Engine Upgrade Cost

[PA1195]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

The 74/43 is a good prop on a A65 but on a C85 it's to much pitch had one on my plane for a wile and had it repitched to 41 it helped but the Sensenich 72/40 on my C85 is much better.If i remember the difference between a 1B90 and a 1A90 is the B has square tips and the A has round tips.

Wouldn't the A-65 be less able to swing a MaC 74/43 to recommended static for takeoff performance than a C-85? I see for some aircraft the MaC 74/41 is noted as a climb prop for the A-65. I'd vote for the square tips given a choice (more airfoil where it counts) and pitched for the job.

MaCauley prop TCDS with vibration approved installations: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/b551b448acff577b8625726d0061ebdf/$FILE/P-842.pdf

As far as airframe TCDS props...just because they're not listed doesn't mean they're not approvable. Maybe "T" didn't test or have them available when the TCDS was approved in the late 1930's or subsequently.
Which brings another question: Can a TCDS be amended with new approved items for older model aircraft over time?

Gary

[labe0202]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Wouldn't the A-65 be less able to swing a MaC 74/43 to recommended static for takeoff performance than a C-85? I see for some aircraft the MaC 74/41 is noted as a climb prop for the A-65. I'd vote for the square tips given a choice (more airfoil where it counts) and pitched for the job.

MaCauley prop TCDS with vibration approved installations: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/b551b448acff577b8625726d0061ebdf/$FILE/P-842.pdf

As far as airframe TCDS props...just because they're not listed doesn't mean they're not approvable. Maybe "T" didn't test or have them available when the TCDS was approved in the late 1930's or subsequently.
Which brings another question: Can a TCDS be amended with new approved items for older model aircraft over time?

Gary

Yes, the TCDS's are revised. A-696 is on revision 24 on 5-21-08. I'm sure it's approvable too, just never dealt with something like this. Strange they wouldn't have just added it like on other airframes.

[PA1195]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Yes, the TCDS's are revised. A-696 is on revision 24 on 5-21-08. I'm sure it's approvable too, just never dealt with something like this. Strange they wouldn't have just added it like on other airframes.

Good info and good luck with your project Ben. Have you discussed this with local maintenance folks? There's some sharp ones here that may be able to help with the prop conversion. Try to find a T-Craft with one approved and installed as substantiation.

Unless it blows up my Taylorcraft should be flown up from Anchorage Ak today after nearly a year of negotiating and upgrades. Hope it's worth the time and $...I'm sure it will be an ok ship.

Edit: The ferry pilot/former owner reported wheels-up at 10:30 ADST...will be here in 3-4 hrs. Texting from a plane legal?

Gary

PS: My fellow Harley Davidson buddy and wife are spending the summer in Aitkin enjoying family, good riding, and fishing.

[labe0202]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Good info and good luck with your project Ben. Have you discussed this with local maintenance folks? There's some sharp ones here that may be able to help with the prop conversion. Try to find a T-Craft with one approved and installed as substantiation.

Unless it blows up my Taylorcraft should be flown up from Anchorage Ak today after nearly a year of negotiating and upgrades. Hope it's worth the time and $...I'm sure it will be an ok ship.

Gary

PS: My fellow Harley Davidson buddy and wife are spending the summer in Aitkin enjoying family, good riding, and fishing.

Thanks! I'm sure it's getting to be pretty nice flying season up there and will be a great time to start flying it again. Enjoy.

Aitkin is great in the summer and has no fewer than a billion good fishing lakes. No doubt they'll have a good time. Lake Mille Lacs just south of there had a fly-in on the ice this winter with 104 planes showing up.

[labe0202]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Good info and good luck with your project Ben. Have you discussed this with local maintenance folks? There's some sharp ones here that may be able to help with the prop conversion. Try to find a T-Craft with one approved and installed as substantiation.

Unless it blows up my Taylorcraft should be flown up from Anchorage Ak today after nearly a year of negotiating and upgrades. Hope it's worth the time and $...I'm sure it will be an ok ship.

Gary

PS: My fellow Harley Davidson buddy and wife are spending the summer in Aitkin enjoying family, good riding, and fishing.

Oh, and just found the IA I've used in the past (also a Taylorcraft owner) left for greener pastures so I'm on the search for someone new. Once I find someone I will be picking their brain on all this.

[PA1195]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Thanks! I'm sure it's getting to be pretty nice flying season up there and will be a great time to start flying it again. Enjoy.

Aitkin is great in the summer and has no fewer than a billion good fishing lakes. No doubt they'll have a good time. Lake Mille Lacs just south of there had a fly-in on the ice this winter with 104 planes showing up.

