New member,wood doors

[Norm G]

I just aquired a 41 Tcraft that was stored for 50 years. My restoration now bigins. I started with the wood stringers first and there done, now onto the doors. The Doors are a mess, anyone have drawings on wood doors, or how can I find some. I'm new to Tcraft so I'll need all the help I can get. In the past I restored a 7AC Champ with some sucess, I won best In show at Middletown Ohio Areonca Fly-in, but I know little about Tcraft. My hope is to put together a great pre war aircraft. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, Norm G N29715

[Robert Lees]

Re: New member,wood doors

Hello Norm...

I know very little about wooden doors, but you will find several folk on here that I am sure will help you.

Welcome to the Taylorcraft fraternity...have you had occasion to fly one, and compare it with the Champ?

Rob

[Ragwing nut]

Re: New member,wood doors

Wood doors are exclusive to the De Luxe only. I do not know of any prints available for them.

Mike

[Dano"T"]

Re: New member,wood doors

FYI...ther's a set of 1940 door frames on ebay...all blasted and primed.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: New member,wood doors

The 40 doors on Ebay are the tube type and won't fit on a 41 with wood doors. I have a 41 and have repaired the doors on mine with the aid of a set of drawings I got from someone on the group (can't remember who but would almost BET it was Tom B. If it goes on a 41 he seems to have it.) Hit me with a private message and I will try and do my normal SLOOOOOW thing of digging out the drawings and making a copy.

[dsmuda]

Re: New member,wood doors

I just aquired a 41 Tcraft that was stored for 50 years. My restoration now bigins. I started with the wood stringers first and there done, now onto the doors. The Doors are a mess, anyone have drawings on wood doors, or how can I find some. I'm new to Tcraft so I'll need all the help I can get. In the past I restored a 7AC Champ with some sucess, I won best In show at Middletown Ohio Areonca Fly-in, but I know little about Tcraft. My hope is to put together a great pre war aircraft. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, Norm G N29715

I sent you a private message on the doors I have a set of 41 bc-12 65 wood dan

[Norm G]

Re: New member,wood doors

The question is, did I ever fly a Tcraft and how does it compare to the Champ.Yes I have about 40hr in one back about 1970, it was a club airplane. The thing I remember most was that the speed had to be just right or would float forever. I also flew one on floats with a 0200 on it. I think all the old rag wing planes are great, the Champ was a real fun bird too. I kept the Champ at a private grass strip here in Connectiuct so that meant skis in the winter, lots fun.

As far as the wood doors go, I'm making them. In the past week I made all the internal pieces. The next thing will be to fit them to the airframe and final assembly. I'll bet this could take another week, and maybe they will fit.

The private message from (dsmuda) I haven't got that yet, maybe it's due to being new to this forum and not quite knowing how it all works yet. As far as the door plans for wood doors go, if you have them I could sure use them and how can I get them.

Thanks, Norm

[Tom Baker]

Re: New member,wood doors

I just aquired a 41 Tcraft that was stored for 50 years. My restoration now bigins. I started with the wood stringers first and there done, now onto the doors. The Doors are a mess, anyone have drawings on wood doors, or how can I find some. I'm new to Tcraft so I'll need all the help I can get. In the past I restored a 7AC Champ with some sucess, I won best In show at Middletown Ohio Areonca Fly-in, but I know little about Tcraft. My hope is to put together a great pre war aircraft. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, Norm G N29715

norm i have prints for the wood door. the print plus postage 10.00 give me a mailing address.tom baker nc 29654 bc 12 65 delux.

[Norm G]

Re: New member,wood doors

norm i have prints for the wood door. the print plus postage 10.00 give me a mailing address.tom baker nc 29654 bc 12 65 delux.

Tom, Yes, please send the prints, and thanks.

Norman Graham
177 Reidy Hill Rd,
Amston, CT 06231

I can pay now or later, your choice.

Norm

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: New member,wood doors

OK, finally got to check my messages and looks like it WAS Tom that I got mine from. You are probably going to get better copies from Tom since mine would be 3ed generation copies and his are second. My doors are sitting in front of me now at home awaiting new inside fabric. Never opened up my doors so I don't know what I'll see with the upholstery off (the repairs were to the verticle front and rear window frames. DON'T pull the doors shut by the window frame and DON'T bang the doors repeatedly against the little storm door clips to hold them open! Prior owner cracked all four places.)

When I repaired my doors I put strips of Carbon Epoxy under the ply skin and my window frames are REALLY strong now.

[Rick Connolly]

Re: New member,wood doors

Norm, Fill us in on your 50 years in the barn story......

[Greg Bockelman]

Re: New member,wood doors

Norm,

Was there a permanent airworthiness certificate issued before it went into storage? If not, you might want to get with the FSDO to see what they are going to want as far as a conformity inspection.

I own a pre war airplane that sounds a lot like yours. It was never issued a permanent airworthiness certificate. It would not have been much of an issue if the airplane was restored to original, but the guy that did it did a whole bunch of upgrades to it before getting the feds involved and it has been pretty much of a nightmare to get straightened out. Hopefully that is all behind me and I can go fly it now. Well I can dream

Greg B.

[Norm G]

Re: New member,wood doors

Stored for 50, more like worked on for 50 years. A fellow EAA er took over this project in 1960. Bob is very very carefull about every thing he worked on, it all took a great deal of time for him clean, repair, replace. Everything he worked on ( he's a stickler for detail ) took time. Abour 5 years ago he finaly gave up working on this great old bird. Many people wanted to buy her over the past 5 years but Bob wasn't ready. Two months ago, at a EAA meeting Bob asked me if I would be intrested in buying his Tcraft. I hadn't seen it in 20 years or so when he was working on it regularity. Now at age 83 he knows he won't finish it. I have known Bob for more then 30 years and live 8 miles away so he could follow it through to completion and maybe work on it some. I promissed to finish his project and he will get to fly her.

The subject of wood doors. There not easy to build, but I got them both framed out and fitted to the dood frame on the airframe. When I get the prints I'll check out all the dimensions before I skin them with the plywood and fit them up with the hardware. Not sure what to do about the latch sustem yet. The original configeration looks crude.

[Rick Connolly]

Re: New member,wood doors

Thanks for the story and info. Sounds like you going to have a tough supervisor

[Norm G]

Re: New member,wood doors

Greg, No permanent Airworthiness Certificate was issued. I guess FSDO will be called in before I get to far into this project. I planned to contact them anyway to talk about the glue I would like to use on the door wood ( T88 ). Got to think about that for awhile before I invite the Feds to the house.