Side windows

[Jim Herpst]

Does anyone know if some of the early 1946BC12D production runs (March 1946) had solid fixed windows secured with screws the actually on the outside of the door surrounding the window. about 2 inches from it ?

[astjp2]

Call Forrest, he would know for sure. Just call him on a Tues-Thursday afternoon East coast time.

[Jim Herpst]

I was thinking he may be the only one. Thanks for the best times to call...

[Jim Herpst]

So left a message for Forrest to call me. Not heard a word back. No surprise. Figured out the answer anyway.

[3Dreaming]

And the answer is, and how did you arrive at the answer?

[Ryan]

And the answer is, and how did you arrive at the answer?

Good question, as March was a transition month for the BC12D. About mid month or so they started with the large aluminum door with a wood door frame. Those doors would have had the sliding windows. fuselage was still the early type with two long wooden stringers on each side... Early March still had prewar style doors.

[Jim Herpst]

Good question, as March was a transition month for the BC12D. About mid month or so they started with the large aluminum door with a wood door frame. Those doors would have had the sliding windows. fuselage was still the early type with two long wooden stringers on each side... Early March still had prewar style doors.

Yup, has the long wood stringers on each side. Also the large aluminum door. My dad and his partner must have cheeped out when restoring her in the mid sixties( plane has not been restored since then). Solid window worked ok in Pennsylvania. Never recall that being an issue and had many hours in her then in the summers . Will not work in South Carolina however!! I arrived at the answer having never seen another one around its time of production with screws(even though they are slotted !) after looking through a ton of close numbered planes pictures. If it were original AND I could definitively prove it I would leave it as is.

[3Dreaming]

Good question, as March was a transition month for the BC12D. About mid month or so they started with the large aluminum door with a wood door frame. Those doors would have had the sliding windows. fuselage was still the early type with two long wooden stringers on each side... Early March still had prewar style doors.

Odd! I have a February airplane with big doors. No idea if they are original or not. They also have the Dexter door handles like the Deluxe on the outside of the door, with a slider handle on the inside.

[Scott]

Here's a pic (second image) from a Spring 1946 BC12D ad that shows both the sliding side windows, and air vents in the upper aft corners of the windshield. We need to assume that they used a current aircraft in the photo shoot!

The first photo, from the same ad, shows the "larger" doors, metal door frames and some other points of interest, like absence of interior trim, exposed aileron pully, left aux tank, and some kind of contraption under the panel extending below the seat.

[Jim Herpst]

So the plot thickens. Note the picture indicates NC 43610. It has metal door frames ,or so it appears.(frames on the fuselage for those confused) Our family Bird (a little bit later in the 4300 series) does not. Also shows fuel valves for the wing tanks as the same over the doors. ALSO and very interesting to me anyway it still has the 1945 style cowling attach...meaning no trunk latches HOWEVER yes the larger aluminum doors. Yikes.

[3Dreaming]

I have one just a little earlier than this NC43328 with big doors Dzus cowling fasteners. To be fair though, I don't think the cowling is original..

[Ryan]

Trunk latches came after May of 1946 when stringers, door frames etc... were completely converted to aluminum. I have seen the copy of a factory directive to employees at Forrest's that stated the change. Dzus fastners for the cowl on a March BC12D would in fact be correct. My door frame has an aluminum fairing that covers the front post were the front of the door presses against it creating a flat surface. I am NC43754 by the way, March 29th. And there are those golf clubs again!

[Hank Jarrett]

Got to remember that the factory would pull a fuselage for further work and re-insert it into the production line later (explaining why fuselage serial numbers often don't match aircraft serial numbers all the time). Taylorcraft was also frugal to a fault. They would change parts on the line when they ran out of the old ones. If a cowl change was made and an older one was in storage they probably would have used the old cowl on the new plane. Configuration control WAS NOT a priority!

[Robert Lees]

So the plot thickens. Note the picture indicates NC 43610. It has metal door frames ,or so it appears.(frames on the fuselage for those confused) Our family Bird (a little bit later in the 4300 series) does not. Also shows fuel valves for the wing tanks as the same over the doors. ALSO and very interesting to me anyway it still has the 1945 style cowling attach...meaning no trunk latches HOWEVER yes the larger aluminum doors. Yikes.

Jim, mine is 43640, that's only 30 "N" numbers away (so probably a day or two construction apart). I have all my original log books. https://www.taylorcraft.org.uk/breyhist.htm
My C/N is 7299

Rob

[Jim Herpst]

The family Taylorcraft is 43831 .has the cowl trunk latches however was in a front end crunch so my bet is that is when the trunk latch cowling was added. Love the Dzus cowl and if that was original to the plane would really like to go that way...easier said than done AND does 43831 really warrant it based on production date, Probably never know. I do know it has the large doors and the wood frame on the fuselage. Judges at Oshkosh really would not know what is what (to a point) Hank is correct plus there is such a mix out here making it indeed difficult. Would like the input back on what everyone THINKS is sensible for 43831. Thank you all. (Doors- appear correct minus the screwed in windows... re skin get a correct frame and add back the slider windows. Cowling ? now that is a question? Thank you all.