a pilots airplane

[Forrest Barber]

Re: a pilots airplane

Larry if you are indeed LARRY, a fellow who said he was you called me a week ago and tried to buy a BLANK data plate after I explained three times the procedure for my issuing a data plate.
I NEED a "letter of authorization" from the FAA to do so, "LARRY" said that his FAA office kind of explained that maybe he would mysteriously "find" his... Kind of like the old saying that " a wink is as good as a nod to a blind horse".
H turned me into the FAA for my helping folks get back into the air. The local MIDO gave me a verbal clean bill of health & I can do them again. BUT YOU have to do the proper paper work thing. I have NEVER done them for the F-19, F-21-22 series (1A9).
Also check the ser# on the fuselage that it matches the paperwork before the FAA PMI checks it!
Larry wanted his check for dues back & I am sending them Tues,,,
Fuzzy? hmmmmm Kelli-Belle agrees

[Ragwing nut]

Re: a pilots airplane

I find the t-craft no more difficult to fly than any other rudder oriented airplane. I have not flown two t-crafts that flew alike yet and I have flown probably a dozen different ones and most all models. Rigging and power to weight differences play a large role. I find it odd that some slip every landing. Every time I land I practice engine out procedures and set it up the same every time and can usually put one down in 600-800 feet. I don't remember the last one I slipped in. If you are doing it to see, then learn to use you peripheral vision. Peripheral vision is an absolute requirement when flying open cockpit bi-planes from the front seat. You see nothing above, below, or 45* either side of the nose of the airplane. I had to learn to fly a Waco blind from the front seat before I was allowed to fly from the rear where I could see where I could sorta see where I was going.

Mike

[Dusty]

Re: a pilots airplane

That's why I don't trap with a Waco! That, and I imagine it's a little breezy at -40....

On nine out of ten landings I'm dodging logs, rocks, hardpack snowdrifts, holes, humps, muskrat houses, a tree just off a wingtip, etc - sometimes, all the above. I'm 0 for a few thousand landings without the big fan out front turning. An engine unexpectedly giving up the ghost on short final isn't a major concern. Not seeing something that's going to lead to a little unplanned winter camping is.

When you're landing on 800' strips USUALLY getting it down in 800' isn't very damned good. The kind of flying I do is all about precision, and I'll cheat at every opportunity I get.

[wlas]

Re: a pilots airplane

Dusty,
Are those bush wheels on your plane ? I' ve got a set of 29 inch and thought about putting them on, just to see how they work. But its about time for skis so maybe next spring, before floats.

[Dusty]

Re: a pilots airplane

They're 31" Bushwheels. There's little doubt about how they'll work - places that used to feel like I was getting shot down with the 26" Goodyears are now like landing on glass (almost...). Until the tail comes down - then she starts rattling screws out again. I could lock up my Goodyears with the single-puck brakes, I can't with the Bushwheels, but I can keep the tail up with brakes until maybe 15MPH. They also roll a LOT easier than Goodyears - really helped my takeoff.

You should see about selling those 29's to a spam-can driver - the 31s are rated for 1500 pounds, the 29s are (??much more??). The 31s weigh about the same as the 26s, which are also heavy construction, 29s are several pounds more.

[wlas]

Re: a pilots airplane

I dont know where you got that info, but 29" are one pound lighter than the 31" and I am sure not going to get rid of them, They work just fine on my PA-12, I was thinking about just trying them on my T-craft, just for the fun of it, the T-craft is almost never on wheels. Its my pick-up truck on floats, I 've hauled over 30 moose in that baby, and everything else from building materials to three wheelers, I use it all the time in the business to retrieve wrecked cubs etc. I've had it for almost thrity years, I've flown it to oshkosh back in 81. People come in the shop all the time and ask me if I am going to get rid of my T-craft and I say never. I work on cubs most the time and cub drivers just can't figure out why I keep a T-craft, even though most of them started in T-crafts. Its simple I love it. I got 2000 plus hours in it.

[Dusty]

Re: a pilots airplane

Hmm. I was thinkin radial vs bias, or I'm right and yer wrong (), or my CRS (can't remember s***) disease is acting up again, or ????? I can't find anything on their site, so I'll trust you!

Anyway, was just suggesting that there's not any real reason to go with the smaller tires on a light plane - except, of course - already HAVING smaller tires!

Those are on the Champ. I don't really take the Tcart places where I need the big tires because of the visibility and brakes. I have 25x13(?? - some antique tundra tires - VERY light, but old and cracked a bit) on it now and they do what I trust me to do with that plane.

What floats do you have experience with, wlas? I'm looking. Rumor has it the 1320s are the ones to have. What's your recommendation? 840lb airplane with a strong 90, if that makes any difference.

