The Potomac Pacemaker:
Preserving History: Rescued from neglect and decay, this Piedmont Airlines DC-3 last flew for the Winston-Salem-based air carrier in 1963. Once restoration work is complete, it will become the centerpiece of the North Carolina Transportation Museum's aviation exhibits.
Restoring a Douglas Aircraft Company DC-3, also referred to as the Skytrain, C-47 (U.S. Army), R4D (U.S. Navy), or Dakota (Royal Air Force), transport aircraft, was the world’s first successful commercial airliner readily adapted to military use during World War II. This low-wing twin-engine monoplane design first took to the air in 1935 in various configurations, carrying 6,000 pounds of cargo or seating between 21 and 28 passengers. The DC-3 had a lasting effect on the airline industry from the 1930s - 1940s and throughout World War II.
But, this twin-engine DC-3 wasn't always associated with commercial aviation. The aircraft was constructed in 1942 by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica, California, with a serial number of 04900. On March 21, 1942, she was taken on strength with the United States Army Air Force as a C-53 transport plane with a tail number 41-20130 USAAF. The C-53 is identical to the military C-47 Skytrain or Dakota; the only difference, it has a higher maximum gross weight of 29,300 pounds. Both aircraft designations were extensively used during World War II and noted for their part on D-Day (June 6, 1944) in dropping American and British paratroopers into Normandy.
Nevertheless, this aircraft was not assigned overseas duty during World War II; she remained stateside. She served as a trainer with the 52nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 63rd Troop Carrier Group, training pilots for the American Theater until January 10, 1945, when she retired from military service and was earmarked to be sold in the private sector. She was leased to Western Airlines in 1945 and converted to a DC-3 (Douglas Corporation, model 3), the civilian designation for this military aircraft. She was reregistered with a civilian tail number of NC18600. Western subsequently purchased the aircraft outright on August 1, 1949.
The final stages of the work consist of stripping the fuselage of the old paint scheme, repairing rivets, and treating and replacing corroded panels.
On January 12, 1956, NC18600 was purchased by Piedmont Airlines; It was completely overhauled, reregistered with the new tail number N56V, and named the Potomac Pacemaker. Piedmont Airlines primarily used DC-3s to fly their short routes to serve numerous cities across North Carolina and some surrounding states. Consequently, the company's revenues rose, and larger airplanes began to edge out the smaller 28-passenger DC-3s. As a result, the Potomac pacemaker was retired in 1963, just a few short years before Boeing 727 jet aircraft began flying for the company. These new planes carried more than 120 passengers and could serve flights to Atlanta and New York City.
The Potomac Pacemaker was the last DC-3 to fly for Piedmont; it had logged 48,000 hours in the air, and its days of flying were finished. The Charlotte Aircraft Company bought the Pacemaker. It was stripped of most of its usable parts and sold to DC-3 operators. It became derelict and sat in a field, among other wrecks, until 1978, when it was discovered by Mr. Dick Wescott and purchased by the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina. Piedmont donated $20,000 to replace engines and propellers and $7000 to paint the aircraft into its original color scheme to help preserve the airline's history. Nonetheless, Piedmont Airlines became a significant player in air travel and was eventually absorbed into USAir in 1989. The DC-3 (in its Piedmont color scheme) remained on display for nearly 25 years before being purchased by the North Carolina Transportation Museum, in Spencer, North Carolina, in 2002.
Piedmont Airlines was a United States airline from 1948 to 1989, when it was acquired by and merged into USAir. Its headquarters were at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building that is now part of Wake Forest University. In April 1989, shortly before it merged into USAir, Piedmont had 22,000 employees; it flew to 95 airports from hubs in the eastern United States.
The completed wing sections await the finished restoration of the fuselage. Once the wings and engines are fitted, the final work will consist of visual cosmetics in preparation for the final paint scheme.
It was a new beginning for the Potomac Pacemaker, but the airplane had only been partially restored during its time in Durham, and a complete restoration was needed. So, after 18 months of planning and preparation for the move to Spenser, the DC-3 was disassembled and moved to the back shop, where it has undergone a slow restoration process. Although it will never fly again, it will eventually be restored to its former glory.
In April 2010, the restoration work moved into high gear. Former Piedmont Airlines officials Bob Reed, Howard Miller, and stewardess Carol Dobbins Fair; all pushed hard for the restoration. In addition, they worked hard to generate additional attention to the project and to bring in volunteers; many former Piedmont employees performed the work. Students at Guilford technical community colleges aviation program also aided in the restoration.
Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp Engine. The R-1830 engine is an air-cooled twin-row,14-cylinder radial engine, with most variants of the engine rated at 1,200 horsepower. Pratt & Whitney built 173,618 R-1830 engines licensed for the civilian Douglas DC-3 and its C-47/C-53 military versions. In addition, they provided engines for Consolidated Aircraft's B-24 Liberator bomber, their PBY Catalina flying boat, and Grumman's F4F Wildcat fighter.
The Potomac Pacemaker's two Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp Engines, refurbished, sit side-by-side ready to be mounted onto the wing sections. Although visually correct in every way, these engines will never run again mechanically.
The work continues; each Saturday, the DC-3 restoration crew gathers to restore and replace corroded aircraft parts, clean and repair what once streaked through the sky, to make the Potomac Pacemaker whole again. The restoration is now overseen by Bill Wilkerson, himself a flight captain for Piedmont Airlines and later USAir; he has been instrumental in seeing the project through. Crews are currently in the final stretch; It won't be long until the Piedmont Airlines DC-3, the Potomac Pacemaker, is whole once more.
When finished, the Pacemaker will play its part in telling the story of an airline, illustrating the history of post-World War II commercial air travel, and representing a significant chapter of aviation history.
References:
Prince, A. (2022, June 8). Piedmont Airlines “Potomac Pacemaker” DC-3 Restoration. Carolina Crossroads. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from http://www.carolinaxroads.com/2022/06/piedmont-airlines-potomac-pacemaker-dc.html
Costabile, L. (2021, April 30). The Story of the Potomac Pacemaker – NC Transportation Museum & Restoration Spotlight. The D-Day Squadron, a DC*3 Society. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://ddaysquadron.org/the-story-of-the-potomac-pacemaker-nc-transportation-museum-restoration-spotlight/
Ingram, B. (n.d.). Flight of the Gooney Bird. O.Henry Magazine. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.ohenrymag.com/eye-on-gso-14/
N.C. Transportation Museum. (2020, March 16). Piedmont Airlines DC-3 - The Potomac Pacemaker [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo-mdC31rUc