lagasse@biomed.UUCP (Robert C. Lagasse) (09/24/85)
A question to all of you pilots: How good must the record keeping be for such a thing as how many engines a particular airframe has seen in the life of the craft? In other words, would someone have to maintain a complete set of service records for an airframe in order for it to be allowed to fly? For example, a DC-3 that was produced in 1939, was originally used for passenger service, went to Europe for the BIG ONE, returned from paratrooper service, was retrofitted with seats and upholstery, and currently being used as a commercial airliner. We're talking 46 years of service records here. Would the owner have them? What if they were lost and the airframe suffered severe damage in it's unknown past? Thanks for any response. Bob Lagasse
cfiaime@ihnp3.UUCP (Jeff Williams) (09/30/85)
In article <132@biomed.UUCP> lagasse@biomed.UUCP (Robert C. Lagasse) writes: > > A question to all of you pilots: How good must the record keeping be for >such a thing as how many engines a particular airframe has seen in the life >of the craft? In other words, would someone have to maintain a complete set >of service records for an airframe in order for it to be allowed to fly? >For example, a DC-3 that was produced in 1939, was originally used for >passenger service, went to Europe for the BIG ONE, returned from paratrooper >service, was retrofitted with seats and upholstery, and currently being used >as a commercial airliner. We're talking 46 years of service records here. >Would the owner have them? What if they were lost and the airframe suffered >severe damage in it's unknown past? > The DC-3 that I fly co-pilot on was built in 1942 for the USAAF as a C-47. It went to the RAF (via Canada) as a Dakota, from whence it served civilian until recalled for the Berlin airlift. After it left Europe, it served in Canada as an aerial survey aircraft. The service history is contained in a large file cabinet. (We just got the airplane, and I refuse to comment on it until I get more time in it. It is an overwhelming experience to be sitting in the same type of airplane as Ernie Gann flew in most of "Fate Is The Hunter." I mean, really, this thing is an AIRLINER. A CLASSIC airliner. It's a DC-3, for cryin' out loud. Truely a humbling experience.) Many times the service history can be researched, especially if the airplane had any major repairs or alterations. A copy of the form 337 is in Oklahoma City. Of course, a good inspection is in order. If an engine is remanufactured to new specs, it gets a new log book, so previous history is unknown. The important thing to have if you are restoring an airplane is the data plate. Without that, you have a pile of airplane parts. With a data plate, you have an airplane. Many airplanes are built around nothing original except the data plate. With no logs to go along with. This is especially true in the older antique airplanes. Jeff Williams AT&T Bell Laboratories ihnp3!cfiaime