The
legendary Douglas DC-3 is the latest restoration project by the AHM. This Douglas DC-3-362,
registration number NC1945,
serial number 3294, was built in Santa Monica, California, in
February 1941. It was delivered to Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) at Kansas
City, Missouri on March 4, 1941.
About sixty percent of all DC-3
aircraft
went to war in WWII as transports; this one did not. In fact, NC1945 is one of the very
few existing DC-3s with the rare 24-passenger, 8-window configuration.
Most remaining
DC-3s are of the 21-passenger, 7-window configuration. This airplane flew with TWA as
ship 386, from 1941 until 1952. In fact, some of our members logged hours in this
plane as TWA crewmembers. It then spent 14 years with North Central Airlines. In 1968 it went into charter
operations, and later was a travel club airplane with Coronado Airlines, in California.
 The airplane ended its life as
an electronic test bed in Torrance, California. It then sat in the desert west of Palmdale for
a few years in storage, as part of an estate. The airplane was flown to Roswell, New
Mexico in the mid-1980's for storage.
 In 1993,
AHM members became
aware of it, and "old 386" was purchased from a Denver museum.
A crew of AHM members made
three trips down to Roswell to take the fuselage off the center section and put
all of the various parts on
trailers for the long highway trip to Kansas City, Missouri.
After locating work space that
would hold the airplane, restoration work started. Striping paint from the fuselage was
the first step in determining the condition of the outside fuselage skin.
Removal of
insulation from the inside of the fuselage skin showed the real problems that lay ahead.
Corrosion had played havoc
with the skin panels, former rings, stringers, and many other parts. Anybody in
his or her right mind
would have said, "it's not worth putting any more money into this
airplane".
However, being dedicated aircraft restoration enthusiasts, we started the project anyway!
 The primary problem with the
airframe was corrosion. This was caused by glue used on the cabin insulation.
Old frames and parts were used as templates and patterns for the new ones.
So, we were basically building a new
airplane, from the inside out. We've replaced the majority of the
exterior skin with new materials and fasteners. Old panels are dated, signed, and tacked to the hangar
wall, which makes very nice hangar decorations, if you're wondering!
We are
hoping for a
restoration completion date sometime in 2009 or 2010. When
completed, this will be one of the highest
quality DC-3 restorations in existence - a true museum piece, but we
plan to keep it flying!
Volunteers currently work
on the DC-3 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm at our hangar
facility at the Kansas City Downtown Airport. We also have a
DC-3 work day on the third Saturday of each month.
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