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A local estate is selling a 1947 BC12-D. I just did an annual inspection on this plane. It is not airworthy, but it is in decent shape. If someone is interested in purchasing the plane I can make it fully fly-away airworthy for an additional $5,200 which includes a set of new, sealed struts.
A full report of my findings is below.
The covering is 28 years old, so yes, if you buy it you should think about doing a covering fairly soon, you must factor that into what it is worth. We did a careful inspection plus a Maule punch in many locations and the fabric easily made it to 46 pounds pressure - This is the old 43-13 1A fabric test. I also probed the longerons and rudder tubing very aggressively with a sharp punch and could not detect any rust-out/weak tubing in these critical locations.
If anyone is interested PM either myself or Doc.
N43928 Inspection:
Firewall forward:
The engine was inspected in accordance with a 100-hour inspection and found to be in generally good condition. The following discrepancies were found:
The exhaust headers have a rust-through at the carburetor heat exchanger and also the end of the exhaust pipe.
There was no Aeroduct tube connecting the front intake to the cabin heat.
Several of the cowling Dzus fasteners have been replaced with nut plates and screws to hold the cowling on. This is cosmetic only.
The fuel line was brittle and not serviceable. We replaced this with new fuel line.
The propeller McCauley 1B90 74-43 was overhauled and is now airworthy. It still needs to be field approved to be legal on the Taylorcraft.
The oil screen was exceptionally dirty with congealed oil. This was cleaned and the engine run again until it was well warmed up. We rechecked the screen and it was clean. We drained and replaced the oil with Aeroshell 100.
There was a small amount of sand in the bottom of the gascolator. This was cleaned and reinstalled. The carburetor float-bowl screen was checked and it appears that none of the sand got to the carburetor. This is all good now.
The air scoop has two holes worn into it where the Brackett air filter rubs against it. This is cosmetic at this time, but should be repaired at some point .
The cylinder compressions are good. #1=69/80. #2 = 68/80, #3=66/80, #4=78/80
We removed the chrome valve covers and noted that the rocker area had some congealed oil. We cleaned this out from under all four valve covers and replaced the valve cover gaskets with new ones.
We replaced the oil dipstick gasket.
The carburetor heat control was very stiff so we lubricated it and replaced the Adel clamp to better align the push rod. It works much better now.
The spark plugs are in good condition. The antique style top plugs were cleaned and checked on a tester – all were good. Ercoupe style cups are on the top plugs.
Airframe:
The airframe was inspected In accordance with an annual inspection. Inspection results are below.
Landing Gear:
We removed and discarded some ratty carpet from the floorboards. We removed the floorboards and checked the landing gear bumpers. These rubber bumpers are rotted and must be replaced. The 4 bungees will have to be replaced when the bumpers are replaced.
We removed the wheel pant brackets from the back and front of the wheels. The inside brackets were both severely cracked and some pieces of metal missing. These are not required equipment so we left them off. One of the outboard mounting pieces was rusted out and disintegrated upon removal. The other outboard piece is serviceable. New bolts were used when reassembling the lower gear legs.
We repacked the wheel bearings. The outboard bearings on both wheels must be replaced. The outboard right gear has a deformed bearing. The outboard left bearing shows signs of being run with grit in the bearing and does not spin as freely as it should. In both cases it is an easy repair to make and a failed bearing might cause severe damage.
The brakes on this plane are the best we have seen on a Taylorcraft and work very well. Linings appear unused and very little surface rust on the shoes.
Wheel Pants were taken to a fiberglass repair facility for inspection. They are not airworthy nor repairable. The price of new wheel pants is not included in the estimate to make the plane airworthy.
Cockpit:
The oil temperature gauge is inaccurate and reads 140 F at ambient even though the gauge goes as low as 100 F. The gauge will respond to heating, but is not reliable. This must be replaced to be airworthy.
We unlaced the seat sling to get to the battery box. We removed a lawn tractor battery from the battery box. No corrosion noted on battery box however the plywood mount is in poor condition and should be replaced before the next annual inspection.
Wiring was found to be old, often brittle, and much of the wiring is too small to support the current on the respective circuits. This was especially noted on the navigation lights. Many wires were cut off with no function. We recommend the avionics and wiring be completely removed and a new weight and balance be done.
We temporarily installed a serviceable battery and operated each circuit.
Tail position light is operative. Wing position lights are not operative due to broken wires that need a minor repair. The wire gauge is too small for the ampereage of the wing lights and should be replaced.
The strobe light is operative.
Generator switch is missing.
The wind generator is not installed.
Ammeter appears to be an automotive type and possibly not approved for aircraft.
The avionics are ancient, heavy for this plane, and inoperative. FARs require inoperative items to be placarded as INOPERATIVE.
The fuel shutoff is stiff, but working well and acceptable for flight. The fuel shutoff guard is not of the best design, and while technically acceptable, it should be replaced with a better setup. This is very simple maintenance.
