Floorboard pattern

[asq]

I am restoring a BC12D. The floorboards were lost somewhere in the past. I am looking for :
1/ floorboards for sale
2/ paper pattern so I can fabricate floorboards
3/ good photo of floorboards in plane.
Also, were they wood or metal. Thanks for any help. Larry

[robbie]

Re: Floorboard pattern

My are metal

[Robert Lees]

Re: Floorboard pattern

Larry:
I think it depends on the month. My April 1946 BC12D came to me with wood floorboards, but a friend's August 1946 BC12D came with aluminium floorboards.

I doubt there is specific information on which aircraft had which type of floorboard, but anecdotal evidence does support that early post-war were wood and late post-war were metal (ease of mass-production because of greater numbers, right up to the crash late '46).

What is your serial number? That might give a clue.

Rob

[M Towsley]

Re: Floorboard pattern

Larry,

I think I did a tracing awhile ago with the intent of making new ones. Let me take a look and see what I have.

[ken hecht]

Re: Floorboard pattern

mine are wood and have both as removed from my bc12d just pay shipping and are good to go? Ken

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Floorboard pattern

Making new ones from wood is really worth the effort. Getting a used set (no matter how good or bad they are) is WELL worth the trouble! No two planes are exactly the same and when you get used ones they will either have GENEROUS gaps around tubes and controls (to allow for production tolerances) or will be made by a previous owner to close up the gaps, so that it won't fit your plane well.
You WANT to make new ones so you can customize them to close up those gaps. It seem like anything you drop in the cockpit will immediately roll to the nearest open gap and end up in the boot cowl. When I pulled my boot cowl while the engine was off I found POUNDS of loose fasteners, washers, pencils, nails (NAILS?!?!!?) checkers (COME ON, who could play CHECKERS in a Taylorcraft?) and a lot of junk I couldn't even identify. I used my old (loose fitting" floorboards to make a TIGHT set that had about 1/16" gaps on non moving parts and as small as I felt safe with on everything else (like cables and controls). Do it right and nothing will chaff, but even a stumpy pencil won't get through. I even used Adel clamps around the tubes and custom fit plywood pieces in front of the rudder pedals. My floor are almost tight enough to hold water (OK, not THAT tight!).
Take the old floors and tape cardboard pieces around all the gaps to be a template for your new floors. I also added a fore and aft Doug Fir strip under the center break so that the top side would come out easy followed by the lower piece. The plywood will have to have a curve in it to fit well and mine took the shape after a few months in a hot hangar. The new ones were lighter than the original ply ones but a little heavier than the metal ones.

Hank

The one in the middle is the old set from the 45. I used them to make new 41 floors. The 41 ones were so bad they were useless. That black thing is a copy of the original battery box

[asq]

Re: Floorboard pattern

A big thank you to everyone! I think you may have found my floorboards for me. I was looking for 2 narrow sections to lay crossways in the cabin. Now that I see what they look like I think I know right where they are.
This may sound strange ,but a few years ago a friend asked me to restore this bird. I got everything covered through 2 brush coats of Stewart's EkoFill and he took it home to paint it. Business being good, he just could never spare the time. A month or so ago I got the project back exactly the way I sent it. Things have been moved and scattered at both his place and mine. I have been chasing parts and have the fuselage painted and ready to assemble. Next is to assemble the instrument panel and mount the boot cowl and firewall. Just found the firewall today in the back of his old hangar 40 miles away from my shop. Guess where? Ha! Right in the boot, eh?
Anyway, want to let you know I truly appreciate your help and suggestions. Hope you have a Merry Christmas, Larry