Wheelpants, where to find them?

[jCandlish]

I'm trying to locate a supplier of tcraft wheel fairings. The following source seems to have disappeared.


Wheelpants U.S.A
2390 Crenshaw Blvd. Suite #355
Torrance, Califonia
(310) 325 5304

[email protected]

Wheelpants for:
Antique Replicas, Racing, and Imported Aircraft Replica wheel pants are fiberglass designs that conform to the original shape and outside dimensions of the standard factory design. Most of our replicas designs are from antique classic aircraft. Many of our molds were made from the original factory pants. In order to make some of our replica designs look even more authentic, we have duplicated the original rivet heads, bolt heads welded seams or crimped ridges found on factory parts. Our replicas are so accurate that judges at Oshkosh and Sun & Fun routinely mistake them for original wheel pants.

#110-Taylorcraft -with ridge
Tire Size-6.00x6" Opening-9.25"x19.5" Axle to Top-9.5"
Length-32.75" Height-14.25" Width-10" Weight-5 lb.
Price---$185.00 (With Bulkhead Installed)

Any ideas for an alternate source most welcomed.

Cheers
jCandlish
.

[Hank Jarrett]

Anyone want to try making a mold? I have a set of glass pants and an original metal set. All of you that know me know I might get around to making a mold and new sets of pants but none of us will ever live long enough to ever see them.
They say you aren't allowed to go to heavan till you fulfill all your promises on earth and I have so may projects and promises out now that I will never die. Anybody have experiance making molds for parts as big as a wheel pant?
Hank

[Jim Herpst]

Van of Vans aircraft used to STC these for T crafts. (He no longer does) They really seemed to help clean up the bird and looked good as well. I think Wag Aero has some that will work and look about as good... You wil probably need to fab up some attach hardware...... JIM

[Carl Ellis]

I finally took my wheel pants off. It was just a royal pain to check the tire pressure given the way they covered the valve stem. I do agree that they look very nice. No, I'm not selling them, they need to stay with the airplane.

- Carl -

[Yellow Duck]

Wheel Pants

I am also looking for a set to replace mines. The ones I now have are from a 172, and I wold like to get a set that looks more like the original T-Crafts. Someone said Spruce, or Wag or maybe Univair. Will look at all these. But I also am lazy and always putting things off. So if anyone does check on these and find some let us all know.

Lee
Yellos Duck

[yerich109]

Yep, I hit Van's up for some information on his STC, and this is what I got back...
=============================================
Dear Mr. Hollingsworth:

Yes, I still hold the STC for the T-craft wheel fairings. However, the production molds and jigs were lost or damaged many years ago, and no production has taken place for at least 30 years. Thus, I doubt that I can be of any help to you, whatever your interest level may be.

Sincerely,

Dick VanGrunsven
=============================================

I've got to admit, I was supprised that he took the time to respond to my email.

I have since changed my mind about the pants. I found that the Shinn wheels look excellent when they are painted to match the color of the aircraft. They look like crap when they're black, but dress them up with some bright paint, and it really brings them out.

Blue Skies,

[Tcraft Classics]

My guys could probably make the mold - they would need some sort of commitment to make the numbers work. They could do carbon fiber or glass. They would need a pattern or original part first. Let me know

[jCandlish]

so ... given the difficulty of dealing with non-pma'd parts, and the costs of making molds it looks like its more efficent to make just one set of fairings.

For that I would need to 'borrow' an original fairing to copy. Or maybe there exists an engineering drawing?

If anyone could lend a pre-war fairing of the type illustrated in the picture I would be most grateful.

Cheers
jCandlish
.

[Hank Jarrett]

I have a glass set and an original metal set but as you said, the problem is with paper. Whoever makes them will need approval to sell them. I have been contacted by a member that has a mold and the pants he made from them look so good I thought they were metal. Thing is, he made ONE SET for his use and that makes them "Owner Manufactured". My glass ones are on the shelf right now since there is nothing in the logs showing when they were even put on. I would hate to have an incident going off a runway because the pant fitting failed and have the FAA ask where the pants and fitting came from.
There ARE ways to get the basic pant made in numbers and still meet the "Owner Manufactured" requirement but we will need someone that wants to do the layups (I would recommend Graphite to keep the weight down), loan of the molds, and some paper and finish work from each of the users. Who wants a set? Got to start with the demand side of the equation.
Hank

[Forrest Barber]

Actually " Harbor Ultralites" in Ca. copied the pre-war Tcraft in the 80"s in fiberglas and we had a set on a Hatz here. Will check more, I have the Taylorcraft molds from the past but not the pre-war.

John , what are you doing about the cast attach fittings, do you have them??

[Hank Jarrett]

In my opinion the Cast fittings are a prime example of what should be redesigned as a new part. They should be made from welded steel, not cast aluminum. Seems like every aluminum one I look at is cracked. There was a set of steel fittings with the glass pants on one of my planes and although they weren't as pretty as the cast ones, they were a LOT stronger. BOTH of the cast fittings on the 45 were cracked.
The other thing that is needed is a small door to be able to check the tire pressure without taking the pant off.
Hank

[Forrest Barber]

The later ships had the welded steel fittings. A few folks want the cast ones for the early ships to be authentic. WE cast a few here but they needed a lot or rework before use..... I will photo soon.

[jCandlish]

Rob Lees calls this part the 'spat bracket'. Kind of makes you wonder about the rest of the tuxedo, or maybe in the '30s it was a zoot-suit.

Anyway Carl Dye suggested steel replacements. The cast parts seem to have become very brittle.

Heres a photo of my originals, pre strip-down.

(bigger here: http://www.candlish.net/taylorcraft/...8/page004.html)

Cheers
jCandlish
.

[taylorcraftbc65]

Pre-war wheelpants

Hank,
I would love to have a set, ( with the doors to check the air
pressure of course ). let me know if anyone in the group starts making them. Sabrina

[Pinyon-nut]

Wheel Pants

Please include me in on the list of people who would like a set of Spatz for my sweet yellow bird.

Ron