Door Handles

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Door Handles

Wasn't yours a "Deluxe"? I though all of them had wood doors originally. There were also one door "trainers" and two door "normal" ones (can't remember the names they gave them). I think the "Deluxe" models came with the fancy cowl trim, "Duo-Tone" paint and some extra instruments. The wood doors have a tendency to blow off when the hinge screws get loose and were expensive to make, so it wouldn't be unusual for someone on a rebuild to get some post war metal doors and make new frames to use them.
I have the drawings for the wood doors if you want to make new ones. You will find out fast why they were expensive. I made some invisible "improvements" to mine when I rebuilt them (all approved silently). There are some places you can add a little carbon fiber tape that make them MUCH stronger and I replaced the wood screws holding the windows and the hinges with machine screws and cap nuts. My doors are now H*LL BENT for strong and none of the changes are visible unless you take the upholstery off and delaminate the wood.
Hank

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Door Handles

sounds like he has prewar doors someone has added aluminum skin too

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Door Handles

Well first off I do not know for sure that I have a Deluxe but, I have two doors, crome trim on the cowling, the banjo style control, one right wing fuel tank, and the more common (later) two piece instrument panel. As to the doors being covered later, maybe but if so a nice job as there is nothing there to indicate that is so. Again the door frames are steel as a magnet is slightly attracted at the outside perimeter. Also the aluminum grills I am working on fit the nose bowl fine but there are no markings on it from the origonals, if it ever had them. Larry

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Door Handles

Yours is a Deluxe based on the configuration. Either someone upgraded the airframe front to rear with Deluxe options or someone took off the wood doors and replaced them with post war metal ones.
Sounds like we need Forrest to check the records for what the original configuration was. My bet is it was built as a Deluxe.
Hank

How good a finish carpenter are you? Want to tackle a set of wood doors? Yous hould have them built by the time you need to recover.

[astjp2]

Re: Door Handles

There were prewar metal doors, the door frame shape changed between the pre and post war models. I had the J tubing that the doors were made from and still have an original prewar metal door. Tim

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Door Handles

Those are the doors on the 45 I have, but they aren't skinned with Aluminum. Maybe a prior owner put aluminum skins on them.
Hank

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Door Handles

Those are the doors on the 45 I have, but they aren't skinned with Aluminum. Maybe a prior owner put aluminum skins on them.
Hank

same door for prewar std. I have the same thought, po installed the skins