ATC-3A3 & Support

[RAVC1]

Hello Taylorcraft Fans,

I may become one of the fold but I need to determine what level of technical support is available for the 4-place Taylorcrafts before doing so.

Consider that you owned one of these aircraft and needed to have a few metal components replaced. What did you do to make this change to your aircraft legal? Were you able to obtain engineering drawings of the components you needed to fabricate? Who did you obtain these drawings from? The FAA? The VAA?

How did you negotiate the PMA issue?

Are any of these aircraft in the US and does anyone know who owns the remaining quantity of these aircraft?

Clearly, owning one of these aircraft can be a tall order. It would be very useful to know how well these can be supported.

Thanks,

Rick

[dewhitaker]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

Hi, try this link to the FAA database to find other registered owners. I would strongly suggest you contact Forrest Barber and join the Foundation.

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/acftinqSQL.asp?striptxt=&mfrtxt=Taylorcraft&modeltxt=&cmndfind.x=12&cmndfind.y=8

Hope to hear more about your project, it is a rare one that is for sure.

[W1COM]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

I have 2 Model 15A's. I am most of the way through the restoration of one and have found most everything needed so far. If you have a 15A or 20 I have some parts.

[gsmith]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

W1COM,

What kind of Model 20 parts do you have? My father-in-law owns a model 20 Ranchwagon and he may be interested in talking to you.

[Unkydon]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

Rick,

I am rebuilding a complete 15A and can take pictures of anything you might need to have a look at.

John Melvin

[Ian Norgrove]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

Hi, My Name is Ian Norgrove from Boise, Idaho. I am currently restoring Taylorcraft 20 #N6669N. I've spoken to Forrest Barber, and in constant contact with Micheal Rodina (who owns 2) and it seems I have a problem with what to use for wing skins.
When I bought the project all the fiberglass wing skins and mouldings were missing, but I have all the internal frame. I've asked a DER to approve either Aluminum or new Fiberglass sheets, but he told me I would need to have a full stress analysis done to approve it. That would would cost many thousands to do and still may have a negative outcome, so Forrest told me I should rebuild the wing as a 15A fabric covered version. Thats good because my airplane already has a field approval for that in 1973, but I still don't have the original leading edge or trailing edge mouldings that were reused from the full F/G skin.

My question to you is this: Do you have drawings or photographs of what the 15A used for the wrap around section over the leading edge ribs and the concave mouldings used for the trailing edge. I need specifics like thickness, material, dimensions and how they were secured etc. I have a reference for the ceconite fabric system they used back in 1973, but don't know how they rib stitched over the T20 wing ribs. I have a A&P, AI willing to sign for this work as long as I can give him references from approved data, as I want to keep this plane fully certified.
I am having to rework many ribs due to bad hole drilling or sometimes corrosion, so of you have any spares at all for the T20 let me know, I'll be happy to purchase them from you.
Looking forward to your reply....Ian PH: 208 345 1588 or 208 353 3300, email: [email protected]

[W1COM]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

I have 2 15a's in Maine but I am in Florida. I am in the process of rebuilding them into one but have not finished the wings. I may have some parts left that are good but no promises. I will be back in Maine in May. Email here is limited. Chuck Tripp

[Forrest Barber]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

All of you get together and lets do these ships. Any of the stuff here is always available. I am meeting with Jack Gilberti next week if I can dig out of the snow here in NE Ohio. Like I told a couple of you , we have the rib forms here and a few ribs. Other stuff Too!

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

This sounds like a fun group project! It is a blast to make parts and help someone else build or repair components for their planes (for some reason the quality is higher when I do someone else's parts but the pressure is lower, go figure). Maybe a good start for manufacture of Taylorcraft components in a distributed manufacturing program.
Hank

[exp2ex]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

What has happened to all these 15's that were being rebuilt ?

[W1COM]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

At Least 1 of them is in process...

What has happened to all these 15's that were being rebuilt ?

[exp2ex]

Re: ATC-3A3 & Support

Looks great. Nice job !