller wrote:

Hi everyone,

Well, I'm trying to save another plane. I have purchased Leon's C-45H project. I'm trying to set it up to go up in Sept to start bringing it down. I will have more info and pics then.

That's great Eric! Glad to see that another of Leon's planes has found a new home. I picked up one of his Yales last year.

Here's a couple pics of the C-45 from when I was there in October:
(sorry for the crappy quality...I didn't realise that my ISO was set to 1600 until after I had left)

You also might want to get in touch with Wixer Tom Friedman. He lives nearby and might ba available to help when it comes time to move it.
(I got told after I brought the Yale home :lol:

)

Project Warbird · **Posted:** Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:56 pm

Progress report,

Last weekend my coworker Mike and I went down and drilled the aft section of the fuselage apart. It took us about 6 hours to finish. Now with the aft fuselage in the hanger, it will be only one more trip down and thats it. I have started working on the nose section and will have pics of that soon.

AviationArtist · **Posted:** Fri Sep 03, 2010 5:41 pm

Eric,

I've done a little more digging around and have found what I think to be an exact match for your first Beech instrument panel. It's listed as a C-45 as opposed to an SNB-5, but looks just like your one and appears to original so answers the question as to what goes in the square hole!

Here's the link to the web site which has many more pictures on it of the same plane as well:

http://yolo.net/~jeaton/Propplanes/c45/c45.htm

And here's the image of the panel:

By the way, that second Beech looks like a beauty...now what have I got to do to get hold of one myself????

Project Warbird · **Posted:** Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:54 pm

Aviation Artist,

Great job!!!!!! Great find. Now that I know that I don't have to repair the panel and just find a UHF control (I love it). If anyone knows the model # or part # for it please let me know. Or if you have one. The link is awsome, great pics. Thanks!!!! I now have to find another C-45 and send it over to you.

I did some work on the nose section today and will do some more tomarrow.

UnkyKong · **Joined:** Mon Sep 27, 2010 2:42 pm **Posts:** 1

Hey Eric, Its Matt.

I just thought I would hop on here and say, well I like what I see. I'm glad to see your making some head way.

Project Warbird · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 6:23 am

Matt,

I'm happy to see that you are following the project. How is it going? Today we are heading up to Leon's to start hauling down the C-45. I will post pics next week.

Does anyone have any pics of SNB's with NAS San Diego markings on it?

Eric

Django · **Posted:** Fri Oct 01, 2010 10:15 am

Looks like you're moving right along!

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