T-Craft For Sale

[T-Rex]

I hate to say it but T-Rex is going up for sale. Life changes require the sale of our beloved airplane. T-Rex has been gone through from head to toe in the last few years. She is no show winner but is a very good airplane, has Baumann 1420 floats, wheels 8.50's, and two options for skis, SC-2's or A2000A's. I also have a set of EDO 1320's with T-Craft rigging that I am working on, not done yet but will be nice and tight when for sale. T-Rex has the Harrer STC/ model 19 conversion with a mid time C-85 and a full electrical system. A king KY97A in dash comm. radio and KT76 transponder with encoder. Light weight starter and battery and many other upgrades. If anyone knows of anybody looking for a good T-Craft let me know. I will be posting a full ad in the classified section soon and an ad on Barnstormers to follow. My starting price will be in the mid thirties but negotiable because I need to sell her. Thanks all.

[N-43121]

Re: T-Craft For Sale

Hi Brad,

I am within a couple weeks of having my '46 BC12-D back in the air. I also have the Gilberti C-85 conversion. I am just completing a total re-build. (See attached pics that show progress as of today). I installed float fittings in hopes that someday I would "take the plunge".

Are you interested in selling your Baumans separately? If not, tell me more about the other floats you are working on.

Thanks,

Rod

[T-Rex]

Re: T-Craft For Sale

I'm not sure if I want to sell the plane and the Baumanns separately. I have thought about it but would need to get a really good price for them. The 1420 are the first version of the modern 1500. They are actually longer in the tail and displace more water. They have dual hatches in each float and are in very nice shape, no dents and no leaks. Im not sure but they dont have much more than 500hrs total time. I replaced the spreader bars with new 1500 spreaders because the new ones have an extruded I beam running down the center and are much stronger. I would sell the old spreaders with the floats if you wanted them. With these floats I loaded full tanks, 24gal, 2-200lb people, me and the passenger, and about 30lbs of stuff in the extended baggage. It was in the mid 60's and about a 8-10mph wind and we were off of the water in about 2500ft and cleared a 50 foot tree line. So getting off of the water with a load is not a problem. With the nose talk full and nothing in the wings the plane just rips up on step and am off in about 12 seconds. I am running a C85 with a McCauley 1B90CM 71-42 prop.

The 1320's came with the plane when I bought it. Someone had replaced about 3.5 feet of the bottom on one float and did a complete hack job with the repair. The float leaked quite badly. I flew the floats for about 20hrs and then tore them down to undo the poor repair. They are missing 4 of the cast hand hole covers but I made nice solid flat covers that I put in the center of the float where you get in and out. They have an oversized (edo 2000) single water rudder but could set them up for dual rudders if you wanted. I have a blade and arms made but need a post. I striped all of the paint off of them. I took them completely apart had all of the steel parts CAD plated and the the aluminum parts anodized. Replaced about 4 feet of chine on the inboard and outboard sections. Replaced both spreader bars with stronger extruded bars and am in the process of putting the new bottom section on now and will then acid etch and alodine them, assemble and prime them with epoxy primer and paint them with silver float lacquer. They have some dents and dings in the outboard side skins and a few patches but nothing that is really bad otherwise I would have replaced the skins. They are not mint condition by any means but they are about 60 years old so what do you expect. I work at a seaplane base in MN and see a lot of floats and these will be some of the nicer 1320's we see here. I will be asking 7500.00 for the 1320's but will consider all offers. They will be good tight solid floats when done. If you or any of your friends are interested make an offer and let me know.

I also have skis if your looking

Thanks Brad

By the way your plane looks great.

[Dan Mahalo]

Re: T-Craft For Sale

Gentlemen, I have been told that I should consider buying a Taylorcraft instead of a Cub. I am not sure where to start here on this website. This is literally my first message. I was going to buy a Cub, but the deal fell through. After that a friend suggested I investigate a Taylorcraft, but I know nothing about them. I have been reading different messages here, but still do not know where to begin as far as what questions to ask. My friend told me that Taylorcraft are cheaper than Cubs, so that is a big plus. But I am wondering if they are harder to fly or what makes them cheaper. I do not have tail wheel experience and am looking for a good time builder.

[Mark Julicher]

Re: T-Craft For Sale

Dan,
For arguments sake, I suppose you are looking at the ubiquitous 65 horsepower BC12-D model of the Taylorcraft, although there are other variants out there.

In my opinion, the Cub and Taylorcraft are equally easy to fly. Yes there are differences and everyone has a favorite. Cubs are considered by many to be "sportier" with the tandem seating and stick controls. Taylorcraft BC12-D is faster for the same horsepower. Parts for Cubs may be easier to obtain, but many of us in the Taylorcraft tribe have been keeping our planes going for decades with care and ingenuity and helping each other out.

