At the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, restoration of Douglas DC-3 N165LG has now been completed, and it recently went on show in the civilian hall next to the museum’s star exhibit, the Sikorsky VS-44 flying boat Excambian.
The DC-3 has been finished in the Eastern Air Lines colours it wore in 1947, in order to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the inaugural commercial service flown into Bradley International Airport, by Eastern Airlines Flight 624.
The aircraft is c/n 6314, which was one of 13 DC-3-454 transports originally ordered by American Airlines and registered NC14922. While it was still on the production line in Santa Monica, California, 6314 was reallocated to the US Army Air Forces as a C-49J, being delivered to the service on 14 November 1942 with the serial 43-1973. It was to remain in the continental United States during the war, operating as a troop transport.
Sold off by the military in April 1945, 6314 was converted back to DC-3 configuration and was subsequently operated by Eastern Air Lines, the Purdue Aeronatical Corporation at Lafayette, Indiana, Basler Flight Services in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and finally Florida Airmotive Services at West Palm Beach. After logging 53,434 flight hours, the museum purchased the machine in November 1992, and following the ferry flight to Bradley Airport it went on display in the two-tone beige livery of Florida Airmotive
