Fs: Bc12-65

[mhorowit]

I went up to Pennington, NJ today to look at this a/c (N29890).
High time engine. Terrible cover (silver showing in many places, fabric in other)
Pressing on the paint caused cracking sound and breaking covering.
Looking in the wing, I see rusted wires.
Canvas baggage sling appears rotted. Tires have cracks.
Too much for me to undertake. Stored outside on grass.
POC is Doug Corlette (609.921.6172) - Mike

[d.grimm]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Is this represented as a project airplane?
How much?

[mhorowit]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Is this represented as a project airplane?
How much?

I don't understand the first question; as far as I'm concerned it's not flyable.

Talk to him about money. I think he's emotionally caught up with the a/c. I heard 2d hand he was asking 5 figures, but I told him what I saw, let him know the mechanic's cost was no longer $10/hour and that materials to cover ran around 4k and if a pro was to do it would cost 10k; that staying outside with poor fabric ment they were sure to find lots of rust to address, and not to be too shocked if he got offeres of between 4-6k - Mike

[crispy critter]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

I went up to Pennington, NJ today to look at this a/c (N29890).
High time engine. Terrible cover (silver showing in many places, fabric in other)
Pressing on the paint caused cracking sound and breaking covering.
Looking in the wing, I see rusted wires.
Canvas baggage sling appears rotted. Tires have cracks.
Too much for me to undertake. Stored outside on grass.
POC is Doug Corlette (609.921.6172) - Mike

Mike,
NC29890 according to the N# on the bottom of the wing.If I'm not mistaken this airplane is white with very fadded purple trim.The small D window were attached directly to the outside of the fabric.Around 1700 SMOH.The top of the wings looked like it had been rained on by silver buterayte dope.It had a wood prop,hadn't been flown in about 4 years,and it had a white and yellow C-150 setting next to it that looked like it had been setting longer than the T-craft.Surprisingly the engine did still run and sounded pretty damn good.This would make someone a great project airplane if they just wanted to do a ground up restore but it was not a flyable airplane.I thought I was being kind when I offered him $6000 for it and that was really a little on the high side of what it would be worth.
I have ferried some pretty rough airplanes in my life but this is not one I would have been willing to ferry.
I wish I had known this was the airplane you had been talking about Mike,I could have saved you a trip.

[mhorowit]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Mike,
I wish I had known this was the airplane you had been talking about Mike,I could have saved you a trip.

It was a bonding experience; it didn't work - MIke

[crispy critter]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Sorry Mike.....I hope you have better luck with the next one.

[mhorowit]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Sorry Mike.....I hope you have better luck with the next one.

I'm in no rush; I get smarter with each I look at; besides, I need to build a hanger and that has much of my attention. - Mike

[crispy critter]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Where are you building a hanger at? Have you already started it?

[mhorowit]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Where are you building a hanger at? Have you already started it?

I'm building on a grass strip (Warrenton AirPark), about :45 away.
It will be a PVC frame (like a quonset hut) 40x28. covered with 1/4" fan-fold insulation, then a film of some sorts. It will be braced internally and externally with poly strapping. Optionally, if we decide we're not happy with the security of the film, I will throw that orange plastic fencing you see around construction sites, over the top in overlapping rows. I can get a good clamp on that stuff and secure it to steel 'pegs' 2-3 ft long. Plans can be seen at http://www.airstrips.us/ - Mike

[crispy critter]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Hey Mike thanks for sharing that info with us.I know a couple of fellas looking for a cheap temperary hanger to house a couple of small experimentals for the winter but it will have to be removed this spring so the land owner can plant his crops....I'll pass this info onto them.

[mhorowit]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Hey Mike thanks for sharing that info with us.I know a couple of fellas looking for a cheap temperary hanger to house a couple of small experimentals for the winter but it will have to be removed this spring so the land owner can plant his crops....I'll pass this info onto them.

Glad to be a help; I'll let you know the progress; tonight I'm planting a 60' arch to see if the Tcraft wing will fit in (I don't know the opening of the arch at wing height; it will be 40' wide at the base; also I'll need a little more in the event I wanna lift a wheel) - Mike (playing engineer)

[Dennis D'Angelo]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

I went up to Pennington, NJ today to look at this a/c (N29890).
High time engine. Terrible cover (silver showing in many places, fabric in other)
Pressing on the paint caused cracking sound and breaking covering.
Looking in the wing, I see rusted wires.
Canvas baggage sling appears rotted. Tires have cracks.
Too much for me to undertake. Stored outside on grass.
POC is Doug Corlette (609.921.6172) - Mike

Stay in contact with the owner and he may let it go for less than you think. I've been watching that airplane since it arrived at Twin Pines--used to live in Lawrenceville (5 miles away) and learned to fly at TP before I joined Uncle Sam's Air Force. Keep me posted.

dd

[mhorowit]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Stay in contact with the owner and he may let it go for less than you think. I've been watching that airplane since it arrived at Twin Pines--used to live in Lawrenceville (5 miles away) and learned to fly at TP before I joined Uncle Sam's Air Force. Keep me posted.

dd

Please don't depend on me; like I said it's too much for me to tackle, so I'm on to look at another one. - Mike

[VictorBravo]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Consider that my two cents is worth between one and one and a quarter pennies...

Mike, if you counted a few hundred bucks for every month that you do not have a flying Taylorcraft, the length of your search should have an effect on the price you are willing to pay for a good flyable one.

In other words, let's say that you WOULD have spent a hundred or two on gas, maintenance, tiedown, etc. on an airplane if you had one. Take that hundred or two and pretend you put it into a shoe box under the bed. Then consider that you WOULD have had another hundred or two dollars' worth of fun with a T-craft, filling up your logbook, going out for the airport hamburger, etc. etc.

If you add that money to the amount that you were prepared to spend, you might find that the few months you have been pulling your hair out looking for the right deal has a value, and that it might have been worth while to pony up another couple grand for a straight no-problems airplane.

Trust me, I am the KING of 6 month hard-nosed nerve wracking airplane searches. My wife will attest to it. I always manage to find a good deal after a while, but looking back at it I wish I would have been flying sooner. For what it's worth,

Bill

[crispy critter]

Re: Fs: Bc12-65

Mike,
I must agree with Bill.Most of the time you get what you pay for however right now is a little hard to judge what is a good bargin on a needs some TLC bird,a good deal on a decent airplane,or a premium price for a show winner because the SL has made the prices a little crazy.2 years ago you could buy a real nice low time,less than 5 year old fabric t-craft for $15-20,000.Now that same bird will run you $20-25,000.The price value is just so hard to justifiy what is too high and what is fair until the market settles down a bit.
Lets ask for other opinions on this and see what happens.