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Eastern Air Lines, 1940s ?

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NutmegCT

NutmegCT

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We're restoring a 1942 Douglas DC-3, and want it to resemble as much as possible the Eastern AL commercial aircraft it was originally.

Would anyone possibly have any *color* photos or home movies of the interior of an Eastern DC-3 from the 1940s or very early 1950s? On a stretch, we could probably use any color photos from inside an Eastern passenger aircraft of the 1940s or early 1950s (DC4, DC6/7, Martin, etc.). We've got the cockpit covered, but not the passenger cabin.

We're good on the exterior (The Great Silver Fleet), but have had no luck finding original interior examples. Carpet, wall/ceiling colors, curtains, seat upholstery colors, head "napkin" on the seat back, etc.

I contacted Tom Crouch at NASM, but their DC-3 (hanging in the main lobby) was gutted long ago.

Thanks.
Tom M.
(New England Air Museum)
 
Great project indeed! Bradley Air Field was a military (AAF) base established north of Hartford CT in 1940. After the war, the first scheduled passenger flight into Bradley Airport (1947) was an Eastern Air Lines DC-3, Flight No. 624. With Eddie Rickenbacker in the cockpit!

Here's an update on our museum's DC-3:

https://neam.org/restoration-dc3-2016-2nd-qtr.php

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My first ever flight on a commercial plane was on a DC-3 from Clarksburg Wha to Washington DC when I was about 9 or 10. I think it was an Allegheny Airlines DC-3.
 
Mine was on Mowhawk Airlines.
 
My first was an American Airlines DC-7B, summer of 1956, FTW to LGA. We were hit by lightning during a thunderstorm, around 9pm over Knoxville TN. St Elmo's fire ran down the aisle, one stewardess tore off her wings and quit, and five holes were torn in the vertical and horizontal stabilizers.

There's a story there ...
 
My first trip in a commercial airline was also a DC-3 when I was about 9 or 10. Dad took me with him from Oklahoma City to Tulsa (about 100 miles) for something. Looking out the window, it seemed like we were just a little over the tree tops. Of course today you could drive over there and back in less time today.
 
Back in DC-3 days, flying 100 miles was probably done at a few thousand feet - takeoff, then landing, with not much in between. And in summer, it was *bumpy*.

I'm hoping someone might have old family photos of a trip on Eastern in the 1940s. This would be very useful to our restoration guys (New England Air Museum).

Thanks.
Tom M.
 
In 1954, I flew from Key West to Havana in a DC3 - Q Airways. About 1 hour as I recall. My last DC3 flight was from DC to Charlottesville VA to visit my brother. Beautiful flight over the Shenandoah Valley.
 
the wonders of youtube - not sure if it is enough and I dodn't look at it all but, at about 2 minutes.....


I might also suggest model builders - somewhere there is likely the color codes.
 
J-P that home movie may be a goldmine. I'll show it to the restoration crew chief on Tuesday. Thank you!

Regarding the Pinterest link, did you actually see a color photo of an Eastern DC-3 there? When I went to scroll the page, I got the (inevitable) "Sign In to continue!". I'm not into Facebook or any other social media, so won't be doing that.

On that Pinterest page, in the upper left there's a photo with a reference to an Eastern Air Lines strike. Is that the photo you were referring to?

Thanks.
Tom M.
 
Here you go

21e36b9b92d117eed36ac445940b244f.jpg
 
Try contacting Spirt restaurant in Miami if there still around they have a bunch of eastern seating, all sorts of stuff .
not sure if any is DC3 but may be wort a peek.
 
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