sky-light again

[ken hecht]

I know this has been run around the mill lot of times, but, I'm looking for someone that has a signed 337 on the installation of the skylight on 1940, BL65 or BC65 T-craft without modifiying or welding on the aircraft structure. I'm interested in Victor Bravo idea. Let me know what I need to do? Victor Bravo you can step in anytime!
Ken
27658
TF#375

[VictorBravo]

Re: sky-light again

Hang in there! I'm almost done with it. I have been working on the drawing package, and have written the "program letter", which is the overall proposal of what I want to do. I've been tossed around between two different FAA people, and now it was told to me that my IA has to submit the package to his Maintenance Inspector. I apologize for not having a definite date for completion. but it is moving along. I am certain that this will be approved, but three or four "by the end of next week" dates have passed so I don't want to make any more promises.

Bill

[ken hecht]

Re: sky-light again

I know this has been run around the mill lot of times, but, I'm looking for someone that has a signed 337 on the installation of the skylight on 1940, BL65 or BC65 T-craft without modifiying or welding on the aircraft structure. I'm interested in Victor Bravo idea. Let me know what I need to do? Victor Bravo you can step in anytime!
Ken
27658
TF#375
Thanks,Bill, hope your patience don't run out? Its a great idea. We'll all rout for ya.

[VictorBravo]

Re: sky-light again

Just so you all don't think I'm COMPLETELY full of BS, here are the sketches that were made up for my 337 proposal. PLEASE do not use these fror anything yet... before the 337 gets done on my airplane first. I may have to amend the drawings. But, as promised, the 337 will be made available to the Taylorcraft community free of charge, so I'll post the drawings here just so anyone interested can see how it is put together.

it turns out that the drawings and sketches are the easy part. It's the "sales" aspect, meaning the proposal letter and how the 337 is written, that is the key.

But again, please don't do anyting with these drawings before I complete my process on the first airplane... these drawings are NOT "approved data" yet!

Also, please forgive the less-than-professional drawings themselves. They started as pencil sketches, then were scanned into the computer, then enhanced with a photo-drawing program. This was all done by hand on an amateur level.

[VictorBravo]

Re: sky-light again

And the last sketch...

[mhorowit]

Re: sky-light again

Well I"m impressed!!!
I'm struggling with MS Paint - Mike

[VictorBravo]

Re: sky-light again

I used Corel Photo-Paint because that's all I ever learned how to use.

Did I upset you too much in the private e-mail Mike? I just thought I'd give you a straight answer and the back-story. No offense intended whatsoever...

[N96337]

Re: sky-light again

Very nice drawings Bill... they BETTER give you a gold star for that one!!! (or at least a signed field approval!!) I still say you should shoot for a multiple STC with it... those drawings will help!
JH

[mhorowit]

Re: sky-light again

I used Corel Photo-Paint because that's all I ever learned how to use.

Did I upset you too much in the private e-mail Mike? I just thought I'd give you a straight answer and the back-story. No offense intended whatsoever...

Not at all; it's unfortunately an all too familiar story. OTOH, look at the good stuff; sailplanes, Reno, and Tcrafts!

OTOH, I have a doctor friend who's amazed when I tell him what I'm doing, things I take for granted and are fun learning about. I keep telling him he needs to hang around with a better class of people - Mike

[mulwyk]

Re: sky-light again

Great drawings. Bill!

You're certainly providing a great service to us T-crafters! And I, for one, intend to use your appoved data before you come to your senses and write a STC that will allow you to CHARGE us all big bucks to use your design.

A couple of questions about modifications of your design that I would want to make. What do you think:?

My stringers are tapered section wood, NOT the "T" section you've shown. Would you anticipate any problems with that?

I'd like to keep the wood stringer section over the cabin and under the Lexan skylight rather than cutting off the stringers...just cause I like the woodsy look. Do you think there would be any problem with that?

Bob Gustafson

[VictorBravo]

Re: sky-light again

Great drawings. Bill!

Thanks. They're not as good as I wanted, but they're better than they were.

You're certainly providing a great service to us T-crafters! And I, for one, intend to use your appoved data before you come to your senses and write a STC that will allow you to CHARGE us all big bucks to use your design.

Well, like I said before, there is an existing STC and you should consider it. If you are restoring a Taylorcraft and have the fuselage bare, I would recommend using the welded tabs like the factory did. I see my "design" as being of use when you want to add a skylight to an already-restored airplane with no welding and the least possible fabric repair. Honest to goodness, if I were restoring an airplane I'd weld in the extra tabs.

My stringers are tapered section wood, NOT the "T" section you've shown. Would you anticipate any problems with that?

That would just make it easier. All 4 of the Taylorcrafts I've owned had the T section, but I am certain it makes no difference. Just cut the slots to fit whatever you have.

I'd like to keep the wood stringer section over the cabin and under the Lexan skylight rather than cutting off the stringers...

I prefer the extra visibility, but it's up to you. Looking through that skylight at a shallow angle, as you will be doing when looking inside your turns, I think you'd be surprised how much visibility would be lost due to the stringers. But that is a judgement call on your part. The downside is that if you have the stringers there under the Lexan, you have to secure them together against rubbing.

PS: Spoke to the FAA again today, and he said for me to be prepared to support how much load the Adel clamps would be good for! I am glad to know that in advance... tomorrow I will call Adel and get the load ratings or whatever. I'm guessing that the 10 stock and modified Adel clamps on this installation would support the weight of the entire airplane. Let's see... the AN 742 plain aluminum clamps are 50,000 psi material according to the Aircraft spruce catalog...

[ken hecht]

Re: sky-light again

Very impressive drawings, and you have my support, and like the rest of the T-craft owners, I also want this installation on my bird. Good luck. Sooooon?
Ken