Deagostini Douglas DC3 User guide

Brand: Deagostini

Model: Douglas DC3

Type: User guide

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and paints (in all the colours you will need to

complete your Douglas DC-3) is available from

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Produced under license. Boeing, Douglas, Boeing Airplane Company, DC-3,

247, Douglas World Cruiser, and the distinctive Boeing logos, product markings

and trade dress are trademarks of The Boeing Company.

Published in the UK by De Agostini UK Ltd,

Battersea Studios 2, 82 Silverthorne Road,

London SW8 3HE

Published in the USA by De Agostini Publishing USA, Inc.,

915 Broadway, Suite 609,

New York, NY 10010.

Packaged by Continuo Creative, 39-41 North Road,

London N7 9DP

p79-86, images from the Giorgio Apostolo Collection

Items may vary from those shown.

Not suitable for children under the age of 14.

This product is not a toy and is not designed or intended for use in play.

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Advances in DC-3 technology

How the advances in aircraft

technology of the era affected

the development of the DC-3™.

Rationalisation of production

methods and constructional

simplicity resulted in increased

efﬁciency in hydraulic, electrical

and communications equipment.

ASSEMBLY GUIDE

Passenger Cabin (Part 2)

Assembling and cladding the right

side of the passenger cabin;

assembling the passenger seats,

and cladding the nose.

Page

Pack

Advances in DC-3 technology

From a structural and design point

of view, the DC-3 was ‘state of the

art’ when compared to the aeronautical

technology of the period. This was the

result of a long process of improvement

and refinement, based on comparison with

the competition (particularly the aeroplanes

of Boeing, the great rival of the Douglas

Aircraft Company™), on collaboration

with clients and on the data gathered

through the commercial flights of the

DC-2. In turn, the success of the DC-3,

in its various versions, contributed to the

rationalisation of production processes and

to greater efficiency.

In December 1937, the Douglas Aircraft

Company produced a record number of 36

aircraft (most of them DSTs and DC-3s) with

a value of three million dollars; in addition,

it had further orders worth seven million

dollars, most of them from abroad.

A United Airlines DC-3. The designation of ‘Mainliner’, which the company had decided to give its DC-3 aircraft, was a direct

response to the image challenge launched by American Airlines with its ‘Flagship Skysleepers’. Soon afterwards, similar

challenges were launched by TWA with its ‘Skyliners’ and Eastern Airlines with its ‘Great Silver Fleet’.

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Advances in DC-3 technology

The construction of the DC-3

From the start of the project, the DC-3 had

been designed to embody the maximum

constructional and operational simplicity.

Aside from a few parts (ailerons, rudder,

elevators and tabs), which consisted of

aluminium components riveted together

and covered in fabric, the aircraft was

constructed entirely in metal. Its basically

circular semi-monocoque structure

was made up of ribs and longerons

riveted together, with an outer cladding

of corrosion-resistant aluminium sheets

(Alclad 24-ST) of varying thicknesses,

riveted and/or bolted to the structure as

required. The wings and tail assembly were

built using the same modular technique.

The cantilevered wings consisted of a

central section to which the engine nacelles

and the supports of the front landing gear

were attached, and two outer elements

connected to the central section by a

resilient joint to improve the distribution of

aerodynamic stresses.

The honeycomb structure, consisting

of a series of square ‘boxes’ riveted

together, and in which the external

cladding bore some of the load, made

the wings of the DC-3 particularly strong

but very flexible – in flight, they could

bend up to 5° horizontally. A wing profile

On the page opposite, a photograph of a (restored)

DC-3 of Eastern Airlines' ‘Great Silver Fleet’.

The riveting in the area where the centre and

outer parts of the wing join and the row of bolts

connecting the two elements are clearly visible.

The procedure laid down by Douglas stated that

the 328 bolts on each wing should be tightened

when assembled, and subsequently checked and

tightened again after the ﬁrst ﬂight.

Construction drawings for the

wing of a DC-3 (above) and

for the various parts of the tail

assembly (below). In the case

of the wings, these show the

honeycomb structure, the

various layers of the cladding

and the control surfaces, made

from aluminium elements

riveted together and covered

with fabric. The same modular

structure was used for the

parts of the tail assembly.

The position of the tabs is

clearly visible on the rudder

and elevators.

