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**crispy critter** · 03-25-2006, 14:39

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

Greg,
All the bolt holes should be 1/4",All 6 of them from the most outter to the wing attach bolt.

**mulwyk** · 03-25-2006, 18:24

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

"from the Taylorcraft factory"..."another screwed up part" ?

This does not sound good.

Bob

**VictorBravo** · 03-25-2006, 18:59

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

The front wing attach bolts are 5/16, not 1/4. The rear spar brackets are all 1/4.

Greg, if ANY of those bolt holes are oblong it ain't right. Period. Not only should you have the factory send you out a new bracket, but more importantly I think we all want to know if they made more than one bracket with sloppy holes or oblong holes. Are there incorrectly made brackets installed on a new Taylorcraft airplane?

Forrest, do you want to transmit this question to someone at the factory, so they can check them out before too many airplanes leave the factory with a possible flaw? I think it would be a good thing to find out, for THEIR b enefit even more than anyone else's.

Bill Berle

**Forrest Barber** · 03-25-2006, 19:20

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

I will make them aware of this, yes the above answers are true. The attach to fuselage is drilled true and reamed to size. I will notify the factory.
( Mike Rice) should be monitoring, I hope!

**gmackay** · 03-25-2006, 21:41

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

Thanks for everyone's responses, but let me clear up one thing. I was not infering 'one more screwed up part from the factory'....just one more screwed up part. I have had so many things go wrong with my project, (mostly from my own ignorance) that I was disgusted with yet another. I have had several pieces of bad spruce sent to me, had parts made that were incorrect, found bent fuselage, missinformation, etc.etc. But none of these mistakes were from the factory.

I'm not trying to slander the Taylorcraft company, I'm just trying confirm what the part should be, before I try to get them to replace it. I called them before I left town, and they (parts man) said they would look into it. I will talk to them again on Monday.

The hole that is oblong is only the outer peice of steel. The inner peice seems to be ok, but I want this to be right. I will try to get them to replace it, and if the last enlarged hole is wrong, then they need to replace both of them. My Harer STC drawings show the spar bolt holes all 1/4", but I wondered if the ones from the factory maybe used a larger bolt in the last hole.

Sorry for the confusion. But I hope the factory can correct this and it not be a big issue. We all want and need parts. - Greg

**crispy critter** · 03-25-2006, 23:21

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

Originally posted by VictorBravo

The front wing attach bolts are 5/16, not 1/4. The rear spar brackets are all 1/4.

Greg, if ANY of those bolt holes are oblong it ain't right. Period. Not only should you have the factory send you out a new bracket, but more importantly I think we all want to know if they made more than one bracket with sloppy holes or oblong holes. Are there incorrectly made brackets installed on a new Taylorcraft airplane?

Forrest, do you want to transmit this question to someone at the factory, so they can check them out before too many airplanes leave the factory with a possible flaw? I think it would be a good thing to find out, for THEIR b enefit even more than anyone else's.

Bill Berle

Sorry Greg,I had a brain fart. Bill is correct. The front butt fitting has five 1/4" holes and the sixth(fuslage/wing attach hole) is 5/16". The rear fitting is all 1/4". Thanks for correcting me Bill.I knew what I was trying to say but my fingers just didn't agree....or something.

**gmackay** · 03-27-2006, 16:39

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

For those interested in this........I spoke with the Taylorcraft factory today about the hole sizes, and after researching the problem, it looks like some of the steel plates were welded on backwards. According to the drawings, the fuselage attach bolt hole should be drilled to 9/32" then reamed to 5/16" after being welded together. But some of these were welded so that the 9/32" hole was at the wrong end....meaning this hole would go through the spar instead of the fuselage fitting.

Anyway, the factory said they would make it right and send me another two correct brackets with one 5/16" hole and 5 x 1/4" holes. So it's good to see the factory is concerned about making this right. So far, so good. Hope to be back on track later this week.

**mulwyk** · 03-27-2006, 19:26

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

OK...welded on backwards and not reamed. That's their excuse?

Look, factory guys, this is real basic stuff. Check the parts.

Bob

**crispy critter** · 03-27-2006, 20:41

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

Originally posted by gmackay

For those interested in this........I spoke with the Taylorcraft factory today about the hole sizes, and after researching the problem, it looks like some of the steel plates were welded on backwards. According to the drawings, the fuselage attach bolt hole should be drilled to 9/32" then reamed to 5/16" after being welded together. But some of these were welded so that the 9/32" hole was at the wrong end....meaning this hole would go through the spar instead of the fuselage fitting.

