Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Hank knows how badly I want to build an ultralight legal, 75 to 100% scale ultralight, or "fat" ultralight replica of the L-2 powered by an 84 cubic inch, 45HP air cooled flat four cylinder four stroke engine. And you're right Hank, if push came to shove, I don't know if I COULD narrow the fuselage. By what Hank said about my love for the L-2's, he reminded me that I have a very good friend in Georgia that is an A&P/IA, that HAS an L-2 project up in the rafters of his hanger. I think that it is an L-2B. It's all there, it needs a recover, and an engine rebuild.
I'm just hoping that I can just get the struts modified by Wag, and be able to fly her. You are right Hank, if I built an L-2 full scale replica with lightweight aluminum wings and tailfeathers, and used the 1.3 ounce fabric with a 124 pound motor, I WOULD need spoilers so be able to spot land her. CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR ME GUYS, I'll take the struts off the plane, and ship them to Wag's on the first of the month.
By the way Hank Manu Sina, (the full scale 1929 Aeronce C-2 replica FLIES!!!). Brie

[M Jones]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Mike,

Go to this link and look at message #10. I will check with them prior to doing this to make sure they are still doing this, but as of last November they were I was told. http://vb.taylorcraft.org/showthread...ht=creve+coeur

Mine aren't due until next May, if I remember correctly. I will call him and find out the details.

Hey thanks Marty for the link. This is the same company that I used for the testing almost four years ago. I just drove them down to their shop at that time.

Hank, I agree that Wag is great to work with. Tom helped me out big time one Saturday when they were suppose to be closed. They're close enough from here that I can fly in and use they're pretty little grass strip. It's like my "mall".

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Cutting up your Taylorcraft would be like cutting up your child because it didn't fit in the baby carriage any more! Get a new kid or a bigger kid cart!

Besides you always wanted an L Bird anyway. Great excuse to build that, and you know how much you like to build stuff. Your plane is too nice to tear up.
Hank

How about an aluminum tube clip wing. LOOKS like Duane Cole, but really a single place sport UL. Just don't get tempted to fly aerobatics in it. You could even put spoilers on it.

[avenger1949]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

I hope it doesn't come to that ... you giving up the Tcraft but I do know a man that has a 75% tcraft for sale with a VW engine if it does

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Brie,
Don't you DARE cut up your Taylorcraft! We can make a replica with riveted aluminum tube (even full scale) and one of your engines. Make the exterior exactly the same as a regular Taylorcraft. If you used a stick you could even convince them it was really an ultralight and you flew from the middle for comfort. Better yet just pull the RH control wheel and mount a "cargo box" in the right side.
What ever happened to the L Bird replica idea?
Hank
Man, a BC-12 with UL weight! You really WOULD need spoilers! That thing would make a nice glider.

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Marty,
Unfortunately, it is not humor, in January, the V.A. finally discovered that what I told them in 1988, and again in 1993, that they were overpaying me 200 dollars a month, when they blew me off both tims, was correct, and now they are taking 700 dollars a month out on my monthly V.A. check. They said that I won't live long enough for them to recover it all if they take it out at the same rate that they paid it to me. (It's nice to know what kind of faith they have in their own health care system).
I was thinking about trying to sell the plane if I could get enough to buy a 75% scale replica B model Taylorcraft, that a company in Opa Locka, Florida used to make, but I can't find them, and believe that they are no longer in existance.
I know the air bikes fly well, a friend of mine owns one, and I have flown it. The only thing about his that I don't like is that it is two stroke powered, and he, an A&P mechanic, had had the engine quit on him twice.
If I could find someone who had an LMA (the name of the company), Taylorcraft replica, wanted to move up into the real deal, and understood the AD has NOT been done, I would trade with them.
LMA usedto be a really cool company, they made 75% replicas of the Aeronca Champ, the J-3 Cub, the Taylorcraft, and I THINK the Luscombe as well. Their planes had a 4 stroke Global engine option, so I could stick a flat two cylinder Continental designed 33 HP, 79 pound engine into one. It is one half the 45HP, 124 pound engine that I mentioned. I have six of the four cylinder engines, (4 A-084's), and two of the two cylinder engines, the 2 A-042.
Here's HOPING that my struts pass inspection when I send them up the first week of next month. Brie

[M Towsley]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Geez, Brie...I hope some of this is tongue-in-cheek humor! If not, I have a nice TEAM Air-Bike for sale on Barnstormers. Flys just like a Taylorcraft and is a whole lot cheaper to fly. Plus, after a weekend school you can do your own inspections.

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Thanks for the reply Hank, this "certificated G,A," is getting too expensive for me. If the struts fail the inspection, I will turn the plane into a fat ultralight, by replacing the wings with aluminum ladder style, double surface Ultralight wings, taking
a 20 inch wide cut out of the fuselage where the seat is, the width of the cut will change forward and aft of that point.
I will pull the 75 horse A-65, and stick it on an airboat, and stick a 124 pound, Army surplus GPU engine that was designed and built by Continental in the plane.
Then the FAA can say nothing about the self maintanance of the aircraft, and the "soul" of the Taylorcraft will remain in my hanger, for me to fly every day. Brie

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

I did mine and the shipping was the biggest problem (except my struts failed, DON'T STORE YOUR REMOVED STRUTS LYING FLAT!!!!!) Got back my old struts packed with new ones in the same tube. Not a scratch and it was a LOT cheaper to seal existing struts, but the FAA doesn't give them any wiggle room on Pass/Fail and mine failed for interior surface corrosion. I will be using them on a homebuilt after I blast the interior, seal them and do a pull test. They applied the inspection cost to the new struts and all I paid extra was a small shipping increase for sending back 8 struts instead of 4.
WAG has GREAT people and they were a real pleasure to work with. They have MY loyalty.
Hank

[avenger1949]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

When I talked to John about a month ago about doing my struts he said it was $250.00 a strut. He suggested putting them in a long plastic tube as shipping was the only real problem. From Kansas to him was like 96.00 shipping.

[Craig]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

The struts are inspected and sealed by Aero Fabricators, the manufacturing division of The Wag-Aero Group.

You can contact John Ames at 800-558-6868 ext 155 to discuss their process with him.

[M Towsley]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Mike,

Go to this link and look at message #10. I will check with them prior to doing this to make sure they are still doing this, but as of last November they were I was told. http://vb.taylorcraft.org/showthread...ht=creve+coeur

Mine aren't due until next May, if I remember correctly. I will call him and find out the details.

[M Jones]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

The rear struts I have will be due in November. I used Quality Testing Inc. in St. Louis 4 years ago and no problems. Drove them down and they did them while I went to an appointment for work. I'm considering having Wag Aero inspect and seal them, now that it's an option. I replaced the front struts with Wag's new struts earlier and they're a real close match for the pre-war models.

Marty, I'm interested in your source in Creve Coeur if that's an option too. Let me know how it goes when you do it please, thanks.

[M Towsley]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

Brie,

There is additional info here on the forums but my understanding is they will inspect yours to make sure they will comply, they then seal them up and then you no longer need to do the inspection. Cost, from my reading here, is about half of new or somewhere around there.

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Indianapolis Wing Strut Testing

I called up the Wag Aero catalog, and found not one word about re-seal services for the BC65, or any other Taylorcraft. How much, do I still need the yearly X-ray, and any other information that you guys have. Brie