The Story of the DC-3

Well, this story actually begins years ago, long before I ever began to fly model airplanes.
My father, a bricklayer by trade, loved airplanes, and built them growing up, and as a young man, into adult hood.
He began with stick and tissue models, moved on to control line, some free flight, and was able to
participate with some of the very early radio controlled models. I can remember seeing him build
his models on our deep freeze as a very small boy.....the smell of dope and ambroid glue still as fresh
on my senses as those many years ago.
I started being "allowed" to go along with my Dad to the flying field when I was no longer in diapers!!! Seems
that while he didnt mind me along.........he certainly didnt want to deal with any messes other than the castor
oil on the planes!!
I spent my time at these flying sessions watching, listening, learning, and tossing my little stick and tissue planes
of my own. Many of the little .05, .10, and .25 cent gliders and rubber powered planes were my arsenal.....and I spen many
an hour playing with them growing up.
My Dad and I spent many days watching the full sized planes take off and land........any where we could. We attended Oshkosh
when it was a very small event, and were at the very first Stearman fly in in Galesburg, IL many years ago. We both had a passion for
aviation.......and R/C was our outlet.
Later in Jr. High, my Dad would then teach me how to build and fly my own RC planes.........which cement my future as a
commercial pilot today. I had always known I wanted to fly for a living....and I made that decision as I readied for college.
I attended college and completed my flight training.......flight instructed, and ultimately found my way to the airlines, being
hired by American Airlines some 19+ years ago.............
History is rich with important airplanes.........some that affected the military.......some the civilian world, and others that helped
the airlines move into the modern era. That is where we come today........to one of my favorite planes of all time, and one that has
held a very important place in the history of American Airlines. Early in my AA career, some current and retired pilots and mechanics found
and restored one of AA's own DC3's.......the Flagship Knoxville. It flew from TUL to DFW, where it sits today in the CR Smith Museum
at the American Airlines Flight Training Academy.......just south of the DFW airport. If you ever find yourself in the DFW area....the CR Smith
Museum is well worth the time and effort to visit!!
From the day I was hired.....I loved the plane...... and often thought it would make a great RC project. When I saw the Knoxville...I knew that
one day.......I would build a DC3 as an RC model...........
That day occured about 6 years ago......at a swap meet in Davenport IA. Someone there had a Top Flite DC3 kit, with the retracts
that I just had to have..........and into the back of my car it went!!!!
I spent the next few years pouring over the plans.........motor combinations, etc, wanting to make this an electric conversion, if at all possible.
Slowly I aquired the parts to make is so........MEC gear boxes........Mega motors......speed controls........etc...and I finally found the time
a year and a half ago to start the building of this great project!!!
The build took less time than I had thought......but make no mistake.......it did take a great deal of time. But being newly divorced.....and
stuck in the house in the winter........I had nothing but time....so the structure took shape......and the journey continued.
I will continue the story in between later..........but for now let me go to the maiden today.

I have been working a great deal on getting this project to the flying stages recently....and it has actually been ready for the maiden for over a week.
Mother nature however, has not been a cooperative mistriss recently!! High winds....rain......cold, and the like have kept me from the flying field. Oh yeah,
lets not forget the work schedule.....it has also kept me from flying more than I would like

Finally, today..the winds calmed down enough for me to meet my flying buddy, Scott Hall at the field. While the winds were not perfect......5-10 mph diagonally
across the runway......it was not too bad for the testing.
When we both got to the field.......I set the fuselage on one of our work tables......and we warmed up with a couple of our foam biplanes. While we were in the air,
I heard a crunching sound, and thought maybe our American flag had fallen fromt he holder, onto the concrete......but a quick glance by Scott confirmed my fear.........
yup, my beautiful DC3 fuselage had taken a tumble off the table......into the grass!!! A few explicatives.....and a quick landing later, I was holding the fuse and
examining the damage. The plasic tail cone had been knocked off.....(easy fix), but one of the elevator halves had been crushed..which will require a complete rebuild
to make it proper. After some good examinations....I determined that the elevator half would not be a problem for a test flight......so on we went.

After assembly and a quick check out again.......I did some taxi tests on the runway.......and finally figured it was time.

On the take off roll......the throttle was never advanced past 3/4, and during flight.....was seldom over half. The flaps operated normally, as did the gear.....and the flight
went pretty well. Now if I could just stop shaking!!!!

Nice build, would have loved to watch a video of it flying, maybe next time? I've always loved the DC-3 as well, lots of history in that bird, from WWII to present, it's still a great flier.

Gary

Hi Darryl,

Nice model and pictures. My father is a retired airline pilot and the DC-3 was the second large twin engined aircraft he flew after the Bristol Freighter. He has great memories of the flying he did pretty much over the whole of Australia in the DC-3 and I have heard many of his stories. He was lucky enough to fly in an age that started with those fantastic old piston engined airliners, right through to the 767. Enjoy your DC-3, it looks like a lot of fun.

D Miller:

Hi:
Caught your post, been flying last 30 days intown at the Jr High in Sterling, frequent evenings and sometimes crack of dawn for mild weather, been into Sailplanes years ago with Bob Lundstrom son of former Lundstrom Florists, he's a skilled sailplane flyer, now hand launches a high perfomance model, his other hobbies get in the way and belives he's less active at the moment now lives in Sylvis..

I now work at Rock Falls Walgreens, stock, clear, etc, years past w/Dad in Insurance, my uncle was Bob McMurry former math teacher, recently deceased...

Curious if your still flying and where etc, trying other models, but abit advanced as powered flight is a new experience, Super Cub proving to be an excellent trainer now nearing 100 flights, finally able to land the darn thing in the pkg lot, next am after the Wind Dragon for Airleron experience, sure will be an adventure....

I'm off next several days, if your doing any flying please let me know,




Take Care
BEST WARREN Ph 6255859 leave message someones usually there..<>..