Recently purchased a DC-65 Project

[mitchb]

Hello,
I'm new to this site and recently purchased a DC-65 project N36419 s/n 4160, I am in the process of stripping the entire aircraft and getting it back flying, I was wondering where I could get manuals or drawings for it. I am an A&P IA but am fairly green behind the ears when it comes to Taylorcrafts but am starting to learn a few things as I go. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[swiftrlb]

MitchB,
That's really amazing. I am currently restoring N36418 SN# 4159. There are CD available with the drawings and various manual that are also out there. I got all this info with my project. Perhaps some one else on this forum can tell you where you can obtain this info.
Ray

[swiftrlb]

Mitch,
Printed manuals can be obtained at the fiollowing site.

https://www.esscoaircraft.com/

Ray

[Bigdog]

A set of 4 CD's with drawings and manuals used to be available through the Foundation. That source dried up so I've put the CD's on my public OneDrive. There are 4 .zip files named "L-2 Drawings D1/2/3/4.zip" The manuals are in the T-Craft folder on CD 4. To download go to: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqEtifxLBiEUuQFV...U-O86?e=9pU7zu

[Hank Jarrett]

Greg, sure wish there was something like this for the BC12 planes! Makes me embarrassed that all my data is so scattered all over the place!


Hank

[Bigdog]

Yea, they sure are useful. I don't recall who originally scanned them but he did us all a great service. I've already built a set of ribs using them and haven't started seriously working on my L-2's. Shame they're not available for the A/B models.

[n6346m]

Mitch & Ray,
Are those metal wing DC65s and were they ever designated as L-2s.

Bob Picard

[swiftrlb]

Bob,
Mine has the wood wings and was never an L2 but I'm putting it in L2 Colors.
Ray

[Ragwing nut]

Bob,
Mine has the wood wings and was never an L2 but I'm putting it in L2 Colors.
Ray

All civilian "D" models had metal wings. After the YO-57's was built and accepted, taylorcraft changed the wings to wood since aluminum was a strategic material. They built the L-2 with no greenhouse prior to the A/B/M.

[swiftrlb]

Ragwing,
I hear what you are saying about metal wings and I also read that in chet Peek's book but I wonder if that's a 100% correct. I have a Repair and Alteration form for my plane dated 1947 where they disassembled the aircraft for cover and it states they painted the spars and ribs with 2 coats of spar varnish. I doubt that they would do that with aluminum components.

[Edwin Otha]

Congratulations on your new purchase. They are a pretty straight forward airplane. My DC is N36354 ser# 4091 it has metal wings and small strut gear.
EO

[Ragwing nut]

Ragwing,
I hear what you are saying about metal wings and I also read that in chet Peek's book but I wonder if that's a 100% correct. I have a Repair and Alteration form for my plane dated 1947 where they disassembled the aircraft for cover and it states they painted the spars and ribs with 2 coats of spar varnish. I doubt that they would do that with aluminum components.

Without looking I am pretty certain the true civilian "D" models carry a completely different serial number block than the military L-2's. The 4xxx serial number block are military L-2 and besides the YO-57's, all production L-2's should have wood wings. I believe chet's book gives the serial number production of each type. Does your data plate say DC-65 or DCO-65?

[swiftrlb]

My data plate reads DC65 and the serial range for the civilian model is 4000-4199. I have seen pictures of another dc65 in this sn range located in North Carolina and it also has wood wings.

[Ragwing nut]

My data plate reads DC65 and the serial range for the civilian model is 4000-4199. I have seen pictures of another dc65 in this sn range located in North Carolina and it also has wood wings.

Ron Greene posted this 10 years ago, I have not seen him post in a long time. I have some other information somewhere as I don't think this is 100% complete or accurate.
L-2 serial numbers.pdf

[swiftrlb]

This is what Chet Peek published in his book.