Build Douglas DC

narrower than that of the DC-2 and the

addition beneath the upper cladding of

reinforcing elements in corrugated panels,

positioned longitudinally in relation to the

wing itself, helped further to increase the

wing’s strength. Confirming the validity

of this solution, these reinforcements of

corrugated panels were also adopted

later when the DC-3 was converted from

a civilian aircraft to a military one, when

similar panels replaced the plywood

used for the floor, in order to increase the

torsional and longitudinal rigidity of the

fuselage as a whole.

The engines were secured to the

nacelles and connected to the various

systems by quick-release connections,

placed in line with the respective flame

dampers. Because of these connectors,

the engines could be removed ‘en bloc’

from the nacelles, enabling a team of

three mechanics to replace them in two

hours. The solution also made it possible

to install new engines – thus extending the

lifespan of the aircraft – at a much lower

cost than had previously been the case.

The ‘joined together’ structure enabled

the outer part of the wing to be dismantled

Workers servicing the engine of a C-47, probably during the Berlin airlift

(1948-1949). The structural features of the DC-3 made it possible for

a team of three men to replace an entire engine in two hours. Besides

drastically reducing the aircraft’s maintenance costs and downtime, this

simplicity of servicing and maintenance was one of the key elements of

the DC-3’s success in the military ﬁeld.

Here, the central section of the wings

of a DC-3 are ﬁxed to the fuselage.

Because it was constructed almost

entirely of metal, the aircraft had

remarkable rigidity. All Douglas

aircraft from the DC-1 onwards had

their wings afﬁxed in this way – before

this, other aircraft (such the B-247)

had cantilevered wings, which

impinged on the passenger cabin.

This innovation from Douglas made it

easier to move through the cabin and

increased the impression of space

inside the aircraft.

82 Build Douglas DC

Advances in DC-3 technology

very quickly, while the fact that the wings

themselves and the fuselage were made

of panels made it easier to have access

to the control mechanisms and various

installations of the aircraft. As a result of

these devices, at the time it was launched

on the market, the DC-3 achieved an

operating cost of 69 cents per mile, at last

offering air companies an airliner that was

within their budgets.

Diagram of the hydraulic system (left) and the fuel supply system (above)

of a Douglas C-47, as revised in 1955. While the fuel system of the DC-3

was to a large extent similar to that of the DC-2, the hydraulic system had

made an enormous step forward compared to its predecessor, in particular

through its use of a hydraulic pump connected to the engine to operate the

landing gear, instead of a hand pump.

Hydraulics, electrical

equipment and fuel

The hydraulic equipment of the DC-3

underwent serious modifications and

improvements, having been one of the

weaker points of the DC-2. Hydraulics

operated the landing gear, the brake

system, the flaps and the automatic

pilot, fed by two pumps connected to

the engines. In normal conditions, one of

the pumps was reserved exclusively for

the automatic pilot and the other for the

remaining systems and devices; however,

it was possible to modify this configuration

by using a selector and the two installations

were in all respects interchangeable. As on

the DC-2, there was also a manual pump

which could be used in the event of an

emergency. Finally, as a further measure

Build Douglas DC

An Eastern Airlines

DC-3 of the ‘Great Silver

Fleet’. Clearly visible

are the riveted panels

of the fuselage and the

headlight on one wing,

beyond the engine

nacelle. According

to the president of

Eastern Airlines, Eddie

Rickenbacker, when the

ﬂeet of DC-3s came into

service, proﬁts generated

by passenger transport

increased by 27.5% in

the ﬁrst eight months

of 1938 alone.

Interior view of a DC-3 with the original layout of

seven rows of single and twin seats. Above these

are the overhead baggage racks and, in the upper

part of the cabin wall, the individual lights and air

vents. At the back is the door to the kitchen with a

folding seat for the cabin assistant and on the right,

in the shade, the door to the bathroom.

of security, the front landing gear was held

in its folded position by a pair of hydraulic

pistons, so that, in case of damage or a

loss of pressure within the system, they

could be lowered and locked into the

landing position simply by gravity.

The 24-volt electrical system was

supplied by two generators, also powered

by the engines, and the two batteries

charged by these generators were housed

inside the fuselage under the pilot’s cabin.

As well as being used by onboard services,

the electricity generated was also used

for the starter motors and the oil dilution

valves, fitted to make it easier to start the

engines at low temperature. Like the fuel

lines, the motors’ electric cables could

be disconnected near the flame damping

barriers, housed in the nacelles, making

it easier to remove the engines. And last

but not least, the electrical installation

also supplied the internal lighting system

of the aircraft and the headlights, used in

navigation and manoeuvring on the ground.

