CAF Working To The D-Day C-47 Aircraft To Airworthy Condition

The restoration of That's All, Brother which began in earnest back in November at Basler Turbo Conversions in Oshkosh, WI, is coming along, according to the CAF website dedicated to the effort.

The first portion of work is what is being called the "heavy engineering phase", and will last until Fall 2016 (at least). This will address the major mechanical and structural issues, and will result in an airplane that is flyable and ready to enter the "completion phase" which will shift the focus to creating an authentic interior and exterior.

The most time-consuming and expensive task during the first phase is dealing with airframe corrosion. An estimated 3,000 hours of labor is required on this item alone.

"We're actively seeking parts that will help us in the completion phase of the restoration. The goal is to represent That's All, Brother's wartime appearance and equipment as accurately as possible. Basler Turbo Conversions, who have been accumulating C-47 parts for decades, kindly opened the doors to their stores. Also, some of the Kickstarter funds were used to purchase a fully populated C-47 instrument panel, and a large collection of parts removed from the long-term C-47 project "Round Trip" (the airplane's new owners decided to move in a different direction). And we would like to thank the EAA Museum in Oshkosh for donating a rare Rebecca receiver in mint condition," the restorers wrote on the website.

The restorers said that they are currently looking for an SCR-717 Radar, a radome to house the SCR-717, and exhaust stack flame arresters.

The group has set a goal of taking the airplane, which was the first to cross over into Normandy on D-Day, back to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of the invasion in 2019.

(Image provided by the CAF)

FMI: http://commemorativeairforce.org/rss/491-that-s-all-brother-update