AT-6B Static Restoration - Chanute Air Museum

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:48 pm

A short Sunday of work and focus was on more prep work on the cowling parts. While used as an outdoor display, all of the cowling parts were secured against removal with pop rivets. Spent the day de-riveting all of these and then filling the holes with new rivets. Several hundred rivets later, all of the cowlings have been repaired and will set idle until we're ready to strip and paint them.
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Another fix-up task done is the installation of missing nuts on the front of the engine. After years of rust and multiple coats of paint, the studs had to be cleaned up with a tap and die set, just to get the nuts to go on. These will be hand primed and painted as part of the general engine repair and refurbishment.
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See recent progress reports at http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/at6b ... ogress.htm

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:35 pm

My first attempt to give a little back to the group.....

While working on the restoration of the P-51H-5-NA Mustang at the Chanute Air Museum, I converted the NAA Mustang engineering drawing index to Microsoft Excel format to make looking up drawings easier. I combined the Alphabetical Index and Numerical Index into a single file for fast searching and sorting. In Excel, one can resort the index and do a keyword search quickly and easily.

Now, I'm doing the same for the Texan. The DVD drawing set I have is for the SNJ -3, -4, -5 & -6, and I have completed keying in Section 1 of the index. Section 1 has "Assembly and Installation Drawings, listed and indented in next assembly sequence". The zip file at the link below contains one file that is the complete index in the same format as the printed one, but has been set as "read only" to keep it from being changed. Along with that, each of the subsections are in separate Excel files that can be resorted as needed.

The zip file can be downloaded here>>> http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/at6b/wix/snj1.zip

I've already begun building Section 2, which is the "Numerical List of Assembly, Installation, and Detail Part Drawings" that I think holds all of the Texan drawings, and will post it in the future when complete.

If anyone has a digital (scanned) copy of the AT-6 Index they would care to share, I'd like to do that one, too.
Same goes for the Harvard Index.
Suggestions and comments are welcomed.

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:29 pm

A short day, just doing a bit of clean up and detail paint on the engine, touching up some of the nuts and fittings with a little silver paint. Next week, will be occupied by the final rollout of our previous project, the North American Aviation P-51H Mustang. The Chanute Air Museum will also be hosting the CAF Red Tail Group P-51C Mustang, painted in Tuskegee Airmen's colors, and hopefully a visit by Butch Schroeder's F-6D (P-51D) L'il Margaret.
See the Mustang here http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/progress.htm

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:31 pm

September 21, 2013

After celebrating the official end of our P-51H Mustang Project last weekend, It was time to get back to work on the AT-6. Thanks to Butch Schroeder & Craig Davidson, we received an exhaust pipe for the AT-6. Curt picked up the unit for me from the guys in Danville. It was an old one that had corroded away in the rear, but a quick patch job, some bondo and paint and it was ready to replace the fake pipe that was previously on the Texan. It actually came out quite well, once the inside was painted flat black and the exterior painted silver and "aged" with a light dusting of flat black. Since the rest of the rear engine section will be covered by the ring cowling, this was the only piece we really needed.

Once we had a correct example in hand, Curt recalled a similar exhaust pipe and retrieved this one from our supply stock. It appears to be NOS, with no signs it was ever previously installed on an engine. Although it fits the Pratt & Whitney, the exhaust opening points to the rear, and further investigation suggests this may well be for a Harvard that had a long exhaust pipe that ran over the wing attached to the fuselage side. (Any help with identification would be appreciated.) If it is, in fact, a Harvard unit, we'd consider trading it for needed parts for our project.

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:43 pm

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been to the shop, so after catching up on a few things I managed to remove the two instrument panels. These have poorly made paper representations for nearly all of the gages. We'll strip and refurbish these over the winter months when the hangar is too cold to comfortably work in.

Due to USAF restrictions on radioactive painted gage dials and needles, these will later be populated with replicas.

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Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:24 pm

Craig Davidson, friend of the project came in today to help repair the propeller. In addition to being a Mustang pilot, Craig's a rated AP mechanic, and he did a great job of dressing up the badly nicked and deformed prop. I had originally planned to paint the prop, but Craig's work is so good, we may leave the face in natural metal finish with just a clear coat to protect the finish. THANKS CRAIG!

For my part, I managed to get the vinyl stars-and-bars off of the rear fuselage. They didn't conform over the rivet heads and are too late a version for the time period I'm replicating. Still have to remove the sticky adhesive residue, though. Anyone have good method for removing adhesive?

shrike · **Posted:** Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:35 pm

Mustanger55 wrote:

Still have to remove the sticky adhesive residue, though. Anyone have good method for removing adhesive?

