New BC12D

[dsherburn]

I got all of the title work cleaned up and completed the purchase of N95359. It has been in Vermont for 40 years, but not flown much in the past several years. It was in annual in 2011, but I elected to have the wings and tail feathers removed and had it trucked to Michigan. We may end up recovering before reassembling and putting back in annual.

I'm fairly new at this but have the help of a good AP/IA, experienced with tube and fabric. I'm going to Oshkosh and look forward to the VAA dinner and T-craft forum. I also plan to participate in the fabric workshops, as I'll be looking at Stits, Ceconite and talking to the Stewart folks.

I've attached a couple of photo's.....as mentioned I'm investigating recovering systems and looking at updateing the hacked up panel.

And comments and/or well wishes would be appreciated!
Dan
Spring Lake, MI

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: New BC12D

First step in planning the trip is defining the destination. What do you want when you are done? An original classic for an AirVenture award? An aerobatic mount to determine how well you can keep dinner down? A nice sport flyer for weekend local area flights? An evening flyer that will make 90% of her flight to and from the same runway? Something to take to fly-ins in nearby states?

There are as many destinations as there are owners and planes. How do you see yourself using her? That will tell you how to rebuild her. Right now, unless you plan to clip the wings and drop in an IO-360 you have plenty of time to think. Let us know tomorrow what you dream about tonight. If you wake up smiling tomorrow, the people here can show you the path to your destination.

Hank

[dejh22]

Re: New BC12D

Good luck on the rebuild! I'm very new at this and have my project all torn a part. So much info and a lot of help from the fine folks here. I live over by Greenville MI. I would love to take a look at your project. Maybe take some pics to use as reference. The wings and tail feathers were off when I got my project. Plus I should of took more pics when I tore into mine!

[dsherburn]

Re: New BC12D

First step in planning the trip is defining the destination. What do you want when you are done? An original classic for an AirVenture award? An aerobatic mount to determine how well you can keep dinner down? A nice sport flyer for weekend local area flights? An evening flyer that will make 90% of her flight to and from the same runway? Something to take to fly-ins in nearby states?

There are as many destinations as there are owners and planes. How do you see yourself using her? That will tell you how to rebuild her. Right now, unless you plan to clip the wings and drop in an IO-360 you have plenty of time to think. Let us know tomorrow what you dream about tonight. If you wake up smiling tomorrow, the people here can show you the path to your destination.

Hank

Hank-Good advice. I won't seek any awards or plan on aerobatics. Basically, 90% of my evening flights will be to/from my mechanics grass strip. Occasionally, I may fly to Northern Michigan along the Lake Michigan shoreline (3 hours to Mackinac Island). I just would like the plane to be very airworthy and look presentable.
Dan

[dsherburn]

Re: New BC12D

Good luck on the rebuild! I'm very new at this and have my project all torn a part. So much info and a lot of help from the fine folks here. I live over by Greenville MI. I would love to take a look at your project. Maybe take some pics to use as reference. The wings and tail feathers were off when I got my project. Plus I should of took more pics when I tore into mine!

Dale-I'll shoot you a PM.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: New BC12D

Sounds like a return to original for a nice VFR trip back in time. I would try to return to an original panel as much as possible. What i love about my plane is when the door closes I am back in 1941 with the exception of a hand held radio on the pilots A pillar and a tucked away intercom to plug the headsets in to. Got to find one of those early 1940s hats and a pipe for the hat shelf.
Hank

[M Towsley]

Re: New BC12D

Dan,

There is a guy over in Indiana who makes new instrument panels. I just installed mine this last Spring, very nice. Use the search function for Wenglarz and you will find other stuff he makes.

[Richh2only]

Re: New BC12D

Hi Dan and Dale
Fellow Michiganders, I also started a project back in September of 2011, a 1946 BC-12D. I am located over in Bay City, MI and fly out of 3CM. I have been to Greenville a few times but never to Spring Lake, it looks as if Spring Lake airport is hidden by the rings around Muskegon airport, I couldn't find it on the chart.
This forum is an excellent place for information and the people here are super and very helpful.
I attended the Fabric Workshop in January at Oshkosh and picked up some useful information. I went with the Stitts / Poly Fiber method, because they have a 40 year track record and I have covered the tail feathers and left wing through the silver coats. For the Poly Fiber when they say 3 coats of silver they refer to cross coats which in my book is six coats of silver.
I ran cost projections on all the popular covering systems and they all added up to around $4,500.00 to $5,000.00 for the materials and about 300 hours of labor.
Good luck on your projects, a friend of mine told me when you get the project 90% done you will only have another 90% to go.

[dsherburn]

Re: New BC12D

Hi Dan and Dale
Fellow Michiganders, I also started a project back in September of 2011, a 1946 BC-12D. I am located over in Bay City, MI and fly out of 3CM. I have been to Greenville a few times but never to Spring Lake, it looks as if Spring Lake airport is hidden by the rings around Muskegon airport, I couldn't find it on the chart.
This forum is an excellent place for information and the people here are super and very helpful.
I attended the Fabric Workshop in January at Oshkosh and picked up some useful information. I went with the Stitts / Poly Fiber method, because they have a 40 year track record and I have covered the tail feathers and left wing through the silver coats. For the Poly Fiber when they say 3 coats of silver they refer to cross coats which in my book is six coats of silver.
I ran cost projections on all the popular covering systems and they all added up to around $4,500.00 to $5,000.00 for the materials and about 300 hours of labor.
Good luck on your projects, a friend of mine told me when you get the project 90% done you will only have another 90% to go.

Hi Rich,
Thanks for the note. I'm actually at the Flying A Ranch in Fruitport (near Muskegon). 39Z. Have you heard of anyone using the Stewart System? My mechanic is of the same opinion as you (in terms of covering) but I like the Stewart stuff as it's water borne and won't smell like some of the Dopes and Poly's. Just looking......
I need to check out the panels from Indiana as well. Mine's pretty chewed up.
Dan

[N96337]

Re: New BC12D

You'll love Stewarts! I've been using it (long before it was Stewarts) for years and do all I can not to have to use the other systems anymore. They're great systems too, but my health is more and more important to me all the time. Do a search on here..there's a few threads on the subject.
John

[Richh2only]

Re: New BC12D

After using the Poly Fiber system I sort of wish I would have tried at least a sample of the Steward System. The Poly Fiber coatings seem to leave an order in my shop for about four weeks after their last use. I understand the Steward System does not have the odor problem. I believe the Stewart system also requires a fewer number of applications prior to the color coat, which could save quite a bit of time and labor. Which ever you chose to go with purchase a fresh air breather to protect your lungs, especially when using a polyurethane coating requiring a catalyst as in the Stewart System finish coats.