When looking for parts!

[Jim Herpst]

I have been a member and user here for a long time. I would hate to see this forum disrupted. The managers of it have been doing this for us without asking for a cent. Frankly I believe they should be reimbursed. I do not know anyone trying to get on as a new member so am unfamiliar with those issues other than what I am hearing here. Seems like it would be simple enough to approve a new member but given the hack I can also see not so fast ... bottom line this has been a damed good site

[N96337]

Some of these people have been waiting MONTHS, and I have sent messages, email addresses, etc. No change. There's at least half a dozen owners just on the one group that have pretty much given up, trying to get approved, and I really don't blame them!! Like I said before, I am very thankful for what the powers that be, do for us here, but we're cutting our own throats by staying in the dark and not letting new people have access. Everyone gets hits from hackers.... there's better ways to deal with it, obviously. One of these days, this antiquated site will be inaccessible for all of us and there will go ALL the info on here!!! Tim's put a bunch of time, loading tech stuff on , as well as others. I try to save anything I'm interested in immediately, so I might be able to retrieve it later. But without new members, this is going to fall down. Just a matter of time. We have a really good opportunity to have it hosted by an up to date, well managed and very secure host...I think we're crazy not to.
John

[Jim Herpst]

John,

Yup I get it .

Kinda like the religious sect that practiced total celibacy in western PA. They are no more!

It seems we have a bit of a balancing act here for the keeper of this site . We want him happy and we want it to work for all to enjoy..

I dunno. What does this other gent want to start another forum ? Someone to hand him the keys to this one ? He could simply start another one could he not ?

Just a question trying to figure the angles.. not wanting to be incendiary for or to anyone with it.

I do see some very naive posts on Facebook from the younger set with interest/Ownership of our beloved Taylorcrafts. They do deserve a shot for a place to go for real knowledge other than Facebook after the bordome of snapping selfies takes place .Then again I also know of some millennials from other aviation endeavors that it is a constant stream of never ending self serving glory that Facebook gives them a platform to feed into . Ugh.

Bottom line we have a great site that yes should be accessible to all non nefarious users . Lots of words from both of us...

Jim

[Hank Jarrett]

I am on both. Different but both good. They serve different kinds of people with slightly different desires, thus, I like both. I don't understand the people saying they can't get in here. I admit I have been here a LOOOOONG time, but those who know me know I am NOT a computer genius. I have asked several peoples questions for them in the past while they waited to get aboard. I tell them all the same thing. Be patient. The people here are TAYLORCRAFT people first, not social media or computer people first! It is worth the wait and many should be on both sites. If a third site starts up, I will join it too. If there are regional sites, I will also join them. For me, the more the better! I worry that someone will say the wrong thing on the FB group about some politician and they will get shut down by the FB censors. The FB management folks DO NOT FOOL AROUND! The Taylorcraft FB site doesn't get much attention from the censors because they don't get political much. If someone gets too political here, I have a feeling those who don't agree would just not read it. Funny how free speech works among friends. I like everybody here. Screw the politics!

[PA1195]

I was on Backcountry.org for some time mainly to learn from others. Then they started discussing limiting it to (I believe) aircraft owners and eliminating students and interested parties (something like that but my recollection isn't perfect) who had questions but had little input yet. I decided that wasn't for me as the same established folks were posting over and over. That can happen and that's ok...just not for me. It was well run and a fountain of information.

Yes to loose what's here would be very sad.

Gary

[N96337]

I remember that too, Gary. It got shot down pretty quickly! There's always going to be someone that acts like that. We've been through it here, but it's not the "norm".
Jim, I asked the same thing of Zane and he said that the only real difference we'd probably notice is some advertisements. I've been a member over there for a long long time, and although I don't post too often, I visit almost every day. He has banner adds at the top of the page and that's about it....it's not like some sites that have banners popping up in the middle of all the threads...we ALL hate those. If he has a claim to more traffic, he gets more advertising money, and he's the first to tell you that, but he's sincerely just as worried about pertinent information disappearing as anything. He's not trying to make a living off his site, he has a full time tech job. I do have to say, it took me a little while to get used to his new format for the site over there, and I wasn't wild about it at first, but I really like it now. There's a ton of info available and it's pretty easy to find.
John

[Glenn Farrant]

Hi Martin,

Thank you for your service as an admin on the Facebook group. It's a valuable, yet thankless task. I see how my comments could be read as negative to the Taylorcraft Group. I did not mean them that way. They were aimed at Facebook being a complete alternative to forums like this.