For what it is worth, I am a CFI and checked out my wife and two of my children in our BC12-D. We have flown it to Minneapolis, Baltimore, Houston, Brownsville, Atlanta, etc.

Naturally as T-craft owners, we are all biased, but you won't go wrong if you get a good Taylorcraft. If you ever get near San Antonio there are several T-craft owners here who could show you around.

[jim cooper]

Re: T-Craft For Sale

My opinion having owned a J-3 Cub and two Taylorcrafts. I have total flying time in both of about 400 hours. I returned to the T-Craft because: Its faster, its quieter, more comfortable and....BETTER LOOKING BY FAR! (I'm 6 ft.) and the business of flying from the back seat, having to look AROUND the front seat passenger to see the panel (lousy) and I simply like flying from a front seat. If you are more than 5'5" tall, sitting in the front seat of a J-3 is torture. Don't let me confuse a J-3 with a Super Cub which is an altogether different animal! The J-3 costs more as its supposed to be "Legendary" although having been around them since 1953, I think they are inferior to a T-Craft or Aeronca Champ in most every respect. The J-3 is WAYYYYY overpriced as is a Stearman.( A NICE Stearman sold for 30,000.00 in the 70's.) My opinion is most humble. (there should be a nice BC12D right there in Texas!) As far as price...you either pay more now for a NICE one, or pay MUCH MORE later repairing the cheaper one. Its ALWAYS that way. JC

[woodmw]

Re: T-Craft For Sale

There are planes closer to Texas City than mine here in Conroe. I know there is a T-Craft in La Port. But if you get up to the Conroe area, let me know and I'll show off my BC12D.

[Dan Mahalo]

Re: T-Craft For Sale

Everyone tells me that the Taylorcraft is faster than a Cub and cost less to buy. What I don't understand is if it is faster than a Cub, why is it cheaper? Is it a lot harder to fly? I was told that it will make "a real pilot" out of you. Does it have a high accident rate compared to the Cub. What should I look for when looking at a Taylorcraft t buy? I know about checking for ADs and having it looked over by a mechanic. Is there one model that is more desirable than another?

[M Towsley]

Re: T-Craft For Sale

Dan,

A lot of this stuff has been covered here on the forums, you can search for a lot of it. Piper was a better saleman and marketer to some degree. The Cub is highly overrated and over-priced. I have always said the Taylorcraft seemed to be the bastard step-child of the airport, as you would rarely see a Cub becoming derelict on an airport, but there are pictures, (even on this site's picture area), of T-Crafts trying to become one with the earth again.

Taylorcrafts are not tandems and don't have sticks, unless you fly an L-2, thankfully from the front seat. You can't put the side of the plane up and down, (window and door), to get that one-with-nature feeling like a Cub. People talk about smelling the grass in a Cub, that's because it is usually flying low and slow because it takes forever to fly one anywhere so you just piddle around the airport a lot of the time. I have followed Cub's in my slow L-2 and still had to throttle back. Visibility outside of the aircraft is better in the Cub, the T-Craft is designed a little sleeker than a Cub or Aeronca, hence why your eyesight is above the lower part of the wing in a T-Craft when you look left or right. The fuselage is not as deep as some of the older taildraggers. Look at an Aeronca and you will notice that pregnant guppy look which allows the pilot to sit a little lower. The Taylorcraft just looks sleeker.

I also think due to the lower cost of the Taylorcraft it is purchased by folks who cannot afford an over-priced $35-40,000 Cub. (That was me with my first BC-12D. It wasn't a show winner but it flew very nice. I didn't have the money for a recover so she stayed the same while I had her). Hence maybe the maintenance isn't quite in line with a Cub. A lot of T-Crafts look a little shabbier than most Cubs. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some very nice Taylorcrafts out there, but nothing compared to most Cubs. I am no expert about Cubs but every one of them I have seen seems to be in very nice condition. I have, unfortunately, seen more than my share of shabby Taylorcrafts.

There are guys on here who have owned, or currently own, both types of airplanes. I prefer Taylorcrafts and I thank my good friend who steered me in their direction. When it comes to the vintage aircraft of this era, I think Taylorcrafts are just better airplanes. They all have their particular issues but nothing insurmountable. If you find a nice one that has been taken care of be prepared to pay for it and then take good care of her. The values of all of these airplanes are slowly going up over time and I don't think you will find a better value than a Taylorcraft. You will find more BC-12's probably than the others as the market got flooded at the end of WWII with them. Search Barnstormers, etc., and you will see this trend. If you find one for sale near one of the forum members there is a good chance one of them will go with you to look at it, or find a good mechanic who knows tube and fabric airplanes. I don't think you will be disappointed with one, but try and hop a ride with somebody who has one.

Sorry, Brad, for going on so long on your thread. Also, no offense intended to Cub owners or owner's of less than pristine Taylorcrafts, as mine still has a ways to go, too.