Bent Fuselage???

[gmackay]

OK guys, I need some opinions about a fuselage. I should have looked at this a long time ago, but anyway today I took some rough measurements of my project ('46 BC-12D) and found that the distance from the rear spar attach fitting on the fuselage to the horizontal stab mount is about 7/16" shorter on the right side than the left. I haven't taken the fabric off yet, so I can't see all the details, but I can see there are a couple of splices on the longerons. I'm not sure yet if it was wrecked at one point and twisted/bent, etc or if the tail clip was replaced, or what happened.

Anyway, it doesn't appear to be straight. So my first questions are "what are my options?" Is this typical of a 60 year old fuselage, or is this scrap metal? Can this be fixed, and if so, how?

Thanks in advance,
Greg

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

It is not scrap metal unless other than the out of wack measurement is just one of many other items screwed up by morrons not knowing better or just rusted out from neglect or whatever!!!!!! These fuselages can be fixed by compentent folks. Should be too when one considers how scarce nice ones are and what a piece of crap kit tube and fabric with its tinker toy tubes goes for !!!

[Sloanlow]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

I'm not an expert but I don't think a 1/2 inch is a big problem. Mine is stripped and being primed, i will measure mine and get back to you on it. perhaps it is supposed to be that way? Mine has been repaired sometime in the past but no entry made in the log. I have a tab welded on the frame that says A/C mfg rebuild. I find what appears to be a splice on one side but not on the other. I don't know what that means. But you should look around and see if you have such items on your fuselage. As an after thought I wonder what the measurement is from a single central location to the tips of the horizontal stabilizer? to me that is the real question.

Jim

[Robert Lees]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Jim: That tab means it was repaired in the factory, probably during initial manufacture (that's why there is nothing in the logs).

Rob

[gmackay]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

I have a tab welded on the frame that says A/C mfg rebuild. I find what appears to be a splice on one side but not on the other. I don't know what that means. But you should look around and see if you have such items on your fuselage.
Jim

Thanks for the reply Jim. Where is the tab on your fuselage? I'll check on mine. I still haven't pulled the fabric off yet. Haven't had much time, but still debating what to do.
Greg

[Sloanlow]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Greg

Sorry for the delay. I measured mine and its to the Nat's a....well never mind.

The tabs are fairly discrete and are on the airframe about halfway up the fuselage. The famous Robert Lees tells me that's factory work. Further investigation reveals "T A/C Mfg rebuild" confirming Robert Lees evaluation of my description (very smart guy that RL).

Greg, I don't know what to tell you except that if you are a 1/2 inch out between the two sides, I wonder what that translates to if you measure from a central location such as the center of the cabin and what the total effect would be.

Armature advise would be do not pursue until you are comfortable with what you have. Stomp your foot and proclaim loudly "I hate that when that happens."

By the way, it is not wise to drink beer and use a tape measure at the same time or maybe its best not to drink beer and do fuselage work either (specially that that requires welding). Maybe Robert lees has a metric tape you could use for better results. oops.

I feel your pain
Jim Allison

[gmackay]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Thanks Jim. I've used a few more 'choice' words than that! But oh well, it's just another example of my foolish purchase. I didn't do much of a pre-buy and it's still biting me in the a$$ every time I turn around!

Anyway, it's very obvious that the fuselage is not straight. It looks like one side was repaired, but the repair was too long. Therefore the fuselage angles to the right after this vertical member.

I'm going to try to get a real welder-craftsman type to look at it and see if it's possible to straighten or not. (anyone know of someone like that east of the Mississippi?)

Thanks for your help.

[crispy critter]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Greg,
Give me a call next time you get a chance.I can recommend a couple people that can help but I certainly can't release one's name on hear...or anywhere but he lives about 2 miles from you.
Also,don't kick your self too hard for the bent fuslage.99.9% of people that inspect birds for a living would not have been able to catch that without pulling the tail and wings.I'm surprised you seen it with the fabric on it, you have a good eye.

[Sloanlow]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

I don't want to state the obvious, but have you thought about locating a different airframe? perhaps one with no papers etc...... It would not be the first time that 2 were combined to make one!

