The DC-6 with only one Wing

One very rarely sees a DC-6 in this condition. The “Grand Dame” is currently residing in the Flying Bulls’ Hangar-8 with merely one wing.

What’s the reason for this, you ask?

It is a small cause with a major consequence: a few rivets in the aircraft’s tank are leaking and need to be repaired. As one cannot access the tank directly, the right wing needed to be removed. This represents a major organisational challenge. Our technicians have had to detach a number of bolts, the cabling, and the control lines before they could - very carefully - lower the wing step-by-step. In the course of this disassembly project, the removed wing will be newly painted for the first time in 15 years before being returned to its original position.

This repair is carried out as part of the DC-6’s annual maintenance cycle, which keeps ten technicians busy for approximately two months.