Facebook groups are great for way Facebook is designed. It's kinda like the "water cooler". It's great to drop in, see what's going on and tell stories. It's designed to capture attention. It's therefore heavily image-based and also selectively shows content. Yes, the search it there, but it's a secondary design consideration and therefore a limited feature. Additionally, web searches can't find content in Facebook. It's a walled garden.

Having seen forums like this disappear with thousands of man-hours of content, knowledge and history due to the migration to Facebook groups, I'm convinced the world is poorer for it.

Both have their place. Thank you for maintaining the Facebook group. I love to see what's going on and what people are doing.

Cheers

Glenn

[RMyers]

I purchased both sides of the landing gear on my 41. They were from univair out of denver. They are built stronger than the original with the tie strut having about double the diameter pipe. They fit perfectly.

[astjp2]

My only issue is that A Pacer gear is like $900, but Univair is double that for the Taylorcraft gear...and their cast aileron hinges are something like $700 each.

[Jim Herpst]

Tim, That is precisely why a mfg of our plane is needed.... For parts! It was suggested long ago that the new Taorcraft company engage in making parts. Univare is charging what supply and demand will support . They have a limited supply and we have still a good number of our birds flying or being restored.. Pipers not so the same situation. If the new Taylorcraft company had done just parts..then as suggested work on an updated Taylorcraft (The timing at that time would have been perfect as LSA was just around the corner!) Damed great kit as a experimental using some updated ideas ..like a bigger cabin and much less labor intensive wing ....the tube spars ply ribs like the Avid and now successful Kit Fox line that in my opinion started as simply a copy of them. Wow.! But here we are in reality...At least we have an ample supply of Taylorcrafts!

[Hank Jarrett]

The concept is still alive. A business plan was created to do exactly what Jim is describing, we just need to get all the paper right with the FAA. There is even a nice piece of property available next to an airport here in SE VA. What is needed is the Type Certs for at least teh BC12-D and earlier (the later ones are really tied up) and some way to get the tooling that was tossed into storage when the late model planes TCs went to Mexico.

Hank

[astjp2]

Tim, That is precisely why a mfg of our plane is needed.... For parts! It was suggested long ago that the new Taorcraft company engage in making parts. Univare is charging what supply and demand will support . They have a limited supply and we have still a good number of our birds flying or being restored.. Pipers not so the same situation. If the new Taylorcraft company had done just parts..then as suggested work on an updated Taylorcraft (The timing at that time would have been perfect as LSA was just around the corner!) Damed great kit as a experimental using some updated ideas ..like a bigger cabin and much less labor intensive wing ....the tube spars ply ribs like the Avid and now successful Kit Fox line that in my opinion started as simply a copy of them. Wow.! But here we are in reality...At least we have an ample supply of Taylorcrafts!

Jim, I would be happy to have enough tooling to build some of the parts, having an alternate is about the best we can hope for. Tim

[Jim Herpst]

Well I wish you could get some of that tooling... Or someone like minded that would DO!

We do need it!

[Scott]

Be careful what you wish for. In an odd way we're kind of lucky there's no owner/manufacturer. In the litigious world we live in there would be a steady stream of cya "supplemental" inspections, mandatory life limits on certain components, service bullitens, letters etc etc. Most of it originating at the board table, not the engineering department as the legal department learns that 70+ year old aircraft are still flying around with there corporation's name on them!

If you've looked through the Cessna SID inspections you'll know what I mean.
S

[Jim Herpst]

Scott,

I made the same statement earlier and in this thread I believe. Indeed that is the unfortunate other side to all this