Yea up here in Alaska we lack the number of lakes the receding glaciers left Minnesota. I grew up in the UP and Wisc and never had the good fishing there my buddy talks about. No bites here? No problem. Drive across the road to a new pond. Off topic but it draws them back every other year. His tales of fishing lakes Leech and Mille Lacs take a cold beer to finish.

When he returns in September we'll take the T-Craft and go catch some big pike or maybe a black bear or moose. Surf and turf before winter.

Gary

[astjp2]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

I grew up in northern WI, Indians speared out most of the good walleyes back in the mid 80's, friends usually go to the Dakotas now for walleye and pike. Tim

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

I am sure you are feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. I am sure it is one of the nicest Tcrafts around. Looking forward to a report.

Jim

Unless it blows up my Taylorcraft should be flown up from Anchorage Ak today after nearly a year of negotiating and upgrades. Hope it's worth the time and $...I'm sure it will be an ok ship.

[PA1195]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

I am sure you are feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. I am sure it is one of the nicest Tcrafts around. Looking forward to a report.

Jim

Hi Jim and thanks. This will be my 9th plane (2nd was another '41 - N29694) and likely the last. These old birds can get like Christmas trees adorned with too many decorations...wing loading and #/hp go up and performance suffers. And they're never worth what went into the build.

So we'll see. I'll fly it on wheels to get familiar with the behavior before I put the floats on in a couple of weeks. Will do a review when I get the numbers figured out. It has a Field Approved 74/40 Sen (from my PA-11) mainly for floats and skis, and the new by Custom Aircraft STC'd 85 get it up kit with some C-90 parts so will be all it can be.

My former Taylorcraft also had the Gilberti/Harer mod with a heated up 85...Mac 75/38 prop and some O-200 stuff attached. If I could get to 38 mph it'd fly on floats loaded but the stall was non-VG and had to be paid attention to. I took off in Delta Jct from a farm field I kept it at on wheels and skis and barley (Pun) made it over the pucker brush. Once the crop grew up it really lengthened the roll. I landed at D-66 and the open gear was plugged full of grazing vegetation. It looked like a hungry cow with grass sticking out both sides of its mouth.

I hope the OP of this thread is able to get an I/A to help with his plane's performance. A light 65 T-Craft with the right prop and intake system should do very well.

Gary

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Hi Gary, I run the same prop as you do and have since I have had the plane for the last 13 years. Cruise speed is nothing to brag about but better than a PA11 with the same prop I hear. I have heard good things about the Catto and would like to give it a try.

What HP do you anticipate with the engine upgrades?

[PA1195]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Hi Gary, I run the same prop as you do and have since I have had the plane for the last 13 years. Cruise speed is nothing to brag about but better than a PA11 with the same prop I hear. I have heard good things about the Catto and would like to give it a try.

What HP do you anticipate with the engine upgrades?

Hi again Jim. With that prop I'd do low 90's W/S/F with the 11 at 2400 with the C-90 burning about 5-5.5. I like to use a manifold pressure gauge to set power, note ring and valve seal, and note carb ice right now. It'd be 21-23" at 2400 depending on altitude so less than 75% most times due to the flat pitch. The new 11 owner/former T-craft owner saw close to 100 with a 42 pitch same diameter, so the prop does loose cruise. But if you can't take off then it's a moot point.

He reports mid-90's now at 2350 with 26" tires and the 74/40 prop. Isn't testing and texting inflight great?

The Catto will be the next improvement if they ever get one certified. They do very well according to the Forums on the small Continentals and loose weight on the nose.

Power? I'm expecting equivalent C-90 performance (mid-90's) as that's what's inside, plus the C-150 exhaust and Donaldson filter on a tight box will help as well. The compression was kept at a legal 7:1. If I had gone with the edge-crowned C-85 pistons (~8.5:1) or Ly-Con slugs it'd be more. But then heat and wear become the time-limiting factor on TBO. Plus I'm of the opinion that if you need a Supercub then own one (I had two previously).

Gary

[Jim Hartley]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Good info Gary, thanks. She should be home shortly.

[PA1195]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Good info Gary, thanks. She should be home shortly.

He's got a SPOT or Spidertracks device but I didn't ask for the link info. Tom Bredin is a pro pilot and if he gets lost on a hot sunny day in Interior Alaska it's because he landed in Nenana and thumbed a ride to the Monderosa restaurant for one of their world-class hamburgers and greasy fries.

Gary

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Unless you have a soft spot for your airplane, cheaper to sell it and buy another one with upgrades already done.

[labe0202]

Re: Engine Upgrade Cost

Unless you have a soft spot for your airplane, cheaper to sell it and buy another one with upgrades already done.

Got a soft spot, that's the problem.