WANTED - prewar aluminum doors - complete

[Hank Jarrett]

Those are the doors I rebuilt for my 45. You should have seen them before I started on them! Some of the paint is from before the wind storm destroyed the plane and some is of the new trim color. Te blue parts will show on the finished plane. The other colors will be covered with fabric. The greenish yellow is the original factory paint from just after WW-II. Taylorcraft was buying surplus Zinc-Chromate and just dumping them all together to paint the fuselages and steel parts. The color on the fuselage frame was reproduced with E-Poxy paint to be the same disgusting color. When you look down the back of the fuselage through the zippers it will turn your stomach just like when the plane was brand new!

I have several other doors (tube type) but it would be easier to make them from scratch than to modify and repair most of them. Unless you have the dimensions of the opening in your fuselage and the doors match up it will require EXTENSIVE mods that no one will ever even notice (OK, except for the guys here who actually know what they are looking at).

Can you try to cut a piece of cardboard to fit the opening? You could then measure the edges, mark the lengths with a black marker and post a photo. I could use that to compare to the doors I have and maybe determine exactly which fuselage you have.

Hank

[astjp2]

Look for the serial number on the bottom of the upper right door hinge or on the back side of the throttle quadrant, with the serial number, you can determine if it is pre or post war.

[SwickT80]

I’ve got bad news. This is an all experimental build. The man who made it helped with the build of the airplane I posted. It’s a prewar with postwar dash. I’m going to need lots of help to finish up the project. The mods include Swick & Cole modifications plus larger doorways.
Hank, if we can locate a set like yours and get ideas from, that would help, as I’m a visual person. And any picture/blueprints of the quick release door would help.
-Jeff

[astjp2]

That is not bad news, that just makes it easy.

[Hank Jarrett]

If the FAA will let you rebuild it and stay Experimental that is really GOOD news. You don't need the FAA to approve of every nut and bolt that is changed. Was it ever finished by the prior builder or would you be listed as the "builder"? If the FAA won't grandfather teh build all you may have is "parts". My understanding is they will no longer allow you to "build" an airplane from factory parts. Before you put any money into her be SURE the FAA will let you actually fly her when she is done!

[astjp2]

Hank, you can use parts from a certified airplane, you just are not REBUILDING a Taylorcraft, you are BUILDING an experimental...If the airplane uses SOME previously certified parts, and you build the rest, you can build an amateur built experimental aircraft, where the faa has a problem is for example: when you buy a bunch of certified Cessna 172 part and assemble an airplane that is totally from certified parts, and try to call it an experimental. But you can buy an experimental cub airframe, wings, tail feathers, etc and call that an amateur built experiemental

[Hank Jarrett]

I guess it has something to do with which office you contact. I had a passing interest in a Breezy a while back and was told I could build one but I could NOT use a set of Taylorcraft wings on it. I had to BUILD the wings, not use a surplus set of factory wings from a destroyed plane.
Seemed kind of arbitrary and stupid to me but I didn't push it because I wasn't THAT interested in building the plane. It was just a passing interest. They did say I could buy a full set of homebuilt Cub kit parts and build a set of wings for the project, but the whole reason i was asking was i had a set of "T" wings. I have since seen that they are not airworthy anyway and have been tearing them down for parts for a Tayloprcraft
(hint, I may have a bunch of stamped ribs coming available, depending on how many I use and how many are still good).

Hank

[Ragwing nut]

I’ve got bad news. This is an all experimental build. The man who made it helped with the build of the airplane I posted. It’s a prewar with postwar dash. I’m going to need lots of help to finish up the project. The mods include Swick & Cole modifications plus larger doorways.
Hank, if we can locate a set like yours and get ideas from, that would help, as I’m a visual person. And any picture/blueprints of the quick release door would help.
-Jeff

the prewar deluxe uses a postwar style dash, although not exactly the same. does it have a top support tube for the dash?