3M's adhesive remover is the best, but expensive. Zippo / Ronson lighter fluid is next and generic Naptha next.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11280

I use a flamethrower, but failing that I use Goo-Gone, available at most home stores.

rcaf_100 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 19, 2013 10:59 pm

I second the Goo-Gone.

It's what I used to get the vinyl adhesive residue off one of our Harvards (along with plastic razor blades to scrape without scratching the paint)
:partyman:

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:28 pm

Thanks for the advice, guys.

I tried using regular paint thinner, but it evaporates quickly and ends up just smearing the adhesive around. I would have had to use a couple of gallons of thinner and a ton of shop towels.

I kinda like the flame thrower idea

, but I think I'll go with the Goo-Gone or 3M Adhesive remover. Just sounds safer somehow.

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Sat Nov 02, 2013 11:38 pm

An Update for everyone,
A while back I began converting the SNJ 3, 4, 5 & 6 NAA ENGINEERING DRAWING INDEX into Microsoft Office Excel format, and have just completed the remaining sections. The complete Index is now available for download.

Just follow the link below to download it free.
http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/at6b ... ources.htm
Putting the index into Excel format makes it easy to search by key-words or re-sort by column data. I've left in the page break markers to help with browsing.

If anyone has an Army Air Force AT-6 index in digital format, I'd be happy to prepare that in Excel format also.

For the latest Texan Restoration Project Updates, click here>>> http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/at6b ... ogress.htm

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 29, 2013 9:38 pm

November 23, 2013
The hanger is getting chilly as fall turns into winter here, and I'm trying to stock up projects to do in the warm shop over the winter months. Today, I tackled the front windscreen, finally getting it off after having to drill out over a dozen old rusty screws. With the windscreen removed, the front movable canopy came off and both parts were returned to the shop. Both will get minor repairs and repaint over the winter. Hopefully, there will be an opportunity to remove the rear windscreen and rolling canopy as well.

The prop on the T-6 is looking great thanks to the skilled work of Craig Davidson. Through patient work, the prop looks nearly brand new.

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Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Sat Nov 30, 2013 5:34 pm

Hello All,
I'm currently on the hunt for early 12v AT-6 radio equipment, and the one piece I've yet to find any traces of is the Antenna Mast that mounts on the firewall. The Assembly Drawing is 79-71027, and I hope someone out there has one they would consider selling, or knows of a service that makes reproductions.

Any help or direction appreciated.

Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:43 pm

A long overdue update after the hectic holidays. Following up on the quest to determine the identity of the T-6, I was able to identify several component numbers on the wing center section that would indicate it came from an AT-6C or D model Texan. The wings are still a mystery, as without provisions for a fixed gun and gun camera, they are neither T-6C or D. Took a few additional pictures of the front cockpit with the front canopy and windscreen off to show the general condition. A lot of detail and clean up needed here.

I removed the electrical panels to the shop to begin repair. The switches are all wood pegs installed from a previous restoration, and these will all be replaced with real switches. The large panel also gets an ammeter that I was able to find in museum stock. All of the "chicken head" knobs will have to be replaced. During the search, I also discovered these two light fixtures that attach to the fuel level indicators. After bead blasting and a little paint, they're looking like new again. These were needed for night time flying and I haven't decided whether they will be installed or not.

This weekend, after spending some time reorganizing my parts and supplies, I took some time to get to work on a couple of the front cowling panels, smoothing away the old brushed on paint and finishing them in the green anti-glare finish per the NAA specifications. Next up will be the windscreen assembly.

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Mustanger55 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:29 am

While yet another snow storm swept through today, I split the time between organizing parts and beginning paint work on the windscreen assembly. Spent a good deal of time just cleaning the glass of paint spatters and overspray, before sanding and prepping the frame for it's green anti-glare paint. Next visit I hope to get the instrument shroud repainted satin black and the upper windscreen frame painted silver.

Removed this instrument flying hood release latch and two cockpit light bases from the instrument shroud. The latch was seized but was just gunked up. After some penetrating oil loosened it up, it was disassembled and bead blasted along with the light bases. All have a primer coat of green zinc chromate, and will be finish painted black before reinstallation. (FYI. I know the latch is not assembled correctly. It's done this way to keep all of the parts together. :wink:

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AT-6B Static Restoration - Chanute Air Museum

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