1946 BC-12D SN discrepancy

[Doc]

Howdy: After straightening out a bent lower longeron on the pilot side and completing some TIG welding repairs, I finally got around to sandblasting and priming (Super Koropon) N43306's fuselage. Today, while spraying the forward half of the fuselage with a white epoxy base color application, I glanced at the serial number stamped on the door post tabs and was floored to see that it didn't match with the aircraft data plate. The SN on the airframe is 6962 (N43303) and the my data plate is 6965 (N43306). Has anyone run into this mismatch before? I assume the data plate is "trump", but how do I get around the fact I have this discrepancy? According to the FAA registry, there is a N43303 (SN 6962) located in 29 Palms, CA. Any ideas? Thanks. Doc

[lktiller]

Re: 1946 BC-12D SN discrepancy

You are correct in that the data plate is the trump. If there is no dataplate there is no airplane. Call the others Part Numbers ---.
It's interesting to speculate what may have happened but unless there are log entries that speculation is fruitless.
My '41 BC12-65 has the mismatch, FAA had no problems declaring the dataplate legal.
My '46 BC12-D has NO number anywhere on the fuselage.

[hangarb7]

Re: 1946 BC-12D SN discrepancy

If I noticed something like this now, I wouldn't give it a second thought. Taylorcraft at that time was mixin' and matchin' like an old lady at a barn dance.

Note that I have a 1946 BC12D, and my tail number matches my SN. So why did they change from your numbering method in the same year? No idea. But I saw a picture once of the factory that had tail numbers very similar to mine all lined in a row. My ship was probably in there.

Yet, a couple years ago I inspected a T'craft with a build date the same month as mine and it had a similar registration number but a wildly different SN.

Unless Forrest can shed some light on it or you have a log entry, sixty years later it will remain a mystery.

Enjoy the plane!

Jack Dernorsek
N44057
SN 9857

[alwaysoar]

Re: 1946 BC-12D SN discrepancy

Would there be a problem is it came up in a pre-buy inspection? In other words, is it a marketable airplane?

[3Dreaming]

Re: 1946 BC-12D SN discrepancy

It is my understanding that when these airplanes were built they would come off the line for a test flight. If everything was OK the data tag and paper work was finished up. If not it went back in to have the problems corrected, then an other test flight. When this happened the paper work and data tags would not match the number stamped on the airplane during production. My old 41' BL was off by 13. Forrest looked it up in one of the test pilot's log books, and sure enough it had went back in to have something fixed then brought back out for an other test flight. Tom

[dewhitaker]

Re: 1946 BC-12D SN discrepancy

There was also a windstorm in Alliance that wrecked many planes at the factory that were sitting out. I can remember hearing some of the oldtimers talk about it. They salvaged as many as possible, using whatever pieces they could. Probably some mismatching of numbers as a result. It has been awhile since I looked at Chet Peeks book, it may tell about it there.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: 1946 BC-12D SN discrepancy

There are MANY reasons for the fuselage number not to match the data plate but a sharp FAA PMI doing a "conformity" inspection may spot this item.
I issue a letter of opinion from the factory records we have here to explain most of the problems. BUT don't try to pass off an early B fuselage with later wings & increased gross weights without a lot more data!!
e-mail me direct with details & we will check it out!