N5248M finally found

[patricktjms]

Hello all. I just acquired N5248m serial# 10548. A 1947 BC12D. It was my grandfathers airplane that he flew from our farm and a local airport in east central Indiana. I spent the last 3 years searching for it and finally found it and was able to purchase it. Fully restored in 1970, it hasn't been in the air since 1999. The important thing is that it is coming back home. I will be restoring it slowly over the coming years.

My father was able to go with me to see it as it was the first airplane he ever rode in. He was 7. It was a nice reunion for him after not seeing the plane for 62 years.

There seems to be a wealth of knowledge here and I have learned much already.

Thanks for having me.

Patrick James

[Dick Smith]

Re: N5248M finally found

Patrick, welcome to the Taylorcraft "Tribe"...There is a lot of encouragement and help available here, so don't be hesitant to ask for help. I've had a 1947 Taylorcraft N5207M
since the middle 70's, here in Alaska. It's a constant source of enjoyment and utility.
Wheels, floats or skiis. Again, welcome. Dick

[Robert Lees]

Re: N5248M finally found

Hello Patrick,
What a wonderful story (but brief history) .

Welcome here (to you and your father). Let us know a little more please...your own interest in Taylorcraft, and the history of your Grandfather & father.

Rob

[M Towsley]

Re: N5248M finally found

Welcome, Patrick!

Great story, any pictures now, (or then), would be great. Best of luck with the restoration.

[patricktjms]

Re: N5248M finally found

I plan on getting some pictures uploaded as soon as I can. The plane originally was sold to a person in Farmland Indiana and then sold to my grandfather who owned the plane up until 1954 when he sold it in November. the plane then went to Portland Indiana to be registered to the Taylorcraft Flying Club for a few years before going to Bear Field and then to a doctor near Lafayette Indiana. It was restored 3 years later in 1970 having been stripped, primed, all wood varnished, and recovered. Somehow shortly after the registration was revoked from that owner and he sold it.

It went through one more owner before finding a home in a private hanger at a grass airstrip from 1973 until now. The plane was airworthy and flying in the fall of 1999. It is complete, has 2 areas that need repaired on the fabric, one underneath between the gear, and one at the strut attachment point under the right wing. I am told it has a small leak in the main tank, and needs new tires. The wing tank has never been used. There is a 337 on file for a Motorola Airboy radio in the left glove compartment but it is not there.

Other than those obvious things, everything seems to be in really great shape. Not sure how it runs yet as I figured the tank will come out and be cleaned and sealed first. The plane also received a metal prop in the 1960's. Again, i'm just glad to get it back to the family regardless of the condition or airworthiness.

We have several b&w photos that my grandfather took from the air of different things over the years that are also documented in the log books. Tornado damage, pictures of the farm, pictures of various gravel pits, things like that. The CD from the FAA contained 104 pages and I also have all of the log books. I have not looked at the total time on the plane at this point but I see no 337 for overhaul or anything on the engine. That might be an issue. I find it hard to believe it hasn't been freshened up in 69 years.

[Mark Bowden]

Re: N5248M finally found

Welcome Patrick,

Great story and happy you have her back in the family. What is the fabric, Irish Linen or cotton and is it really 46 years since last recover? Best of luck getting back airworthy after 16 years and happy to help too. We have a long family history with ours too.

Mark

[jmvolpp]

Re: N5248M finally found

Hi, Patrick. It's nice to know of another Tcraft in the Muncie area. Are you restoring her at home or is she hangared hereabouts?

Mike V.

[patricktjms]

Re: N5248M finally found

The 337 states that it was recovered with TSO C15 Grade A fabric. I would assume this is cotton? I wondered the same thing about the age of the covering. I will be restoring the plane here in my garage south of muncie. Once it's ready to put the wings on it I'll figure out where to hangar. Is that a picture of yours at Reese? This plane has been there a time or two in the past.

[jmvolpp]

Re: N5248M finally found

Yes - stop by sometime for the regular meeting of the minds before lunch on Saturdays.

Mike V.

[waltermrich]

Re: N5248M finally found

Great story , How did you locate the airplane, owning a Taylorcraft your grand father had would give one a great sense of pride and care of ownership , Carl Carson of Cedar Rapids kept and maintained his Dads Taylorcraft for decades, Thanks for posting

[patricktjms]

Re: N5248M finally found

The brief version is,....About 3 years ago I started asking old farmers if they remember it and some had some pictures but none had clear pictures of the N number. After searching off and on for a few years, my dad found a log book in an old box of black and white pictures which gave me the N number and enabled me to search through the FAA. It was registered to a deceased person, his son was deceased, his 1st wife deceased, and couldn't find the second wife. Finally I started finding obituaries and calling people listed as surviving relatives "close friends". One finally called me back and had a name for me which ended up being what I needed to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Interestingly enough, in the log book of my grandfather's, Tom Reese is the one who instructed him and signed him off for his license in 1953. I took lessons from his son Steve Reese in 1995. Small world.

I never finished my training because I was 17 and broke and stupid, but I intend on getting the Tailorcraft airworthy and begging and bribing Steve to instruct me through the remainder of my training with it.

[PA1195]

Re: N5248M finally found

Congratulations on the closure and finding the Taylorcraft. I went through a similar process in the 1980's. I had pictures of a Piper J-3 and PA-12 my father flew commercially in Harbor Springs, Mi. He passed when I was almost 3, and nothing remained but a few photos of the family with the planes. I found the J-3 had later crashed in Mexico, and the PA-12 went to Canada. Its last owner at that time flew it often and didn't want to part with it, so I was glad to find it had a good life and was well loved and cared for.

My Avatar is a picture of my Taylorcraft N36007 and an owner in the 1960's (I'm #33 on that list). His son (who said his dad loved the plane) sent it to the previous owner who passed it on to me at sale. It's here out of respect for their family.

Gary

[patricktjms]

Re: N5248M finally found

Here's a picture of it after getting it home and blowing all of the dust off of it.

[Robert Lees]

Re: N5248M finally found

Well Patrick it looks remarkably good (apart from the stuck-on N number )

Any indication as to the fabric type / condition? I think you thought it was cotton or linen?

Rob

[patricktjms]

Re: N5248M finally found

I've been told it was cotton but I don't know for sure. The 337 from 1970 says cotton. It's green on the back if that matters. And yes, the mailbox numbers on the tail have to go. How does one remove them from the fabric? I assume a heat gun is not an option?