How many tandem Taylorcraft are still in service?

[Bob turner]

Near as I can figure there were maybe just under 2000 built. That is a lot of airplanes! I rarely see these things at any airport.

Just a guess will do - how many do you think are actually flying today? I am trying for a field approval, and the PMI keeps saying "get an STC." My answer is that there are not enough of these things in existence to support the cost. Not only that, but of the few still flying, how many owners would invest five grand in a wheel/brake upgrade?

We are rolling around on one year since submission, which is kinda normal for a wheel/brake conversion approval. I am actually expecting approval, since I have really formalized the application process.

[Bob turner]

Took some time to look through your history. In 2004, Forrest Barber counted apparently 279, as of 1995. I wonder how many of those survived the last three decades?
By the way, I got my license from a guy named Talmadge Barber - in Decatur, Ala.

[Bigdog]

I was recently in a briefing on the new VARMA program and asked whether the wheel/brake upgrade i want to do for my Rearwin would be a candidate. They said it's a bit outside the replacement part bounds unless it was a kit. If you've got a kit designed to replace the Shinn maybe you could try using VARMA. Mine is not so the FAA guy asked for my FSDO and then offered to put me in touch with a friendly inspector there. You might want to go FSDO shopping.

Regards,
Greg Young
1950 Navion N5221K
2021 RV-6 N6GY - AWC 2/9/2021
1940 Rearwin Cloudster project next
4 L-2 projects on deck (YO-57, TG-6 conv, L-2A, L-2B)
Former Owner 1946 BC-12D's N43109 & N96282
www.bentwing.com

[Bob turner]

My FSDO apparently started assigning these things on a rotating basis. One guy is very helpful; another is often impossible. The head guy has approved similar applications, so I expect that sometime around the one year mark I will get something done. I will check in on Friday, and every month thereafter, to see how they are doing.

[Bob turner]

I got an almost identical 337 - the sort of thing the FAA calls "acceptable data." Still no response. Fortunately, the owner will never spring for the parts, so this is a theoretical exercise.

The owner just let me fly his sided-by-side Lycoming powered Taylorcraft - a "first" for me; I had never flown a side by side T-cart. He said the brakes were perfect! Yeah, right. I had to plan ahead to stop.
These things are just not up to busy GA airports. It was a delight to fly, and landed like a Cub.

[Hank Jarrett]

If you have to plan ahead to stop, the brakes ARE perfect! Trying to stop using brakes at any landing speed in a Taylorcraft is a great way to learn to taxi inverted.

Hank

[3Dreaming]

The owner just let me fly his sided-by-side Lycoming powered Taylorcraft - a "first" for me; I had never flown a side by side T-cart. He said the brakes were perfect! Yeah, right. I had to plan ahead to stop.
These things are just not up to busy GA airports. It was a delight to fly, and landed like a Cub.

Was the BL 29815?

[NC36061]

There are 262 DCs and L2s currently registered if I counted right. I would bet not more than 50 or 20% of those are actually airworthy airplanes. A lot of them are probably nothing more than a data plate and maybe some logs.

[Bigdog]

There are 262 DCs and L2s currently registered if I counted right. I would bet not more than 50 or 20% of those are actually airworthy airplanes. A lot of them are probably nothing more than a data plate and maybe some logs.

As a data point, I've got 4 of the 262 and none are flying. They are all complete projects with logs. They are my retirement projects so if I live long enough they will get back in the air.

[Ragwing nut]

As a data point, I've got 4 of the 262 and none are flying. They are all complete projects with logs. They are my retirement projects so if I live long enough they will get back in the air.

you need my Yo-57 so you can have the complete set. lol.

[Bob turner]

Wow! I appreciate the input! This is useful information for me.

To keep you up to date, today I heard indirectly from the FAA on my field approval application. The inspector having the most contact with my submission says that there is an STC for the very thing I am proposing. Since my application is now 15 months old, I can only assume that the STC was granted very recently. Neither Robbie nor I are aware of such an approval.

Who would spend the $ and effort to get an STC for 50 birds, knowing that not all owners would spring for the five or six grand just for parts?

[Bigdog]

you need my Yo-57 so you can have the complete set. lol.

One of my four is the first YO-57. Do you know if the other two still exist?

[Ragwing nut]

One of my four is the first YO-57. Do you know if the other two still exist?

I thought you had 2 YO's. I have never looked to see if they were still around.

[Jerry Miel]

I have a pretty complete list of Tandem Taylorcrafts that matches serial numbers, military numbers, and N numbers. This is NOT a listing of how many still exist, it is a listing of all of the records that the FAA had in their records in the late 1980's. I spent many days at the FAA in OK City back then when you could get access. They gave me access to their file card cabinet and let me copy all of the 3 by 5 cards that they had, most of them hand written. I am willing to share the information with anyone who has a question. They are still just pages of hand written notes, so it is not an easy thing to share the whole list.

Jerry Miel, 520-370-7258

[Hank Jarrett]

Jerry, I have been doing much the same building a database of side by side planes. I can share the spreadsheet format I am using if you want so someday we can integrate teh two into a single spread of all Taylorcrafts. If I make a copy I could leave in all of the tandems I already have. When I stumble across one while looking for side by sides I usually add them to the database but no idea how many I have.

Hank