Anyway, the factory said they would make it right and send me another two correct brackets with one 5/16" hole and 5 x 1/4" holes. So it's good to see the factory is concerned about making this right. So far, so good. Hope to be back on track later this week.

Greg,
This might sound a little belated but I have a set of those fittings.

**VictorBravo** · 03-28-2006, 01:32

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

Originally posted by gmackay

it looks like some of the steel plates were welded on backwards. ( snip... ) But some of these were welded so that the 9/32" hole was at the wrong end....meaning this hole would go through the spar instead of the fuselage fitting. Anyway, the factory said they would make it right

We all owe it to make sure this is handled correctly. We owe it to the Taylorcraft airplane we love, to protect its reputation as a very strong and safe design, we owe it to old CG watching over us from above the clouds, and we even owe it to the new Taylorcraft factory for workiing hard enough to put out new 70 year old airplanes in 2006 at a reasonable price. (I have participated in criticizing the factory once or twice, but now that it seems they are actually building airplanes some or all of my criticism may be taken back.)

EITHER way it will hurt all Taylorcraft owners if there is a bad batch of wing spar fittings in the field or in the factory. We need to look out for Harry and the rest of the factory together as a joint effort in this case IMHO.

Greg found a questionable part, and there will be no safety problem with HIS airplane. Glad to hear the factory will ship him good parts. There will be no accident or emergency actions because of THAT airplane.

Again, the main issue now is looking at all the other fittings sent out from the factory, and looking at the fittings on any new Taylorcraft airplanes that were built by the same crew. So far I have heard about only one new Taylor Sport, but how many fittings might have been made in error and put in packages sent to T-craft rebuilders who are not reading this? How many are in a bin waiting to be put on spars at the factory? Have there been any F-22's built by the new factory that might be affected? Factory rebuild services on older airplanes? Is this an incident with one factory welder who was up late the night before on one occasion... or is this a batch of 100 fittings outsourced by the factory to a small job shop in town?

If it is one factory guy who made an honest mistake, I propose the Bob Hoover solution. (no not THAT Hoover solution!) The story is told that Hoover's yellow airshow P-51 was filled up with jet fuel by a line boy in Los angeles, and it damaged the Mustang's engine. Hoover insisted that instead of the FBO firing the kid, that the same kid be the one to fill his airplane up every time he visited. Hoover knew that the kid would be far more safety conscious after the incident than any other guy would have been.

If, and I say IF, that welder had the crap scared out of him... by having images of airplanes falling out of the sky because of his mistake put into his head... then that's the guy I'd want to weld any T-craft parts for me from then on!

Bill

**Forrest Barber** · 03-28-2006, 20:40

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

That Hoover story was really the misfueled Aero Commander that caused him to crash on take-off. the kid learned a lesson, so did Bob , I bet he stood by the ship while being fueled in the future. The kid was fooled by " turbo" Commander name...

**N96337** · 03-29-2006, 09:06

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

If you look at this realisticly, I can't see that part ever making it on an airplane at the factory... the person(s) building the wing would've caught it and not let it go. Granted, it should've been picked up when it was inspected and put in the parts bin..but the thought of it ever getting on a production airplane is ridiculous in my mind.
The factory has alot of "new" people working hard, and some doing many different tasks as well. I think they're doing a great job, and wouldn't worry about the production aircraft.
I'm sure this "slip up" will bring a gap in the inspection procedures for parts to the attention of the right people, and it will be remedied ASAP! They're only human. We all strive for 100% accuracy, but it somedays isn't completely attainable... that's why the inspection procedures are in place.. this one got past those procedures, so they will need to be ammended to insure this doesn't happen in the future... and I bet they already have been!
JH

**VictorBravo** · 03-29-2006, 11:37

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

Originally posted by Forrest Barber

That Hoover story was really the misfueled Aero Commander that caused him to crash on take-off.

Aero Commander. I stand corrected.

**gmackay** · 04-01-2006, 06:48

Re: Hole sizes in new wing attach bracket

Just a quick update....I received two front brackets last night from Taylorcraft. These look much better. Will check them out today.

Thanks Taylorcraft!

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