BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

[pasture_pilot]

Greetings tribe, does anyone have an electronic copy of the drawings/prints that were used to make the upper and lower engine cowls?

Have decided my originals, after many patches by previous owners(butchers?), should be replaced.
I have a fab shop willing to make them, just thought it might be easier on them, and less expensive on me, if there were something in print available for them to work from as well.
I have given them the old cowls to use as templates, anyone got any comments on what they have done?
Maybe what you would do differently if doing it over?
I'm thinking going 30 to 50% heavier on the material thickness, (mine are cracked up terribly), doing away with the mid section rib on the upper 2 halves(also cracked and worthless structurally), using thumbsrew type fasterners on the upper and lower cowls to make preflight inspections easier, changing the lower air slot sizes (the ones I have may not even be original, these have been reworked/patched/doubled up so much) and making some other minor changes, but would like to hear what has worked from others who have been down this road.

Just about every old T-craft I have seen at flyin gatherings, the cowls are the worst looking cobbled up parts on the plane.

BR

CN

N9402U C150M 1976
N43204 BC12D 1946

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

The cowlings are different for different years and models. I have no information on the prewar open cylinder models , but it is out there and available. The late model planes had lower cowls that were simple "wrap arounds" of flat sheet and are pretty easy to make. Those cowls DO NOT FIT on the pre-war closed cowl planes or the immediate post war 1945s. Some time in late 45 or early 46 they went away from the English Wheeled "bowled out" cowl to the flat. I have a couple of the pre-war cowls and a wooden buck to get contours and I think I still have a post war cowl if you need a pattern for it.
What model and year do you have? Where do you live?
Hank

[pasture_pilot]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

Hi Hank, thanks for the offer.
Perhaps I should have made the info with my closing more complete, I have a 1946 model BC12-D. S/n is 6863.
I would also like to find out the original color scheme, from a forensic exam of the cowls and metal under the windows, looks to be an off white original color. The lower cowl does have a slight bow, but may not be needed as I have a 7AC exhaust system on it, that is, a 2 pipe system, off a Champ, was like that when I got it, though no 337 in the logs.
Location is in Western NY.

BR

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

The off white may well be "Taylorcraft Ivory". That was the light color on both of my planes. It is NOT Diana Cream, (much less yellow). Look around for bits of a light blue (Nieuport Blue) or a Red/Maroon. They were also popular colors right after the war. Maybe Forrest can tell us which model yours was and we can pull together some pictures of the schemes for that model.]
Hank

[Pearson]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

Pasture Pilot,

Buy the $10 CD from the FAA on your airplane. The 337 you need for the exhaust installation MAY be on the disc. If it is, you can print it out and put it in your logbook. If it isn't, your IA is going to have a hard time signing off an annual.

[Ray36048]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

What are the problems with flat wrap around bottom cowl on a pre war T-Craft?. Can these problems be corrected with cutting a scoop opening in the front of the cowl?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

I bought a flat lower cowl from Taylorcraft back when Dorthy was running it and for some reason the engine hung lower than the cowl. If you pulled the aft edge in position the cowl hit the engine and pushed the front edge so low the bowl couldn't fit. It's been a lot if years since all this happened, but I remember I sold the lower cowl to someone with a later year plane and it fit his fine. I also put another pre-war cowl on my 41 as well as my 45 cowl, which both fit. When you look at a "flat" cowl on a plane right next to a pre-war plane there is a very visible curve in the pre-war.
Hank

[Ray36048]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

Yes, I know about the compound vs flat cowls. When you said the engine was lower. Was the problem just in the carb intake area or other areas?
I am thinking if it the carb, would an air scoop mod to the cowl work?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

I guess what I need to do is find another Taylorcraft with the flat cowl that is close enough to do a fit up. It has been so long since I last did it I can't remember what part was causing the problem. If there is one close to Suffolk Viginia this is a good time for me. The prop is off and I am getting ready to do some cosmetic work to my cowl.
Hank.

[N74DV]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

would it be considered sacrilegious for me to want a carbon fiber composite cowling for my BC12D?

man... that would be nice.

how hard would that be to get approved?

[Pearson]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

I don't know how carbon fiber would compare, but I can tell you the fiberglass nosebowls don't last very long before they are full of cracks.

If you are fabricating a new lower cowl and have a good nosebowl, use the dutz fastener holes in the nosebowl to locate the new holes in the cowl. The most difficult part will be locating the holes at the rear edge of the lower cowl to fastsen it to the boot cowl. A piece of masking tape on the boot cowl to use as a reference helps. You can make measurements off of it to help locate the holes for the dutz fasteners.

[Robert Lees]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

Funnily enough, I don't think carbon cowls would help too much.

You might save a pound or two in weight, but they would be less flexible, and they would send your cg aft a bit (by a few pounds).

And it would cost a fortune just in material & moulds (if moulds were required).

Now, let's see about the STC costs: How deep is your wallet?

[astjp2]

Re: BC12 Engine cowl drawings wanted.

would it be considered sacrilegious for me to want a carbon fiber composite cowling for my BC12D?

man... that would be nice.

how hard would that be to get approved?

A guy in california had one on a one time STC, the FAA wanted a Dive test to 200mph for the approval, stright down, wide open throttle, 196 mph, they wouldnt approve it so the guy had the Feds try and get to 200 mph. The end result was it was appoved with the 196 mph...just a side note, I tried to get someone to pull a splash off of my brand new uncut prewar cowling and no takers so I cut and intalled it. Tim