#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Specialists from the Novosibirsk company Helicopter promise to complete the restoration of the historic C-47 DL Douglas aircraft, or, as it is called, the Tyurikov’s craft, in 2024. The work is coordinated by the Russian Geographical Society’s (RGS) Krasnoyarsk regional branch.
Let us recall that the Russian Geographical Society expedition evacuated the aircraft from the Taimyr tundra in 2016–2017. Now it is located in a special hangar at the Mochishche airfield in Novosibirsk.
The restoration is being carried out taking into account the rise in price of parts and the difficulties of logistics for delivering materials from abroad.
“But the restoration does not stop, and we expect to receive the aircraft at the end of 2024. After this, Turikov’s craft will return to Krasnoyarsk as an interactive museum exhibit. Many thanks to the Rosneft company and personally to its head Igor Sechin for financial support in the aircraft restoration”, said Igor Spiridenko, the Russian Geographical Society’s Krasnoyarsk regional branch chairman.
Now the cantilever parts of the wings have been completely restored, the wings themselves have been painted. A scheme for marking the fuselage and wings of the Douglas has been agreed upon. It will be applied according to the 1947 pattern. It was restored using historical photographs.
The fuselage interior was also painted, small elements of equipment and painting of the cargo compartment were restored, and the manufacture of its windows began. The outer surface of the fuselage has been painted, the power kit installation in the bow – completed, the cockpit floor – restored, and the installation of the outer panels of the bow continues. Previously, both engines and propellers were completely restored.
Let us recall that during the Great Patriotic War the Douglas C-47 aircraft was delivered to the USSR from the USA under the AlSib lend-lease program. In 1947, Douglas made an emergency landing in the north of the Krasnoyarsk region, 180 kilometers north of the village of Volochanka.
Previously, we told the story of the Tyurikov’s craft – a memorial was erected at the site of the forced landing.
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Text: Angelika Stepanova, Photo: Severny Gorod MC archive
