Original Taylorcraft Colors

[captjon]

Someone out there has to have the original Taylorcraft Blue formula or a sample. I am trying to round up the two colors, Taylorcraft Ivory and Taylorcraft Blue to see how they look together. I have a line on the Ivory, but need to find the blue.

OK tribe, who's got it? Hank? Jim? Storman?

Thanks for the help everyone.

Cheers,

[Dick Huish]

Re: Original Taylorcraft Colors

Jon, if you're talking about the blue metallic used before the war. I have some fabric I took off an L-2 door I got from Forrest 20 years or more ago. The door was done in blue exterior and gray interior. If you want a small sample I can send you one. Dick

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Original Taylorcraft Colors

Jon,
I have samples of both the Ivory and blue. The Ivory is from a pre-war aileron that was in a barn, under cover, since WW-II. I got a good sample of the color by putting some tape over the paint and pealing it up from the silver (checking the un-exposed color from the silver side). I passed that piece to Jim & Dondi Miller (Poly-Fiber & Ceconite Distributors (Toll Free) (877) 877-3334 Web Site: www.polyfiber.com www.aircrafttechsupport.com). They have mixed up a matching material to the sample. I have been told (by multiple sources) that the original Blue used around the war is the same as the current Randolph Newport Blue. The original was called a Metallic Blue but before the war there was supposed to be no metal in it and metallic at that time were just VERY high gloss.
Jim and Dondi can get you the colors you want and I found them to be really helpful. No business connection with them but I wish there was.
Hank

[captjon]

Re: Original Taylorcraft Colors

Hank:

Thanks. Yes, I just spoke to Jim and Dondi and they have the "formula" for the ivory. I am just looking for the right blue now.

Thought it might be nice for my factory demonstrator to be done in Taylorcraft Ivory with Taylorcraft blue stripe, Harry Ingram willing. (Then if I really like it, I might just do my own project in it.)

Dick:

I'll take you up on the offer......... can I give you a call? Or you can e-mail me and I can send you my address. [email protected]

Thanks everyone.

Cheers,

[Tcraftdc65]

Re: Original Taylorcraft Colors - Metallic Blue

I haven't logged onto the forum in ages but.....

Regarding Taylorcraft Metallic Blue, I have some info that may be usefull. From 1988- 1996, my A&P and I restored a DC-65, serial 4025 as original as possible. The original colors were Taylorcraft metallic blue, Taylorcraft yellow, and tan / taupe interior. Dick Huish provide a NOS metallic blue and tan fabric pieces. Ray Stits mixed up the paint to match perfectly in 1993.

I visited Forest Barber and he had a 1939 paint chip chart showing the Taylorcraft metallic blue and Taylorcraft yellow paint chips. He also had an original DC-65 metallic blue cowl with yellow stripe in the barn's loft. The cowl was usuable, the paint was faded, but it did allow me to measure the width of the yellow stripe and where it started on the cowl.

Forest also had a 1960's Superflight paint chip chart showing Fairchild / Taylorcraft Metallic Blue which matched exactly the 1939 paint chip chart and the NOS fabric.

I also own an original 1941 Taylorcraft sales brochure showing the "new" Tandem Trainer in metallic colors. It is too dark as compared to the NOS fabric and paint chip charts. Also the current Poly Fiber and Randolph Newport Blue paint chips are reasonably close but not exact.

Hope this helps everyone. The kudos go to Dick Huish and Forest Barber for supplying me with the sources back in the early 1990's.

Charles Rooks
(h) 310-541-1406

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Original Taylorcraft Colors

WOW a voice from the past , HI are you doing Charles Rooks, let us know where you have been and how it is in your part of the world.
For the other guys out there. Charles did a lot of research while doing his ship. I think I told him once it was not rocket science.
As to the paint, believe me they ( factory back then) bought from many sources and mixed a bit to produce colors. I recall the fellow that sent paint back twice to have it re blended. I then found out he was blind and could not asee the airplane. he went by what friends saew and told him!!! Then the restorer here, Frank Pavliga with the Piet, the WACO s and other ships also has a pronounced color deficiency.
Charles, e-mail me direct if you wish, [email protected]
bye Forrest Barber