[astjp2]

I guess it has something to do with which office you contact. I had a passing interest in a Breezy a while back and was told I could build one but I could NOT use a set of Taylorcraft wings on it. I had to BUILD the wings, not use a surplus set of factory wings from a destroyed plane.
Seemed kind of arbitrary and stupid to me but I didn't push it because I wasn't THAT interested in building the plane. It was just a passing interest. They did say I could buy a full set of homebuilt Cub kit parts and build a set of wings for the project, but the whole reason i was asking was i had a set of "T" wings. I have since seen that they are not airworthy anyway and have been tearing them down for parts for a Tayloprcraft
(hint, I may have a bunch of stamped ribs coming available, depending on how many I use and how many are still good).

Hank

You never say that you are using complete assemblies, but you can use parts...ribs, spars, etc. are ok but a wing would be a no no, install a 40 gallon cub tank, it is no longer a taylorcraft wing...therefore eligible to be installed in an amateur built experimental airplane.

[Hank Jarrett]

That would certainly explain how so many are using replacement Cub and "T" wing ribs in homebuilts. Where is the line between a "part" and an "Assembly"? On military aircraft any two "parts" joined together became an "assembly". That would mean a box with a nose, center and aft rib would be a box of "parts" while if they were riveted together they would be an "assembly". The three could be used if not riveted together but the three connected couldn't.

Oh well, they are a lot easier to build a wing from with the LE and TE not attached any way! ;-) Don't you just love the logic of the FAA?

Hank

[Garry Crookham]

In this area FAA ASI's and DAR's use the FAA's Amateur Built Aircraft Fabrication and Assembly Checklist to determine if a project qualifies for an amateur built status, basically determining that 51% of the aircraft has been constructed by the builder
.
FAA Order 8130.2J, Chapter 15 is used as the guideline. Some relevant exerpts:

f. Type-Certificated Aircraft. Altering, repairing, or rebuilding type-certificated aircraft constitutes maintenance of a type-certificated aircraft under part 43, not fabrication and assembly of amateur-built aircraft. This policy has been in effect since 1952 under section 1.74-3 of the Civil Aeronautics Manual (CAM) 1, which specifically states, “structural components of other aircraft may be used [for amateur-built aircraft]; however, it is not intended that this provision be used to avoid obtaining approval of major alterations to aircraft previously certificated in another category.” 15-1 7/21/2017

(2) Commercially-Produced Products and Articles. The FAA recognizes that builders cannot be expected to fabricate every product and article that makes up the aircraft and that some products and articles will be acquired from commercial sources. Items such as engines; engine accessories; propellers; rotor blades; rotor hubs; tires; wheel and brake assemblies; instruments; hot air balloon burners; fuel tanks; and standard aircraft hardware, including pulleys, bell cranks, rod ends, bearings, bolts, and rivets are acceptable and may be procured on the open market. The use of these items is not counted against a builder in assessing the major-portion requirement.

(4) When Builders Use Articles from Other Aircraft. The use of used or salvaged articles, including military surplus articles, from other aircraft is permitted if they are in a condition for safe operation; however, all fabrication, installation, and assembly tasks accomplished with used or salvaged articles will be credited to the “Mfr Kit/Part/Component” column on the Amateur-Built Aircraft Fabrication and Assembly Checklist. No credit will be given toward the major-portion requirement for work on these salvaged articles. This includes any “rebuilding” or “restoring” activities to return these articles to an airworthy condition. Assembly credit may be given in those cases where used or salvaged articles are assembled with portions of the aircraft fabricated and assembled by the builder.

[SwickT80]

Here are a few pictures of the fuselage and wings, minus the new struts. Completely getting away from the door build, but here's some of my project. Everything is new, including the fuselage and struts, which is all in chromoly. I was told the builder was going to use an original fuselage but decided not to, due to the FAA, so everything is new and I have some pictures documenting the build process. Another club member said that the wings were made for Cessna fuel tanks but the auction included two Taylorcraft tanks. The builder had built many aircraft prior to this and was the local EAA go to person that you would have your work checked off by. As you can also see, the landing gear is modeled after a Hatz. I believe it has been used before on another well known build.

[SwickT80]

Here's my ClipT

[Hank Jarrett]

Do you have a larger version of the last photo? Really bad "T" Storms here today so I don't know if I can get out to the hangar but still want to inventory the doors there.

[3Dreaming]

The fuselage looks to be configured for the P section type door.