ELT is an EBC 102. The battery needs to be replaced. The ELT is mounted where the controls are not accessible to the pilot and must be moved.
Fuselage:
Fabric is 28 years old. It is still sound and passes a Maule punch test at multiple locations at 46 lbs, but we recommend recovering this plane within two years.
An ice pick was used to probe lower longerons and lower rudder tubing. The tubing did not show any signs of lost strength due to rust.
Collected dirt and debris was vacuumed from the fuselage at the tail. No signs of moisture collection or tubing deterioration was noted.
All control cables are rusted and must be replaced along with the turnbuckles.
Trim cable and tensioner spring must be replaced due to rust.
Wings:
Many pounds of mud dauber nests were vacuumed out. The leading edges still have some loose mud dauber nests inside, but it is not a big issue, just an annoyance. The two wing tanks have mud dauber nests in the fuel drains and must be cleaned. Recommend the Curtis drains be replaced. Wing tanks were not filled with fuel nor tested. The fuel lines from the wings are original copper. Wing fuel valves need to be cleaned and lubricated.
The wing spars were thoroughly inspected and no deterioration was noted. Good varnish was seen on all spars.
Wing fabric was punch tested with a Maule tester and achieved the minimum 46 lbs recommended. The fabric appears sound in all respects although it is old.
Aileron control cables are rusted and must be replaced.
Lift Struts and Lift Strut Fittings:
Lift struts should be replaced to comply with AD.
Lift strut fittings shall be bore-scoped to comply with AD.
Empannage:
All empannage surfaces were inspected and fabric tested and found to be in airworthy condition.
Items Requiring Repair For Airworthiness
Lift Struts – X-ray or replace
Replacement lift struts with sealed, new struts.
Wheel bearings - replace outer bearings
Control cables – replace all
Landing gear bumpers – fabricate bumpers, replace bumpers, bungees, and safety cables.
Exhaust header – remove, repair, re-install. Entails welding a patch on the carb heat side and a new end on the tail pipe.
Replace ELT battery and relocate the ELT.
Propeller was overhauled but still needs a field approval.
The propeller on this Taylorcraft is a McCauley type 1B90. The propeller was overhauled by Jordan propeller.
The Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS # 696) calls out a McCauley 1A90. If the San Antonio FSDO will cooperate we should be able to get a 337 field approval for the propeller.
If the FSDO will not approve a 337 it will cost $1600 for new wood or $2500 for new metal prop.
Oil Temperature Gauge needs to be replaced.
A full report of my findings is below.
The covering is 28 years old, so yes, if you buy it you should think about doing a covering fairly soon, you must factor that into what it is worth. We did a careful inspection plus a Maule punch in many locations and the fabric easily made it to 46 pounds pressure - This is the old 43-13 1A fabric test. I also probed the longerons and rudder tubing very aggressively with a sharp punch and could not detect any rust-out/weak tubing in these critical locations.
If anyone is interested PM either myself or Doc.
N43928 Inspection:
Firewall forward:
The engine was inspected in accordance with a 100-hour inspection and found to be in generally good condition. The following discrepancies were found:
The exhaust headers have a rust-through at the carburetor heat exchanger and also the end of the exhaust pipe.
There was no Aeroduct tube connecting the front intake to the cabin heat.
Several of the cowling Dzus fasteners have been replaced with nut plates and screws to hold the cowling on. This is cosmetic only.
The fuel line was brittle and not serviceable. We replaced this with new fuel line.
The propeller McCauley 1B90 74-43 was overhauled and is now airworthy. It still needs to be field approved to be legal on the Taylorcraft.
The oil screen was exceptionally dirty with congealed oil. This was cleaned and the engine run again until it was well warmed up. We rechecked the screen and it was clean. We drained and replaced the oil with Aeroshell 100.
There was a small amount of sand in the bottom of the gascolator. This was cleaned and reinstalled. The carburetor float-bowl screen was checked and it appears that none of the sand got to the carburetor. This is all good now.
The air scoop has two holes worn into it where the Brackett air filter rubs against it. This is cosmetic at this time, but should be repaired at some point .
The cylinder compressions are good. #1=69/80. #2 = 68/80, #3=66/80, #4=78/80
We removed the chrome valve covers and noted that the rocker area had some congealed oil. We cleaned this out from under all four valve covers and replaced the valve cover gaskets with new ones.
We replaced the oil dipstick gasket.
The carburetor heat control was very stiff so we lubricated it and replaced the Adel clamp to better align the push rod. It works much better now.
The spark plugs are in good condition. The antique style top plugs were cleaned and checked on a tester – all were good. Ercoupe style cups are on the top plugs.
Airframe:
The airframe was inspected In accordance with an annual inspection. Inspection results are below.