These had been moved from the front of

the fuselage, where they had been on the

DC-2, to the centre of the wings, so as to

reduce reflections and the risk of glare.

84 Build Douglas DC

Advances in DC-3 technology

The DC-3 was fitted with four aluminium

fuel tanks (two main ones and two

auxiliary ones), housed in the central

section of the wings, with a total capacity

of 822 gallons. Each engine was supplied

by a separate circuit with its own pumps

and valves. In addition, the aircraft also

had a couple of manual pumps which

could be operated by the pilot in case

of emergency. The fuel/air ratio of the

mixture which flowed into the cylinders

could also be controlled from the pilot’s

cabin according to the flight phase and

operating conditions. The tanks for the

lubrication system were in the nacelles

of the engines, above the housing

containing the landing gear, while the

radiators for cooling the engine oil were

mounted under the nacelles themselves.

Here, too, the installations for the two

engines were separate and they had a

total capacity of 66.5 gallons.

The production plants

Until the outbreak of the World War II, the

production of American DC-3s remained

concentrated in the Douglas plant at

Clover Field in Santa Monica, California,

where all Douglas aircraft had been built

until then. In the course of time, these

plants expanded in various ways so as

to increase their production capacity. The

growing demand arising from the DC-3

Communication

and radio installation

On the DC-3, the navigator/radio operator sat in a separate

compartment behind the pilot’s cockpit, with the instruments mounted

on the left side of the aircraft looking forwards. The radio installation

consisted of two transmitter-receivers (UHF and VHF), usually one

PTR1751 UHF unit and one of AD120 VHF unit. The aircraft also

had an instrument landing system (ILS), as well as being equipped

with the VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range) radio navigation

system and fitted with DME (Distance Measuring Equipment). In the

military versions, there was also an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe)

device. Internal communications took place through an interphone

system which linked together the pilot’s cockpit, the navigator/radio

operator’s station and the passenger cabin; the same system was

also installed in the military versions.

The navigator/radio

operator’s compartment was

situated behind the pilot’s

cockpit, on the left side of

the aircraft, behind the pilot.

In addition to the VHF and

UHF transmitter-receivers,

the DC-3 was also equipped

with a series of devices for

navigation, such as ILS, VOR

and DME. On the desk, next

to a clipboard, are a map

and instruments for more

traditional navigation.

Build Douglas DC

coming into service also led to an increase

in the workforce; in fact, the production of

a DC-3 required the involvement of about

6,000 workers in the various stages of

assembly. It was also for this reason that

in 1938 Douglas decided to buy its former

associate Northrop Corporation’s plant in

El Segundo, also in California, changing the

name to its own El Segundo Division. After

this purchase, Douglas acquired a third

plant in 1941 in Long Beach, California.

Large-scale expansion for Douglas was

boosted greatly by the requirements of

the war. During the conflict, the company

further increased the number of its plants,

adding those of Torrance, California,

Tulsa and Midwest City, Oklahoma, and

Chicago to their existing ones in Clover

Field, El Segundo and Long Beach. After

a phase of contraction following the end

of hostilities, the various plants were

reviewed in terms of product lines. The

production of commercial aircraft and the

military transports derived from them was

concentrated in the Santa Monica plant,

that of fighter aircraft for the Navy in the El

Segundo plant and that of fighters for the

US Army Air Force (from 1947 onwards the

US Air Force) in the Long Beach plant. This

state of affairs remained largely unchanged

until the merger with McDonnell (1967)

and the merger with Boeing (1997), which

led to a radical revision of the company’s

production systems.

Employees at work in

one of the Douglas plants.

Before the Second World

War, the Clover Field plant

had become so enormous

that – as legend has it – the

postmen carried in-house

mail from one department

to another on roller-skates.

Indeed, by that time, the

construction of an aeroplane

involved a very large number

of people: about 6,000

people took part in the

construction of a DC-3.

C-47s of the USAAF in the Douglas plant at Long

Beach. Opened on the eve of the Second World

War, this plant specialised in the production of

ﬁghter aircraft, at ﬁrst for the army, and then for

the air force. After McDonnell-Douglas was taken

over by Boeing, the new owners decided to close

the plant by mid-2015.

86 Build Douglas DC

N.B. A few elements supplied in each pack may vary slightly from those in the step-by-step

photographs. In particular, the layout of the components on the sheets of laser-cut plywood parts

may not be completely identical – but once you have separated the individual pieces from the

sheets, each one will be exactly the same as the parts shown being assembled here.

