Eastern Airlines DC-3's

[Cubs2jets]

The DC-3 was primarily powered by one of two types of engines - the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 (twin row) and the Wright R-1820 (single row). I have reviewed what information I have and a large amount of information found on the interweb. All of the historic pictures I can find of Eastern Airlines DC-3's, all appear to be Wright powered (you can tell from the length of the cowlings).

Post WWII there were so many C-47's (Pratt & Whitney powered) converted to airline configuration, I assume some ended up with Eastern. (Maybe they were converted to Wrights for continuity, but that seems like too much trouble??) Can anyone provide definitive proof that Eastern Airlines operated Pratt & Whitney powered DC-3 in regular service (pictures would be appreciated)??

Please don't show me PBA "hockey stick" 1980's DC-3's or C-47's operated by Eastern for the military. http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

Thanks in adavance to all you that help answer my query. http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/images/smilies/drinking25.gif

C2j

[Fris B. Fairing]

but that seems like too much trouble??

Sorry it's not relevant to Eastern but Australian National Airways converted a number of C-47s from Pratts to Wrights. Same also happened with Hudsons in Australia postwar. Conversions were done in both directions i.e. Pratt to Wright and vv. So apparently it's no big deal.

[A30yoyo]

I've looked at the Air-Britain DC-3 history and of 14 Eastern DC-3 tail numbers in the range 40000-89999 ( received post-war?) there were 3 C-53s and 7 C-47s (so built with P&Ws)*....there's no note of conversion to Wright power with Eastern but 2 of them are noted with R-1820s long after disposal by Eastern and one is noted as a Super Dc-3 which might mean fitting with the 1450hp Wright engine. I'll have a look at tail-numbers 10000-39999 later but they're most likely pre-war
*45331 45332 45369 45381 86562 86569 86584 86597 88808 88809


An Eastern DC-3 in Georgia: LIFE - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/42c2ca8f6436bc05.html)

In return , a North Carolina related question...I came across the story of stunt pilot Charles Bailey in some Iredell County Library Flickr photos I've 'galleried' here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/74784995@N00/galleries/72157646225645045/
He perished in the N3M version seemingly called ' Hands Off' in 1950...Do you know anything of the story?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1950-Press-Photo-Charles-Bailey-killed-in-a-crash-of-the-smallest-aircraft-/351149058665?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item51c21d6a69

[Cubs2jets]

A30yoyo,

Iredell County is not far from me. Been involved in aviation for over 40 years, but have never heard of Charles Bailey or "The Thing" ("hands off" is akin to "no touch"). I will have an opportunity to attend the Vintage Aircraft Association Chapter 3 fall fly-in in a couple weeks and will ask around about this.

C2j

[A30yoyo]

C2j....I've now looked through the Eastern DC-3s tail numbers 10000-39999 and they're all built with Wright engines except 16070-16072 which were briefly leased from United in 1938.Eastern plainly had a strong preference for the Wright engine DC-3 and took several back from the RFC post-war which had been impressed as C-49s from American, TWA and Delta.
So the 10 listed * are the ones to look out for in photos...I think there's a good chance Eastern did have them converted to Wrights.
*45331 45332 45369 45381 86562 86569 86584 86597 88808 88809

There was a press photo of Charles Bailey's crash in 'Hands Off' on ebay...perhaps you'll find out something.He ran an FBO at an N.C. airfield apparently
1950 Press Photo Charles Bailey killed in a crash of the smallest aircraft | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1950-Press-Photo-Charles-Bailey-killed-in-a-crash-of-the-smallest-aircraft-/351149058665?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item51c21d6a69)

[barit1]

In the 50s-60s, at Love Field, one shop did quite a few P&W <=> Wright engine swaps. Dallas Airmotive was the name, IIRC.

One such converted DC-3 crashed on a test flight. Although this accident report (http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19620418-0) shows P&W power, in fact the ship had just completed conversion to Wright engines.

[tonytales]

Whilr in A&P school 1953/1954 we received a half dozen R1820-102 engines from EAL. They had merged or taken over Colonial airlines and we replacing the engines on the ex-Colonial DC-3 with G202 Models.
Went to EALin 1964 and old timers talked of the Wrights, never heard any say anything about Pratts on DC-3.
Those engines the school got we're an eye-opener. Unlike typical school engines that had been taken apart and reassembled by previous classes ans were pristine and clean, these
engines were loaded with filthy oil and sludge. Our school coveralls never looked the same again but kit was great experience,