Deagostini Douglas DC3 User guide

Type
User guide

Deagostini Douglas DC3, a highly detailed model aircraft, offers an immersive building experience for aviation enthusiasts. With its accurate design and sturdy construction, it's perfect for display or play. The assembly process is straightforward, making it suitable for hobbyists of all skill levels.

Deagostini Douglas DC3, a highly detailed model aircraft, offers an immersive building experience for aviation enthusiasts. With its accurate design and sturdy construction, it's perfect for display or play. The assembly process is straightforward, making it suitable for hobbyists of all skill levels.

www.model-space.com
4
TM
Build
Douglas DC -3
TM
Douglas DC -3
Build
www.model-space.com
Paints and
modelling tools
A comprehensive selection of modelling tools
and paints (in all the colours you will need to
complete your Douglas DC-3) is available from
the Model Space website.
www.model-space.com
Produced under license. PAN AM logos are trademarks of
Pan American World Airways, Inc.
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
All rights reserved © 2015
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.
Boeing licensing identity mark — dimensional
OFFICIALLY
LICENSED
PRODUCT
OFFICIALLY
LICENSED
PRODUCT
Minimum size 13 mm (0.5 in, 3 picas)
OFFICIALLY
LICENSED
PRODUCT
Minimum size 54 pixels (web)
Boeing OLP identity mark | Size
Visual Identity System | Officially licensed product identity mark
Boeing Corporate Identity Program Revision: July 26, 2004
Ideally, the OLP mark should appear in ratio of 1:2
of the licensee’s logo or lettermark and no smaller
than the minimum sizes shown below for print and
web applications.
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.
79
87
Page
4
Pack
Advances in DC-3 technology
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’.
79
Build Douglas DC
-
3
80
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.
81
Build Douglas DC
-
3
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
-
3
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
83
Build Douglas DC
-
3
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
-
3
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.
85
Build Douglas DC
-
3
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
-
3
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.
21
3
90°
3A
3B
3I
3L 3O
3M
3J
3G
3F
Passenger Cabin (Part 2)
Assembly Guide
Build Douglas DC
-
387
87
Build Douglas DC
-
3
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
4O
4L
4I
4F
3H
3C
3D
3E
4P
4M
4J
4G
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
4C
4D
4E
4H4K4N4Q
A1
A2
Build Douglas DC
-
3
88
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.
10
Do not put stringers in the rectangular areas indicated by the
red dotted lines.
11
Apply modelling filler where necessary to fill gaps in the
assembly and, when it is dry, paint it green.
12
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).
13
CBAGD1
Fit and glue the piece you have just prepared to the structure
from Step 12.
14
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.
15
F2 F1
F2
F1
Build Douglas DC
-
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).
19
Fit one window frame 4l in the position indicated – it will be
used as a guide. Do not glue it.
17
4I
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
G2
G1
G2
G1
Build Douglas DC
-
3
90
Assembly Guide
Passenger Cabin
Take the die-cast pieces shown in the photograph.
22
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.
23
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.
24
272625
BA1D
C2D C3D
C1D
C2D C3D
A3R1
Build Douglas DC
-
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
30
A3R2
C04C03
S19 S18
A3R3A3R4A3R5A3R6A3R7A3R8
A3R15
A3R14
A3R13 A3R12 A3R11 A3R10
A3R9
A3R16
S19
S18
Build Douglas DC
-
3
92
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
Build Douglas DC
-
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
-
3
94
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
1R
1R
1L
1L 10L
Build Douglas DC
-
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
3L
2L
10R
9R 9L
8L8R
Build Douglas DC
-
3
96
  • Page 1 1
  • Page 2 2
  • Page 3 3
  • Page 4 4
  • Page 5 5
  • Page 6 6
  • Page 7 7
  • Page 8 8
  • Page 9 9
  • Page 10 10
  • Page 11 11
  • Page 12 12
  • Page 13 13
  • Page 14 14
  • Page 15 15
  • Page 16 16
  • Page 17 17
  • Page 18 18
  • Page 19 19
  • Page 20 20
  • Page 21 21
  • Page 22 22
  • Page 23 23
  • Page 24 24

Deagostini Douglas DC3 User guide

Type
User guide

Deagostini Douglas DC3, a highly detailed model aircraft, offers an immersive building experience for aviation enthusiasts. With its accurate design and sturdy construction, it's perfect for display or play. The assembly process is straightforward, making it suitable for hobbyists of all skill levels.

Ask a question and I''ll find the answer in the document

Finding information in a document is now easier with AI