BD-12d ??

[VictorBravo]

I have occasionally seen ad descriptions and other references to a "BD-12D". Forrest has informed me that the LAST "D" in the designation refers to the use of the surplus 2 hinge tail surfaces from the Model D/L-2 wartime stocks. But what is the FIRST "D"? I am aware of BC, BF, BL models, but I never heard of BD. Was there a Daimler-Benz powered prototype? A Diesel? A Dodge?

[crispy critter]

Re: BD-12d ??

IMHO....I believe it's a typo.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: BD-12d ??

I assumed you were kidding in the direct e-mail... there is NO BD-12D. I think you have way too much time on your hands.

[M Towsley]

Re: BD-12d ??

VB,

There was a magazine article, pilot report, referring to a BD-12. I always thought it was a typo. I think this Taylorcraft sight even has a reference to this article somewhere. I think that is how I found it originally.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: BD-12d ??

Kind of like the nerd on the East coast that advertised in Trade-A-Plane that he had a shop that did tube & fabric work in particular working on the
" Tailorcrafts" ; sure! The other must be a typo!

[mulwyk]

Re: BD-12d ??

Marty is right! I knew I'd seen that BD-12 thing somewhere. It's right here on this website. Go to "Buying,Owning, Flying" from the home page and there, about half way down, is the Budd Davisson article on the wonderful "Taylorcraft BD-12"!

Budd should know better. Worst part is: there's probably a bunch of folks who read that article and wanted to buy a BD-12 but couldn't find one.

Bob Gustafson

[Forrest Barber]

Re: BD-12d ??

THAT article was the reason I have never read anything that "Airbum" has ever written since then! I wrote a flaming letter to EAA at the time and asked Bruce Bixler to put something into the newsletter about the crap in this article.
Ie: mixes up BC-12 & BC-12D ( the BD was a misprint , not Budd's fault, I am sure) THEN he says that Champs & Cubs "never slid downhill as fast as the Taylorcraft " meaning going to rot quicker! Bull!
C.G. Taylor built "thousands" before the war ...CRAP! Several inches narrower than the Cessna l50 CRAP till they came out with the 150K and bulged the doors out, the true measurement is at the doorposts or shoulder width. WE are about 1 1/2 to 2 in shy of the 150, will have to measure one tomorrow.
Then we get into the Cub being a better "slipping" airplane. Have him bring a Cub to our Fly-in and lets see him beat my BC-12D. Then the last bunch of crap: Floating it does not float it flys..
If at the end of the slip , you round out and she does not set down like a graceful butterfly , then you are TOO FAST! It is not the airplane , it is the nut behind the wheel that has the problem. Gosh that was GREAT! I feel a lot better now. If Budd sees this I hope he grins, I did doing it
Stick with "teaching anyone to land a Pitts". When they come into my airport and want "checked out in a Pitts" . I usually stick my tougue in cheek and let them know that "if they need checked out in a Pitts" ; " they should not be flying it" Low time tailwheel pilots with a sign off to fly a 2 place Pitts are a accident looking for a place to happen..
Hi BOB YES I know I promised to be nice. Sit Forrest, Stay!

[N96337]

Re: BD-12d ??

I learned first hand not to believe ANYTHING that I read in magazines when Plane and Pilot did an article on my operation in April of 02... not ONE word of truth... they even stated that the Cub I was rebuilding at the time "had to be cut out of a tree with bolt cutters".. so the owner got a good natured call from the local FAA guy, wondering why he hadn't let them know he'd piled up... I wrote a letter, demanding a retraction and they just laughed at me and said they had a lawyer on staff and didn't figure I could spend enough money to make a problem with them.... the media stinks!!!
John H.

[VictorBravo]

Re: BD-12d ??

In addition to Budd Davisson's nonsense, I have also seen an advertisement or two over the years in TAP for a BD-12D. Hell, I was even actually frightened that Jim Bede had been involved at some time!!! Now that would even make some of the previous factory owners look good!

At least Davisson's article had one little bit of truth in it... "the best pilot at any airport is the Taylorcraft pilot who routinely conquers a gusty crosswind..." What he neglects to mention is that EVERY day is a "moderate turbulence" day in a Taylorcraft!

And yes, I do unfortunately have too much time on my hands because the (!*$#!($*^ wind is blowing here in LA to the point where flying my airplane would be no fun. When the wind blows from the north-east at my airport, we get "lee wave" behind the local hills and the rotor ain't no fun. It would be a minor inconvenience in a C-182, but alas...

BTW, is there supposed to be a rubber bumper or a hard stop for forward deflection of the control wheel? On my airplane (pre-war round control wheels), the wheel goes to within one inch of the instrument panel. My knuckles can get whacked by the olde-tyme ignition switch. I panel mounted a COM radio, and now I have to move that forward with spacers because the control wheel spoked hit the radio tuning knobs. Am I missing a part...or is the only stop somewhere in the elevator hinge in the tail?

[Richard Boyer]

Re: BD-12d ??

Dang Bill,

Are you doing inverted loops again?????

Richard Boyer

[Dan Carlson]

Re: BD-12d ??

Now that's the "Forrest" I remember. I always told you that if I ever grew up I wanted to be just like you. I'm 500 miles away and I still have to hold my hands over my ears!

[VictorBravo]

Re: BD-12d ??

The elusive BD-12D has been captured! A team of scientists with years of experience searching for the Yeti, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness Monster captured the only known BD-12D on film in 1966.

It appears that one (N38295) was secretly produced in late 1945 by a group of rogue factory employees, late at night while all the other employees were sleeping. The Taylorcraft BD-12D was capable of 124 miles per hour cruise on the Coninental A-65 engine, a marked improvement over the standard BC models being mass-produced at the time. The BD model was also reported to have a minimum takeoff and landing requirement of 156 feet, and featured 48 inches of cabin width, as well as allowing the occupants to see out the side window without hunching over. The BD-12D was equipped with a special door opening that allowed pilots and passengers to step into the aircraft with the ease of getting into a limousine without wrinkling their clothes.

The reclusive white and yellow aircraft was found quietly basking in the sun at a desolate former WW2 training field in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The aircraft's owner, Ted Miller, was completely unaware of the unique history of the aircraft, as have been Taylorcraft pilots, owners, and restorers ever since.

The crack team of aero-paleontologists were able to sneak up on the aircraft and snap the one known photograph of a BD-12D before the aircraft started up and took off into the mountains. The photo was believed to have been lost for decades, until it was located at the following website:

http://www.taylorcraft.org/scrapbook.html near the bottom of the page.

[Dick Huish]

Re: BD-12d ??

Budd interviewed me about fifteen years ago when he was writing an article on the L-2. Everything that I said was in the article with no errors. I was really impressed with his ability to do it with no errors. Dick

[stormman]

Re: BD-12d ??

WOW
I thought i had ass problems
Seems my buddy Has a Bee or is that a BD flying around his
You get them Forrest


BTW Good one Bill

[Forrest Barber]

Re: BD-12d ??

What a day here in NE Ohio, Windy, rain-snow, clouds. BUT my day is bright with Stormin back around!! Go get them buddy, arse, ass; you say potato I say potatoe .... I love our whole tribe!!!