Disassembly!

 Our new silver bullet rebuild project is N342EA.  She's been in the shop for a bit now and we're slowly doing some work whenever we can find the time.  We are planning to bring this airplane to the same status as the previous three we've overhauled, including new engine/prop, new paint, and lots of other upgrades along the way.  

Caleb with the new IO-550-N engine.  We're taking this engine...

...and putting it here.  

Joseph did a nice job fabricating a new instrument panel.  He made it out of 0.063" 2024-T3, according to the AIM Air specifications.  We will powder coat it a nice gray color.  

Sitting without main gear.  We had a crack on the LH outboard gear casting, so we had to replace it.  

 Then we took off the wings.  Jim here is really working hard to keep that thing up. :)

No wings, no engine, no nose gear.  Sorta sad looking.  

Marko and Adamson have been working on some sheetmetal projects, including installing new rear seatbelt attach point doublers.  This necessitates removal of all three rear windows to access the area.  

Tom, one of our newest AIM Air pilots (currently doing his maintenance orientation), working on getting the elevators removed.  We are replacing the trailing edges with non foam filled parts. 

DC-3 maintenance

 Wow, things have been busy here in the AIM Air hangar!  I apologize for the lack of blogging over the past couple months.  We have really stayed pretty busy and I just haven't had the chances to take the pictures and document like I have in the past.  However, during a few of the projects, I have been able to get some pictures.  I will try to do better in the future.  Meanwhile, here's a few pictures from the DC-3.  We did just do a Phase inspection on it this past week, but I don't really have any good pictures from that.  Like I said...we were busy!  

 We took off the old props on the DC-3 and installed a new pair.  I don't have any finished pictures, but here is Paul, Caleb, and Joe (L to R) getting one of the new props ready to install.  Well, I think Joe is just goofing off!

 Here's the 3 in the doorway without any props.  You can see by the date how long it's been since I posted anything on here.  

 I caught Joe under the instrument panel in the DC-3 one day trying to get an instrument out.  

I'm not quite sure how that's easier than getting it through the nose cone.  Oh, well.