Orginal Wheel Pants

[3Dreaming]

This is Tom Bakers 41 wheel pants (probably the best 41 T around). It shows the crimped seam and a really nice cast attach fitting.

Except they are glass pants. The brackets are original. These pants were made back in the 1980's by Harbor City Ultralights, Wag Aero has pants made off the same plug now.

[Ryan]

I have seen a number of pre war planes with polished aluminum seam strips but of course there is no way to tell if the pants on the plane were original to the plane. I got the GRP pants all cleaned up and can guarantee they were from way after the war. I may start restoration on those and see if I can make them a better replica of the metal ones. The quality is NOT very good and I seriously doubt I would use them for anything but display. I also have one of the earlier pre-war "spats" type wheel covers. They are really neat, but I would have to make a mirror image one for the other side.
The first photo attached is supposed to be from a 1941 advertisement
. The pants have he "bird wing" and polished seam strip but more importantly also the SS and cast aluminum nose trim which wasn't supposed to be available after the war (and yse I know, it says BC-12D not BC12-65 but that label was put on by Skyways Plane Portraits, not Taylorcraft. The other thing that is off is that is a POST war color layout. I kind of wonder if this might be one of the early 1945 birds that used a lot of left over pre-war parts.



This photo is a FOR SURE pre-war pant on NC-24332. Note the crimped seam and tear drop "bird" Also note the welded attach fitting.

Hank's ad is a '45 BC12D so like he said retains a lot of prewar characteristics. Remember guys the wheelpants were not made by Taylorcraft but were a company in Alliance called Consolidair. That company was run by Duke Iden the VP of Taylorcraft. They made pants for all of the major aircraft companies of the day. The spatz you mention Hank are Consolidair 16s...

[waltermrich]

I would be interested in knowing where I could get a beautiful print like that ?

[Hank Jarrett]

PM Sent

[waltermrich]

Thanks