What to look for when buying a Taylorcraft

[DavidB]

Re: What to look for when buying a Taylorcraft

Richard,

Thank you for your input.
I see you are local. I am thinking good weather up and down the coast, maybe over east to get some sun. Just planning on enjoying the sites on a sunny day or afternoon. I will not need a VOR or transponder. Wheel pants would stored. When you go to N Idaho do you have enough payload to carry two people and gear?

So an actual weight will tell me whats left for available useful load. The extras like wind generator, VOR, Radio and the like will make it a one and a half person plane or require carrying less fuel?

I am thinking as light and simple as possible to increase payload and performance.

[Pearson]

Re: What to look for when buying a Taylorcraft

David,

I haven't made it to northern Idaho yet, but I may be going the other way up to Alaska eventually. I do go into some of the higher elevation fields in Oregon and Washington. When you go east to get your sun, be careful if you go to Sun River. It is well over 4000' msl., but at least it has a nice long runway. I once had a very exciting departure out of Packwood, WA, a little west of Yakima. I had my wife with me, and minimal fuel. Weight wise I should have been in good shape. But the way the wind was spilling over the mountains was causing a serious sinker at the departure end of the runway.

When I fly down to the Taylorcraft fly-in, it is just me and my camping gear. There is no way to safely carry two people and very much camping gear in a 65 HP Taylorcraft. But that is why I was mentioning about the type of flying you are going to be doing. A 65hp Taylorcraft, even a heavy one, will work just fine for flying around the lower elevations of the Pacific Northwest. But those mountains are just so dang pretty. It is like they call out to you to go fly around them. Then you want to land near them. And now you are stuck, trying to take back off out of them.... with the same 65hp you got in there with. That is where the generator, wheel pants, etc, etc, all might as well be anvils. So, I guess I am getting up on my soap box a little bit here. And I don't like to do that. But I think you see my point. Point is, don't try to make a 65hp Taylorcraft do what a Super Cub or a Husky does. But for just tootling around the valley, or even a cautious lightly loaded foray into the edge of the high country, a 65 hp Taylorcraft without a lot of toys added on, will work great. With full fuel and just me, I have about 60 pounds left over for camping gear. I consider my plane heavy at 800 lbs. You can search this forum and find threads regarding empty weight. I think most basic stock Taylorcraft come in 10 to 25 lbs under mine. Mine was repainted once. I think that added about 25 lbs. Hum.... maybe if I watersand it down with some 600 grit and buff it out............

[Jim Herpst]

Re: What to look for when buying a Taylorcraft

All great advice. Follow all of it then summed up clean light and simple. There are still a ton of flying projects left out there. Some of em are wolfs these days hiding in sheeps clothing too !!!

[Tom T]

Re: What to look for when buying a Taylorcraft

You're selling your Tcraft already Tom???

Hello Aerobatic bug, yes, I guess I am just to fat to get into it. I has a very nice, interior in it and I even made a shorter backrest for it but I still cant get a full flare, [belly]. I offered it for $14500 with fresh annual but I am spending a lot more than I figured for the annual. It will be done today after the bungies are on.

[maximumvmo]

Re: What to look for when buying a Taylorcraft

FWIW I have the 65 on my L2M. I was also advised to check the oil pressure at idle (after its warm), check full power static, and do a compression check.

I second the FAA records disc--you can order online. I found a lien from waaaay back that had to be resolved.

I have a handheld Icom (works excellent) and no electrical though I do have a wind generator that I put on for fly-ins.

Keep in mind that you do have a way to get in to airspace without a transponder but it involves calling ATC ahead of time...so that shouldn't be a deciding factor.

I'm not a big fan of car gas, but that's just me. I'm not a mechanic either, but many in my local community of 65 operators swear by the Mystery Oil.

Don't forget one of the biggest factors: which one do YOU like?

It's nice to have to decide which airplane to buy!