Jim

[gmackay]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Yes sir! I've been considering that. Matter of fact that's in one of my other posts about prewar fuselage for clip wing.

Thanks.

[Guest]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

OK guys, I need some opinions about a fuselage. I should have looked at this a long time ago, but anyway today I took some rough measurements of my project ('46 BC-12D) and found that the distance from the rear spar attach fitting on the fuselage to the horizontal stab mount is about 7/16" shorter on the right side than the left. I haven't taken the fabric off yet, so I can't see all the details, but I can see there are a couple of splices on the longerons. I'm not sure yet if it was wrecked at one point and twisted/bent, etc or if the tail clip was replaced, or what happened.

Anyway, it doesn't appear to be straight. So my first questions are "what are my options?" Is this typical of a 60 year old fuselage, or is this scrap metal? Can this be fixed, and if so, how?

Thanks in advance,
Greg

Hi Greg, I read your post and it got me thinking. First thing I did was go take the same measurement on a Champ in the garage. It's with a 1/16" from side to side after longeron repairs.

But that measurement doesn't necessarily mean that the sides are the same length. For instance the sides may be different but if the horiz. stab mount is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis it might make the measurements be the same but the frame is mishapen.

Opposite can be true too. The sides may be the same length but if the horiz. stab. mount is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis it may appear as though one side is longer.

Perhaps measure from spar mount to center of tail post to compare side length, this will eliminate the horz. stab. skew to the axis if there is any.

I would take a number of measurements to determine what pieces are out of position if I were you.
Also measure from hole center to center when possible as it will get at the important measurements since the bolt holes generally determine the way these things go together. Perhaps your difference of 7/16" will shrink if you did that.

So I typed all this stuff so far but that's not why I wrote.

In 1979 or 1980, most likley was 1979 I visited the Taylorcraft Factory and got a tour from Mrs. Ferris.

She & her husband put the t-craft factory back into operation during the '60s and '70s.

She showed me the jig they were making a new fuselage in and was telling me about how they had recovered it and all the other old t-craft tooling from various places to get the factory going.

Part of the story was about how after using the fuselage jig they had recovered for a while they noticed that the jig was incorrect and that a dimension from front to back was wrong by something like 1/4" and they had to fix it.

However many a/c were made with it up to that point. No indication of how many years it had been that way or how it got that way. It was huge hunkf metal.

I don't recall much more than that. But the factory was making a/c that had some funky dimensions off by about 1/4" and they flew!

Maybe yours is one of those? Even if it is not it sounds to me like it's not really a big deal to be off 1/4" based on the story she told me.

Also it is repairable if you choose to but before you do any repairs do a lot comparisons with trammel bar, tape measure, string and find out what part is really off so you can adjust the correct piece.

Hope this helps, Dave.

[d.grimm]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Rebuilding a PA-18 and the fuselage looked like a banana when we took it apart and started measuring. 4 1/2 differance! And I flew it the last 15 years that way and thought it flew good. Guess that shows what I know.
Put a new rear fuselage on from the seats back. Thinking it will really fly good when it gets back together.
Dave

[gmackay]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. After looking at the fuselage a bit closer, it's really obvious that this is not straight. I know it will fly, but it's not right. And since I don't have the knowledge/ability to fix this one, I'll probably look for another. I'll start another thread for that.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Dorothy was talking about the fact that that third generation jig was off side to side at the landing gear truss by 1/4 inch. Later fixed with a saw , a torch, a scale and two plumb bobs....... The whole thing boils down to a correctly assembled airplane needs to be with in 1/8th in. when measured from wing tip to front stab attach point on fusealge. WE used to joke about how the workers would measure a tube with a micrometer and cut it off with an axe, then fill in with welding rod.....

[rampeyboy]

Re: Bent Fuselage???

Someone needing a fuselage? Check Barnstormers....
$1,500 • FOR SALE • 46 Taylorcraft BC12D fuselage. NDH, no repairs, excellent condition. 1500 • Contact Charles E. Moore - located Gibsonville, NC USA • Telephone: 336-449-7346 • Posted December 20, 2005 •
Good luck..
Boyce