DC-3 Restoration activity update for the 4th quarter of 2020 by crew member Carl Cruff.
Restoration activity continues to be focused on the interior cockpit and passenger cabin areas. Although this work is slow and meticulous, the restoration team is looking forward to sharing the interior elegance of the Eastern Airlines DC-3 "Silverliner NC44792" with future museum visitors during select open-cockpit experiences.
The majority of the flight instrument panels and gages have completed restoration. Efforts are now centered on the replacement of the legacy fuselage wall covering panels with new gray diamond quilt pattern panels. The old panels have been retrieved from storage and arranged to re-confirm none were missing. These old panels were temporarily fitted into their previous positions to determine if changes are needed in the fuselage wall attachment points and to confirm the panel cutouts remain accurately located. Several generations of cockpit wiring bundles and electronic leads have cluttered the current cockpit layout and some of the newer "add-on" wiring will be selectively removed. A portion of the radio bay fuselage walls will be covered with painted sheet metal panels in particularly cluttered locations.
All of the single and double passenger seats, the flight attendant seat, and the pilot and co-pilot seats are now upholstered. This is a significant interior restoration milestone and these seats will now be set aside until additional wall and floor covering activities are complete. Thanks again to the John G. Martin Foundation of West Hartford for their seat upholstery financial support.
The second passenger cabin headliner strip has been installed and the team is pleased with the straightness and flatness of the resulting seam with the first headliner strip. The installation of the next left side headliner strip must be sequenced with the assembly and attachment of the overhead baggage rack/air duct assembly. The installation of the next right side headliner strip must be coordinated with the completion of the flight attendant's buffet station and lavatory door wall covering. Both of these sections need additional work and the next headliner strip installation is targeted for the early 2nd Quarter.
