1940 b?12

[M Towsley]

Re: 1940 b?12

Hank,

I took some more interior shots of Tom's plane from Airventure this year if they would be of help.

[3Dreaming]

Re: 1940 b?12

It was my understanding that the plate was originally 1/8" plywood. When I restored my BL it had been converted to a thick aluminum plate. .090-.125 if I remember right.
I built a control stick from factory drawings and installed it and flew it some. It did not work well at all. I flew the airplane to Sun"n"fun in 1995 with the stick installed. Most of the time I reached over to the wheel to fly the airplane. Tom

[M Jones]

Re: 1940 b?12

Not sure where I got it, but this is a drawing of the "plate" the instruments are mounted to behind the panel. Anyone know how thick it is?
Hank

I sent you that Hank from tracing I made from a spare back plate I had. I've since sent to plate off to another guy here on the forum that needed one though. Sorry I didn't get the thickness. Must have been .032" or less...

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1940 b?12

Not sure where I got it, but this is a drawing of the "plate" the instruments are mounted to behind the panel. Anyone know how thick it is?
Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1940 b?12

I actually have that picture on my computer now. Makes a nice screen saver. The Mag switch in the picture is a much later Bendix switch and that panel doesn't have the three holes in the far left side just above the parking brake "T" handle. I DO have a throttle ball EXACTLY like the one in the picture as well as a 6:00 non-sensitive altimeter just like that one.
There is a picture of a 40 with a big tach in Chet's book on page 97 with a mag switch on the right above the "stick" control (anyone ever flown one of those?) but there is no hole there on the panel I looked at. There is a logo on the plate, but I can't read it. I also have a picture of one with a large Taylorcraft logo (the one with the taller Ts on each end) on the plate, but again, lots of the writing is unreadable.
There is a really nice photo of a panel on page 76 with the 5 holes in the plate but most of the writing is worn off the plate. It looks like there is a "wing" logo top center on the plate but it is too narrow to be the standard "Taylorcraft" logo. That one also has a "swirled" finish to the metal, where the one on page 97 looks painted and the photo with the "TaylorcrafT" is "hammer toned". The last attached photo looks really neat with the brass oval plate, but I am pretty sure it is a modification later in life. Pretty though!
Hank

[3Dreaming]

Re: 1940 b?12

First off a 1940 would not be a 12 airplane it would be a BF, BL, BC 55 or 65. The three instrument were Tach W/oil temp and press, Airspeed, and altimeter. On the throttle plate you had Throttle, fuel shut off, ignition (for single ignition airplanes), lights, and primer. On the far left should be 2 holes for cabin and carb heat control knobs. If it has dual ignition the switch would have been mounted behind the pilot control wheel. Also under the co-pilot control wheel isthe placard to remove universal joint when removing control wheel. The never exceed speed is located on the throttle plate. Tom

[Howard Wilson]

Re: 1940 b?12

Hi Hank,
Here's a pic of 20442 Built January of '39. Don't know if the rectangular plate is original on this but have seen others like it. The main panel is about 10 years old. There's a pic in Chet peek's book 0n page ~91 or 92 I think. I'm wondering whether the Lyc. planes had the mag switch in a different spot than the Cont. on the panel.?? h

[Hank Jarrett]

Doing some research on the 1940 Taylorcraft (with the big tach) and have been having trouble finding a few things. This thread will probably have LOTS of questions as I try and come up to speed on a lot of details.

Kicking off with the first questions. I have had hands on an original Tach and instrument panel but can't find a picture where the Mag switch is visible. There are 5 control holes in the lower center of the panel but the rectangular plate that goes over them is gone. I know the lower center hole was for the throttle and I think the top or bottom right one was the primer. Anyone have a GOOD square on photo of the plate to get a new one engraved or printed (which way was original?). What was each hole used for? I "think" the bottom left one (or maybe top) was the fuel cut off but can't tell from the photos.
The second panel question is, there are three holes in the outside pilots corner of the panel (outboard and below the holes for the control wheel). I am assuming they were connected with the Mag switch (or switches). Anyone have any photos of what the original 1940 configuration looked like? There are no holes big enough for a modern mag switch and the 3 holes look like the right size for an old toggle switch. If two were for the Mags what was the third one? How scary was it to reach down to turn whatever that was and shut off a Mag? They also are NOT directly next to or above and below each other (I would expect individual switches to be on the same level....left and right, for each Mag, these aren't.

Let the fun begin! I have never researched anything older than my 41! As she gets close to flight, I need to start the research on a different model. 1940 wins (or looses, as the case may be).

Hank