New T-Craft; Thinking over

[Yellow Duck]

Told Forrest I was putting the deposit ($6,000) in the mail today. Well it is gone. I have sent my deposit and spoke with the Factory. They said they would start my T-Craft as soon as the ck arrived, which should be tomorrow or next day.

Thought long and hard. I have the "Yellow Duck" which is in excellent condition, runs great, flys good, no bad habits, except the ones I cause. Once I receive my new aircrat it will become "For Sale" So if any one knows of someone looking for a very nice T-Craft. This is it. The price will be $20K. It is realative low time 2200 + hrs TT and less tha 300 SMOH. I will be annualing it in Nov. or Dec. At that time I will install new SS Exhaust system, plus a few other goodies and clean up. It really is a nice plane. Will hate to part with it and then regrete that I did afterwards.

Anyone interested in seeing or flying it are welcome to do so. You can drive in or fly in. I have a 2000 ft grass strip at my home. LAT/LON availabe to anyone interested. I am between LFT-ARA-0R3 on the Houston Sectional

[edited by RL to change title]

[Aeroking]

So Lee, why the new bird? I also am in the process of letting my T- Craft go, because of a Citabria, but the sport pilot rule intrigues me and I am anticipating the T-craft value to rise a bit more but I need to sell mine now and I don't need two airplanes! Anyway it's nice to know there will be an outlet to buy new! Good Luck

Greg
95098

[Yellow Duck]

Why the new bird

Gregg, the main reason is the sport pilot lic. I am almost 68, and have been taking special issue medical for the past 12 years. Jumping through hops and all that s____ ! Tired of it plus I love the T-Crafts. The new one will be my 5th t-Craft . I have had two L-2's and two BC-12D's including the one I now own.

I also have a 2000 ft grass strip at my home. My Maule I owned got out very well here and also my current Cherokee 140 (stock, no mods). I am teaching a couple of my grand kid, and actually they prefer the T-Cart.

We don't travel a great deal any more, so it is mostly local flying. Also one of my best friends has a Lancair 400 turbo. If we need to any place in a herru, we have that to use.

I would love to fly into your part of the country, I have only past through, and the part I did see was beautiful. The new T-Cart would do well there. Chet Peek had gone there in an older T-Craft. Don't remember if it was the BC or the F-19 tho.

I have also owned a Citabria, back in 1965. O-200 engine;7ECA Great little aircraft. I did most everything you could do and a little bit more. Of course I was much younger and bulet proff.

[matsuthunder200]

I am also interested in a new t-craft did they say how long it will take to get it done?? What modle did you order?? Ive been looking at the 180hp taildragger but ive heard that it might take years to get it... Also i heard that they cant get the wing tanks approved or its in proggress.

[Robert Lees]

[Edit by RL: reference to T-c@rt removed, replaced with T-Craft]

[captjon]

Lance:

The 180 hp taildragger would be my choice if I didn't already have two BC12-D's. It has to be a great machine! I almost got to fly in Dick Peck's trycycle gear 180 hp. F22 at the Factory Open House back in May, but he was too busy with prospective customers.

In fact, Gary Owens, the owner of the first new Taylorcraft off the line, the one that Harry trailered to Oshkosh, has changed his mind and now is going with the 180 hp Lycoming. He expects to do instruction and fly it on floats in the next few years when he retires from the airlines.

For now, at least, my Tami T-Craft, N96301, is my planned retirement plane. She is under restoration in my shop right now.

The tanks have been a MAJOR headache for Harry. He had expected the engineering to be approved months ago, but the FAA saw it differently. He does now have that approval and shoud be producing them soon allowing him to finish the first planes off the line.

Look for an announcement of the "Christening" of Gary's new plane coming up shortly. We are all looking forward to seeing the first plane from a Taylorcraft factory since 1992 take to the skies!

[dennispip]

Can you elaborate a bit further on what you know about the tank modifications?

[matsuthunder200]

Captjon Thanks for your reply.... I do have one more ??? How much time dose it take to get a new 180hp taylorcraft from the factory from the time you order one??

[Steve Pierce]

The design change for the 20+ gallon fuel tanks has not been approved according to the FAA engineer at the MIDO. The DER has the design but has yet to forward it to the MIDO where it will then go to FAA Engineering in Ft. Worth. The engineer I spoke with had seen the new design at the factory a few months ago but like I said has yet to recieve the paperwork from the DER. If anyone is interested I have names and phone numbers for those involved.

[highflyer]

I really do not understand this fuel tank fiasco. The people in Greensboro had the Tanks completely redesigned and approved. New material, leak checked the whole nine yards. When I was in Delaware at the smaller Taylorcraft 2000 place , they had a fellow named Maloney who had further work done to streamline manufactuering. Taylorcraft 2000 was at first a partnership between the fellow in Greensboro and Harvey Patrick. Patrick's claim to fame was fuel tanks for the boeing jets. The "new" greensboro tank design was very good and further "streamlined" by the Tank Guru Patrick and the Taylorcraft 2000 employee Maloney. What the heck is going on with a "new" redesign ? Harry Ingram is lost, I am afraid. The tank design work was done long before He bought or made the commitment to "buy" Taylorcraft assets.

[braceville]

New Machine

Lee I'm very happy for you on the new plane please keeps us updated on the completion!!! Dan