See the back cover for a checklist of your parts for this pack.

To begin the assembly, take the laser-cut plywood pieces for the right side of the passenger cabin. The assembly process, the

pieces and their numbering are the same as those in Pack 3 for the left side. The assembly is a mirror image of the left side,

so if you need any pointers you can refer to the assembled pieces for Pack 3. Remember only to remove and prepare one

piece at a time, and only when it is required by the instructions.

To begin, ﬁt and glue pieces 3A and 3B to piece 3F. Before

gluing them in place, check that 3A and 3B are at right angles

to 3F, as shown in the photo.

Continue with the assembly, ﬁtting and gluing pieces 3G, 3I,

3J, 3L, 3M and 3O in turn.

90°

3L 3O

Passenger Cabin (Part 2)

Assembly Guide

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387

Build Douglas DC

Assembly Guide

3mm

Turn the whole assembly round, then ﬁt and glue pieces 3C,

3D and 3E, and then pieces 3H, 3K and 3N in their places. If

you need more detailed instructions, refer to Pack 3.

Now move on to assembling the other part of the right side

of the cabin. Fit and glue pieces 4A and 4B into piece 4F,

perpendicular to it as shown. Check with a set square that

the angles are 90°.

Continue the assembly, positioning and gluing pieces 4G, 4I,

4J, 4L, 4M, 4O, 4P and 4R in place.

64 5

90°

3N 3K

4B 4A 4R

Turn the assembly round and complete it by ﬁtting and gluing

ﬁrst pieces 4C, 4D and 4E in place, then pieces 4H, 4K, 4N

and 4Q.

From the bamboo rod 2mm in diameter (supplied with

Pack 2), cut four pegs 3mm long. Fit and then glue them in the

holes on the front and back sides of the assembly (as shown

by red arrows in the photographs, above).

Rear side Front side

Using the pegs inserted in Step 8 as a guide, glue the

assembly to the piece prepared in Step 4. Prepare the laser-

cut plywood parts A1 and A2, which form the base of the

wing, and glue them in place as shown.

87 9

4H4K4N4Q

Build Douglas DC

Assembly Guide

Passenger Cabin

Position and glue the stringers along the inside and outside

of the assembly – their positions are indicated by the red

arrows in the photograph. The stringers ﬁt into the notches

in the plywood pieces.

Do not put stringers in the rectangular areas indicated by the

red dotted lines.

Apply modelling ﬁller where necessary to ﬁll gaps in the

assembly and, when it is dry, paint it green.

Take the baggage rack for the right side of the cabin, piece

CBAGD1, and paint it as you did the one for the left side

(see Pack 3).

CBAGD1

Fit and glue the piece you have just prepared to the structure

from Step 12.

Make the internal frames for the windows (each with two

pieces F2 and two pieces F1). Go back to the instructions in

Pack 3 for how to assemble, ﬁnish and paint the frame.

F2 F1

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389

Assembly Guide

Turn the assembly over and paint the area around the windows

Mediterranean Blue. Complete the frames (Step 15) by

sticking on a piece of acetate (top inset), centring it over each

opening. The acetate must be ﬂush with the ribs (bottom inset).

Complete the interior decoration by making the curtains (see

Pack 3) and gluing them to the side of the windows.

2120

Glue two stringers painted Aluminium above and below the

window frames (shown by red arrows on the left) and one

painted Mediterranean Blue on the join between the baggage

rack and piece G2 (shown by the red arrow, right).

Fit one window frame 4l in the position indicated – it will be

used as a guide. Do not glue it.

Referring again to the assembly guide in Pack 3 for the

corresponding parts of the left side of the cabin, prepare

and paint pieces G1 and G2.

Using the position of the window to centre piece G2, ﬁt and

glue pieces G2 and G1 on the inside of the fuselage. Make

sure the pieces ﬁt the interior curve exactly.

16 18

Build Douglas DC

Assembly Guide

Passenger Cabin

Take the die-cast pieces shown in the photograph.

C2D BA1D

C1D

C3D

With a ﬁle, carefully remove any imperfections from the

die-cast pieces, being careful not to damage the lines of

rivets. The pieces will be painted later.

In the same way, ﬁt and glue pieces C1D, C2D and C3D in

place, one after the other.

Make sure that each piece is exactly ﬂush with the piece next

to it, and ﬂush with the structure itself.

Fit piece BA1D and check that it will be ﬂush with the

cladding to be ﬁtted later, using a piece of leftover aluminium.