[wlas]

Re: a pilots airplane

Dusty,
I am got 1320s and they work real good, I' ve flown T-crafts with 1400 and 1500 Aqua's and I think the 1320 are the best, but I wish they were a little bit bigger sometimes with loads I put in it. I had a continental 65 in it for a number of years, then a 85 hp which made a big difference, then a 90 hp which was even bigger difference and now an 0200 with high compression pistons that really jumps off the water, but I can overload the floats to the point that I think that they are going to sink. I did that one time with a J3, its scary. happens quick. I had to jump out into the water, just to get my weight out of the plane , by that time the wing was in the water, soon as I jumped out, it pop up. Ive got a customer that wants me to put a set of 1500 baumans on his F 19, I am thinking that may work pretty good, I'll see. anything is better than the 1500 agua's, they are so heavy to start with.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: a pilots airplane

That's why I don't trap with a Waco! That, and I imagine it's a little breezy at -40....

On nine out of ten landings I'm dodging logs, rocks, hardpack snowdrifts, holes, humps, muskrat houses, a tree just off a wingtip, etc - sometimes, all the above. I'm 0 for a few thousand landings without the big fan out front turning. An engine unexpectedly giving up the ghost on short final isn't a major concern. Not seeing something that's going to lead to a little unplanned winter camping is.

When you're landing on 800' strips USUALLY getting it down in 800' isn't very damned good. The kind of flying I do is all about precision, and I'll cheat at every opportunity I get.

Flying the Alaska bush is a little different story than down here in warm country. I don't have bolders on my runway. I should have been a little more specific since there is a few AK pilots here. I have flown the Waco in January when it was 40*ish, with the wind BLOWING. not fun.

mike

[Hank Jarrett]

"T-cart" is a ligitimate term!

A couple of guys on this thread have used the term "T-cart" instead of "T-craft" and before someone jumps on them for disrespect (some in the Tribe bristle at the term) I want to say I have actually bought a real live "T-cart"! It is a wheeled cart I use to move around the parts of my 45 "T-craft" when I don't have help. GREAT little helper and can be used to haul trash down to the dumpster too.
Hank
(It will never fly unless we get hit by another huricane, but "T-carts" DO exist!)

[Ed O'Brien]

Re: a pilots airplane

Hank;
Wouldn't that be Tea Cart, not T-cart. Meaning T-cart remains undesirable. As do, anal writers like myself who point out things like this to well-meaning people like yourself.
With regards; ED OBRIEN

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: a pilots airplane

I drink a lot of Tea but never thought about using the "T-cart" to move my tea. A cup just doesn't weigh that much. I mostly use the "T-cart" to move the "T-craft" fuselage around before I put the gear on. The "T-cart still gets used to move things like "T-craft" wings and the engine.
Forrest must be pulling his hair out by now as much as he hates the term "T-cart". (;f

Sorry Forrest, just having fun and at least there IS a real "T-cart" now. Maybe I have a ceremonial burning of the "T-cart" when I am done with it and the term will burn with it.

[flyguy]

Re: a pilots airplane

Sorry Forrest et al, to me it is a term of endearment LOL. Oh yeah, I have a roll around "tea" cart also, small enough to hold a few tools. Came from a fellow aviator's business. He runs a funeral home. Is that pushing my Karma too far?
DC

[Forrest Barber]

Re: a pilots airplane

I really do not have big a problem with it , I just don't answer anybody that refers to their Taylorcraft or Tcraft by that other term.
It's like , Tri-Pacer, the "Flying milkstool" or "booger Pacer" or the "Scatter Coupe", the "Spruce Goose" instead of HK-1 and on and on although I do kind of get a kick out of BUFF and the Vultee Vibrator

[fearofpavement]

Re: a pilots airplane

Regarding the use of "T-cart"

Nearly every piece of equipment that flies, drives or is otherwise mobile (or should be) has been called a variety of things other than what the manufacturer printed on the side. I never thought the term T-cart to be a disparaging term and it is one that has been in use for probably as long as Taylorcrafts have existed. If some people don't like it that is their perogative but I don't think it is used with the same derision as other aircraft monikers such as "Widowmaker" "Bamboo Bomber" and dozens of other titles that would immediately bring to mind a particular aircraft. Think of the WW-2 L-2 pilot getting perforated by small arms fire and wishing he was in a P-51 about 20,000 feet higher. He probably had a whole lexicon of choice words for his ship. If people on this site use that "cart" term, I don't think it would be a correct conclusion that they dislike Taylorcrafts. Those people aren't on this site and are just missing out. My two cents.