What year is this Taylorcraft?

[TaylorcraftFlyr]

I get conflicting stories on what year this airplane is, the FAA registration thinks it is a 1941 but a mechanic says no way its a 1939. Its S/N 3241 registered as N36425. Also it is a BC-65. No date stamp on floorboard as it is not original. Thanks for the help.

[midniteflyer52]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

Hi,
For what it's worth, I own a 41 BL S/N 3236. I would say that the FAA is most likely right.

Regards,
Glen Brodeur

[Howard Wilson]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

Taylorcraftflyr, Juptner's U.S. Civil Aircraft Series Vol. 7 lists some of the early serial #s and original registration #s for ATC #696 T-craft BC (BC-65)s. ATC #699 T-craft BF, (BF-65)s, And ATC #700 T-craft BL, (BL-65). The B model line started with serial # 1000 around August of 1938 for the BCs and September '38 for the BFs and BLs. He states that the BC-65 model came on the scene late in '39, and the BC-12-65 was the version introduced for 1941. They seem to have been running the airframes down the line then installing whichever one of the three engines the customer ordered, so the line of serial #s jumps back and forth between the different engined planes. Anyway, The BC line went up to serial #1129 in '38. and started with # 1141 in '39. I know Juptner is 'close' with these numbers because he states that the BLs ended '38 with serial # 1137. My BL 20442 has a data plate stamped 01-6-39 and it is serial # 1130. So there is a small veriability in the #s or accounting method. Also had another BL 23858 serial # 1494 dated 10-27-39. All this to say that with your serial # 3241 it's most likely a 1941. Maybe later?? Or as in some of the other threads on this site have discussed; a later sn. fuselage was used to 'repair' an earlier sn. plane??
Another thing to do which would have been better than reading this rant is to go to landings.com and on their datbase section look up T-craft registrations to interpolate your #'s. Capt. Jon's Taylorcraft Hangar site has the tail # index, might be a good place to start.... Good luck, sorry for the ramble. Howard

[jCandlish]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

Also had another BL 23858 serial # 1494 dated 10-27-39.

Thats funny. My BC-65 serial # 1368 is dated 10-20-39.

Anyone know what changes with serial #1407 to allow for 1150MTOW? Or what the diffence between landing gears drawing B-A50 and B-A515 is?

How can I identify if my ship has the B-A515 gears? It says clearly 1150 in the logs.

Cheers
jCandlish
.

[N33972]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

My 1941 BL-12-65 NC33972 is ser # 2824 Mfg date of 5-8-41. Jeff

[VictorBravo]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

Mine is a 1940 BL-65. s/n 2387 and was originally 1150 pounds.

[peerlesscowboy]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

FWIW, my 1940 BC-65 left the factory in April 1940 designated a BL-50. Serial # 1770. Registration # N24433. I dunno' how the ser #'s were done but I'd guess you'r #3241 would be a '41?

John C. Saubak

[Forrest Barber]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

THAT ser# 3241 is a 41 of course. I sometimes miss these threads , e-mail me direct ( not private) , direct ..... I have the "B" book in front of me, if you ever want a copy send a SASE & $1.00 or TF# and nothing...
The "B" book is a bound ledger book showing the day these ships were taken out to the field for flight test it goes from ser#1768 thru 3400. It gets used a lot here at the Fly-In.... my Dad's handwriting is there for each ship he flew! Soooo #3241 came out for testing on 10-2-41 , she was a BF12 engine # 101298 , 4AC-176B2 ( thats a Franklin) prop ser# 19360 , weight that day was 754# .
Then my father Al Barber, lic# 26570, flew her for :45 mins on Oct 3, 1941 ( the second ship he flew that day) then he only flew 2 more that day.... ask for and thou shalt receive!

[Forrest Barber]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

The "B" book shows the real dates. It does get confusing as they do not go in order do to rework sometimes in the factory. Sometimes the data plate did not agree with the stamped number in the fuselage
So we see that ser#'s 2489, 90, 91 came out for testing on Dec 28th, 1940. then # 2497 came out on Jan 2..... BUT! we find 2501 on Dec 9th, 2502 on Dec 6th , and 2503 on Jan2nd... I have won a lot of Bar bets with this book In Aviation :
believe none of what you hear and half of what you see

And YES , firewall aft the B's are the same airplane , different TC , 696, 699 & 700 depending on the avaialble engine as they came down the line... bye for now , it is Sunday, I got to fly the B twice ,Patty has dinner ready.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

Serial number should be stamped on the upper pilot door hinge.

Mike

[George Hvizdak]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

My 1941 BL-65 has a closed cowl (still with a Lycoming).
Date of build August, S/N 3178

Go figure,

George

[Forrest Barber]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

Actually #3178 came out 8-19-41 as a BLT , do you have original data plate?
that meant she had an open cowl when built. she had engine ser#3680-2 a 0-145-B2 with a Flottorp prop # 18327 & weighed 705# ....

[Dano"T"]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

This is fun! My dad has a 41' BL-12-65 #3084...it has a closed cowl with an A-65 now....and I have a 40' BL-55 #1901 with an open cowl and an A-65. How Many BL-55's were there?? I also have a 46' BC12D #9808 and dad and I have another 46' BC12D #8908 that we just bought....We clearly like Taylorafts. We have 2 planes to restore....Dad's J-3 and my 40' BL-55. Should be fun...

[N33972]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

This thread got me looking at my project to see if I could find any clues to its original configuration when it left the factory. My T is currently under restoration so the parts are laying all over the place. The first place I went was to the original log book. It says that NC33972 ser # 2824 is a BL12-65 (O-145-B2) with a Fahlin prop model D-566 and its empty weight was 734. It also makes reference to having wheel pants. It has the Banjo type yokes, rear windows, wooden doors and trim tab in the elevator, so I assume that it is a Deluxe model ? Also looking inside the cowl it had the Red over Black color scheme like the 1941 sales brochure. My cowl is the closed cowl that has two patches over what I think is the Lycoming dual exhaust openings. It was converted to an A-65 in the early 1960's. The first Daily Inspection Report in the log was entered on 5-12-41 and the initials at the bottom are WAC. I wonder how close this comes to the book that Forrest has ? Jeff

[Ragwing nut]

Re: What year is this Taylorcraft?

Looks like you have a De Luxe. The window shape is wrong, but it looks like you have all the correct parts. The other telling feature is the designation. ANy prewars with "12" in the designation are De Luxe's such as BL-12-65. Standard prewars would be desiginated as BL-65. A quick check of the fuselage for sissy straps loops on the front door post will confirm a De Luxe fuselage.

Mike