Landing Gear:
We removed and discarded some ratty carpet from the floorboards. We removed the floorboards and checked the landing gear bumpers. These rubber bumpers are rotted and must be replaced. The 4 bungees will have to be replaced when the bumpers are replaced.
We removed the wheel pant brackets from the back and front of the wheels. The inside brackets were both severely cracked and some pieces of metal missing. These are not required equipment so we left them off. One of the outboard mounting pieces was rusted out and disintegrated upon removal. The other outboard piece is serviceable. New bolts were used when reassembling the lower gear legs.
We repacked the wheel bearings. The outboard bearings on both wheels must be replaced. The outboard right gear has a deformed bearing. The outboard left bearing shows signs of being run with grit in the bearing and does not spin as freely as it should. In both cases it is an easy repair to make and a failed bearing might cause severe damage.
The brakes on this plane are the best we have seen on a Taylorcraft and work very well. Linings appear unused and very little surface rust on the shoes.
Wheel Pants were taken to a fiberglass repair facility for inspection. They are not airworthy nor repairable. The price of new wheel pants is not included in the estimate to make the plane airworthy.
Cockpit:
The oil temperature gauge is inaccurate and reads 140 F at ambient even though the gauge goes as low as 100 F. The gauge will respond to heating, but is not reliable. This must be replaced to be airworthy.
We unlaced the seat sling to get to the battery box. We removed a lawn tractor battery from the battery box. No corrosion noted on battery box however the plywood mount is in poor condition and should be replaced before the next annual inspection.
Wiring was found to be old, often brittle, and much of the wiring is too small to support the current on the respective circuits. This was especially noted on the navigation lights. Many wires were cut off with no function. We recommend the avionics and wiring be completely removed and a new weight and balance be done.
We temporarily installed a serviceable battery and operated each circuit.
Tail position light is operative. Wing position lights are not operative due to broken wires that need a minor repair. The wire gauge is too small for the ampereage of the wing lights and should be replaced.
The strobe light is operative.
Generator switch is missing.
The wind generator is not installed.
Ammeter appears to be an automotive type and possibly not approved for aircraft.
The avionics are ancient, heavy for this plane, and inoperative. FARs require inoperative items to be placarded as INOPERATIVE.
The fuel shutoff is stiff, but working well and acceptable for flight. The fuel shutoff guard is not of the best design, and while technically acceptable, it should be replaced with a better setup. This is very simple maintenance.
ELT is an EBC 102. The battery needs to be replaced. The ELT is mounted where the controls are not accessible to the pilot and must be moved.
Fuselage:
Fabric is 28 years old. It is still sound and passes a Maule punch test at multiple locations at 46 lbs, but we recommend recovering this plane within two years.
An ice pick was used to probe lower longerons and lower rudder tubing. The tubing did not show any signs of lost strength due to rust.
Collected dirt and debris was vacuumed from the fuselage at the tail. No signs of moisture collection or tubing deterioration was noted.
All control cables are rusted and must be replaced along with the turnbuckles.
Trim cable and tensioner spring must be replaced due to rust.
Wings:
Many pounds of mud dauber nests were vacuumed out. The leading edges still have some loose mud dauber nests inside, but it is not a big issue, just an annoyance. The two wing tanks have mud dauber nests in the fuel drains and must be cleaned. Recommend the Curtis drains be replaced. Wing tanks were not filled with fuel nor tested. The fuel lines from the wings are original copper. Wing fuel valves need to be cleaned and lubricated.
The wing spars were thoroughly inspected and no deterioration was noted. Good varnish was seen on all spars.
Wing fabric was punch tested with a Maule tester and achieved the minimum 46 lbs recommended. The fabric appears sound in all respects although it is old.
Aileron control cables are rusted and must be replaced.
Lift Struts and Lift Strut Fittings:
Lift struts should be replaced to comply with AD.
Lift strut fittings shall be bore-scoped to comply with AD.
Empannage:
All empannage surfaces were inspected and fabric tested and found to be in airworthy condition.
Items Requiring Repair For Airworthiness
Lift Struts – X-ray or replace
Replacement lift struts with sealed, new struts.
Wheel bearings - replace outer bearings
Control cables – replace all
Landing gear bumpers – fabricate bumpers, replace bumpers, bungees, and safety cables.
Exhaust header – remove, repair, re-install. Entails welding a patch on the carb heat side and a new end on the tail pipe.
Replace ELT battery and relocate the ELT.
Propeller was overhauled but still needs a field approval.
The propeller on this Taylorcraft is a McCauley type 1B90. The propeller was overhauled by Jordan propeller.
The Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS # 696) calls out a McCauley 1A90. If the San Antonio FSDO will cooperate we should be able to get a 337 field approval for the propeller.
If the FSDO will not approve a 337 it will cost $1600 for new wood or $2500 for new metal prop.
Oil Temperature Gauge needs to be replaced.
Attached Files
Doc
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