Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

[Hank Jarrett]

I finally got the 4 piece flat panel templates together in my guest bedroom along with the tracings of the metal parts. I heard from Bob Coolbaugh, Mike Jones, Frank McQuaide, Warren Brown, Carl Carlson and Larry Lyons so far as wanting copies. No cost yet, but I will make one set and post my cost before making copies for everyone.

If anyone else wants them (or if any of you guys no longer want them) let me know so I can get an accurate count on how many copies to make. Please DON'T send me messages through the Taylorcraft group, I keep exceeding the limit for messages! You can reach me at:

aeroapplications at yahoo dot com

I would HOPE you guys can figure that out!

My COX email may not be active much longer, their service keeps failing and they are on their last warning before I change providers, so use my old company address above and I will convert that account to Taylorcraft use until I can set one up just for Taylorcraft stuff.

Please send me your addresses and phone numbers if you still want a copy of the drawings (these will not actually be "drawings" because of the size, but tracings of my parts). DON'T cut expensive plastic directly from the templates! It probably WON'T fit your plane right. Each plane was a little different and you are going to need to "massage" the shapes a little. I will walk everyone through the process here with cheap plywood and cardboard. Be prepared to waste some Plexiglas! This does NOT work the first time. Hopefully you will all get your Windshields (the front piece that is the EXPENSIVE one) done professionally. I broke a BUNCH of side windscreens trying to bend them and fit them to the front of the rib.
Hank

You should also be prepared for a few blisters and burns from heating the Plexi. You have to get it HOT to bend it without breaking. It is a great summer job when your hangar is so hot you don't want to go inside!

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

Thanks Hank no hurry here as I am years from needing those patterns. Larry

[ajfriz]

Re: Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

Please add me to your list.

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

I have a question, does anyone think the flat wind shield will cost you cruise speed? Another thought is, can/do you use thinner material as it better supported? Think "lighter" here.
Larry

[3Dreaming]

Re: Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

When I did mine I used 1/8" all the way around. If I was doing it again I would use 1/8" for the center and .090" for the sides and top.
I don't think you could see any measurable difference in speed. Tom

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

I have done some Bird Strike related crash investigations and I went up a size on the front glass. I had it cut, polished and drilled professionally and it IS heavier, but I don't know how much. That was one place where I was willing to take a minor weight hit to avoid a face hit with a pound of bird guts. It's AMAZING how much of a bird will go through a prop without getting hit by a blade!
The air behind a prop is a lot more laminar than most would believe too, so I don't know how much of a drag penalty there is. Seems a lot of air goes through the prop without getting "hit" too.
Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

This has actually been a slow year for the Taylorcraft. Don't know if you guys know it but in February I broke both of my knees. The surgery on the right knee is done and healed so I got a lot done at the hangar in the last month. Now it is time for the left knee (surgery scheduled for 6 September). This one "should" go MUCH faster since I have one good leg now.
One of the things that was finished recently was bolting down the entire four piece windshield and last week the wing to fuselage bands were fitted up and are now ready for finish.
I have all of the patterns here by the table and can start tracing parts. If you want the pattern set please send me your addresses and phone numbers (these will not actually be "drawings" because of the size, but tracings of my parts). DON'T cut expensive plastic directly from the templates! It probably WON'T fit your plane right. Each plane was a little different and you are going to need to "massage" the shapes a little. I will walk everyone through the process here with cheap plywood and cardboard. Be prepared to waste some Plexiglas! This does NOT work the first time. Hopefully you will all get your Windshields (the front piece that is the EXPENSIVE one) done professionally. I broke a BUNCH of side windscreens trying to bend them and fit them to the front of the rib. You should also be prepared for a few blisters and burns from heating the Plexi. You have to get it HOT to bend it without breaking. It is a great summer job when your hangar is so hot you don't want to go inside!Just about perfect right now here. My hangar has hit 110* more times than I can count this summer.
So far I have AJ Friz, Buell Powell, Bob Coolbaugh, Mike Jones, Frank McQuaide, Warren Brown, Carl Carlson and Larry Lyons on the list for tracings. I am supposed t be able to sit at the drafting table in about 3 or 4 days this time so I should be able to trace them while I recover.

Hank

Man I HATE it that I just got to the point I can get in the T door last month and now I have to start over!

[M Jones]

Re: Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

Dang Hank! Glad to hear that you're improving. As active and helpful as you've been here, I wouldn't have thought about you being in obvious discomfort to say the least. You take care and give those knees a rest.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Four piece flat panel pre war windshields

One reason I am on here so much is you don't need knees to use a computer. ;-)
I get out to the plane as often as I can but it seems like everything takes a lot longer till the first knee improved enough to be able to get in the plane. Took about 3 hours just to put in the new right wing aileron cables. Would have been a lot easier if the wings weren't covered or if the old cables were close to the right length. Now to rig them and get in the left wing before the surgery! Got to save up the stuff that doesn't need cockpit access for the recovery period.
Hank