Then glue piece BA1D in place.

Now cover the rest of the structure, following the same

procedure as for the left side (Pack 3). Start by preparing

and ﬁtting piece A3R1.

272625

BA1D

C2D C3D

C1D

C2D C3D

A3R1

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391

Assembly Guide

Continue cladding the assembly by bending each piece to give it the correct curvature, then test it in place on the fuselage

and glue it in position. Start by covering the upper part with pieces A3R2, A3R3, A3R4, A3R5, A3R6, A3R7 and A3R8, then

move on to the lower part and ﬁt pieces A3R10, A3R11, A3R12, A3R13, A3R14 and A3R15. Finally ﬁx pieces A3R9 and

A3R16 in position.

With this pack and Pack 3, you will have been supplied

with the pieces needed to assemble the passenger seats.

For how to do this, refer to the instructions in Pack 2, Step

55 and following.

Start by preparing the twin passenger seats. From the

photo-etched sheet shown in Step 29, remove pieces C03

and C04 and glue them to the two pieces S18 and S19

(see photograph).

28 29

A3R2

C04C03

S19 S18

A3R3A3R4A3R5A3R6A3R7A3R8

A3R15

A3R14

A3R13 A3R12 A3R11 A3R10

A3R9

A3R16

S19

S18

Build Douglas DC

Assembly Guide

Passenger Cabin

From the sheet of photo-etched metal parts, remove the

pieces C05 and C06 and bend them into shape as shown

with a pair of ﬂat-nose pliers.

Apply primer to the seat assembly and leave to dry.

Follow the instructions in Pack 2 for assembling the seat,

with two pieces of plastic rod VA (supplied with Pack 2) or

two drill bits. Assemble the seats as shown.

With Aluminium colour, paint the underside of the twin

seat assembly.

Join the metal pieces with cyanoacrylate glue on all the points

of contact.

Now paint the internal faces of the seats brown. You can

then assemble the remaining twin seat. Keep the pieces safe,

as you will need them later.

3231 33

363534

C05 C06

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393

Assembly Guide

To make the seven individual seats, take the photo-etched

sheet shown in the photograph and the two pieces

S18 and S19.

Using the instructions in Pack 2, take two pieces of plastic

rod VA (supplied with Pack 2), or two drill bits, to assemble

the seat as shown.

Remove pieces C03 and C04, and glue them onto pieces S18

and S19.

Once they are in position, ﬁx the components together with

cyanoacrylate glue.

From the photo-etched sheet, remove piece C08 and use

ﬂat-nose pliers to bend the tabs as shown.

Apply primer to the seat.

3837 39

424140

C04C03

S19

C08

S18

S19

S18

Build Douglas DC

Assembly Guide

Passenger Cabin

Paint the underside of the seat Aluminium.

Start by preparing pieces 1R and 1L. Cut them out and

add rivet patterns with the toothed wheel, using the photo,

above, as a guide.

Paint the internal faces of the seats brown. Assemble and

paint the other single seats you have and keep them safe, as

you will need them later.

Bend the pieces to ﬁt the curvature of the nose, and glue the

ﬁrst piece 1L in the position shown, followed by piece 1R.

Pre-ﬁt each piece to the one next to it, then make any ﬁnal

adjustments to the shape.

With the aluminium sheet and the covering templates

supplied, you will now cover the cockpit using the procedure

that you have used for the rest of the aircraft.

Prepare piece 10L. Carefully bend it to follow the curve of the

aircraft’s nose.

4443 45

484746

1L 10L

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395

Assembly Guide

Apply lines of rivets with the toothed wheel and shape the

piece to the correct curvature, then glue it in position.

Continue covering the left side of the nose, starting by ﬁtting

piece 2L.

Repeat the procedure on the other side of the nose with

piece 10R.

Continue on the left side, gluing pieces 3L and 4L in place,

then 11L. Always remember to bend each individual piece

into the correct shape so that it matches the one next to it,

and follows the curvature of the structure.

Now clad the cockpit roof, preparing and ﬁxing pieces 8L,

9L, 9R and 8R in the positions indicated.

For the right side of the cockpit, repeat the procedure

used for the left side by ﬁtting, in turn, pieces 2R, 3R and

4R, and then 11R.

5049 51

545352

10L

4L 4R 3R 2R

11L 11R

10R

9R 9L

8L8R

Build Douglas DC

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Deagostini Douglas DC3 User guide

Deagostini Douglas DC3 User guide

Deagostini Douglas DC3 User guide

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