DC3 Working Bee on Sat June 22 at Moorabbin (Aus)

[Ewan]

Hi Everyone,

Just thought you may like to see some pics etc from our working bee at the Moorabbin Air Museum on June 22. Another day of working on the museum's old DC-3. 18 dedicated people braved the initailly frosty morning to pitch in and get a whole lot done. As a volunteer group helping out museums etc this was a fantastic result and bodes very well for the future.

For those on Facebook you can see the updates here - https://www.facebook.com/WarbirdRestorationServices

Or if not there it's up on the Warbirdz.net forum here - http://www.warbirdz.net/forum/showthread.php?p=19171#post19171


Cheers

Ewan

[The Inspector]

Bet you never knew there were so many 9/16ths bolts on earth-
You might look into obtaining a Lester Tool for stuck screws. It fits in a rivet gun (usually a 6X) & holds a screwdriver quick change bit and has a handle. Lean into the rivet gun, and as it's hammering turn the screw until it is at a point where you can either then use a regular screwstick or grab it with visegrips and unthread it, Saves nutplate replacements.
They are a standard tool used for 'open ups' during heavy maintenance checks where the clock is running -

OH, by the by, up until the jet age DOUGLAS used REED and PRINCE type crosshead screws which use a different, more pointed tip than a PHILLIPS style and a PHILLIPS will gow out a R&P head in a heartbeat.

[Rossco]

Also make up a long length screwdriver.Mines a couple feet long and provides excellent torque on tough screws..Take an old screwdriver and TIG weld on a long length of 1/4 inch ID SS tube,at end heat up and force in a screw bit and let it cool or TIG weld on a 1/4 inch drive 1/4 inch socket..

[Ashley Briggs]

This aeroplane was operated up until 1972. I have yet to find a Reed and Prince screw in the airframe. And unfortunately she has not copped well since her retirement with extensive corrosion throughout the airframe. Some screws do come out conventionally but a great deal are just shearing the heads off.

[The Inspector]

This aeroplane was operated up until 1972. I have yet to find a Reed and Prince screw in the airframe. And unfortunately she has not copped well since her retirement with extensive corrosion throughout the airframe. Some screws do come out conventionally but a great deal are just shearing the heads off.

Perhaps over the years it's past operators did a reverse DC-10/L-1011. Both the 10 and the 'other' airplane were notable for infesting aviation with that wonder of the modern world, the TRI WING screw and maybe past users of yours removed and pitched all the R&P's as they went just to simplify things.

The only things I've found the TRI WING is good for is to keep some baggy pants from stealing your car stereo since none of them seems to carry a #3 tip in their pocket, and lots of creative vocalizations from some poor mechanic who's just spent 10 minutes squeezing into an all but inaccessible spot to discover that 2/3 of the screws are TRI's~