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My wife and I recently moved to Western North Carolina from Seattle and one of my retirement goals is to get back into flying. With fond memories of the 1946 T-craft BC12D I flew when I was young in Montana, including flying on skis, I decided to pursue the purchase of a T-craft. After shopping around I purchased N5202M, a 1947 65-hp BC12D that was upgraded in the mid-50's with a "factory kit" to a BC12D-85. Like most T-crafts it has had a number of owners, spending most of its life in Maine, at times on floats. A number of years ago the airframe, minus the C85-8 engine, was sold and a full restoration begun by the new owner under the supervision of an IA. Much of the restoration had been completed at my purchase.
There will be a number of changes from its earlier configuration. Lacking the C85-8 engine at aircraft purchase, the previous owner procured a C85-12F, which has been fully rebuilt with a lightweight Skytec starter and 8-amp B&C alternator. This eliminates the "Armstrong" starter, something my wife demanded. With the addition of limited electric capability, I intend to add low-power LED navigation lights, EI UBG-16 engine monitor, and perhaps some "glovebox" avionics. The previous owner obtained the Clayton skylight STC and the aircraft had the Brackett air filter and Tempest spin-on oil filter STCs in the logbooks, all of which I intend to have installed. Given the higher airport and density altitudes of the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains where we live and the possibility of trips back to the Rockies of Montana and Colorado, I intend to explore the mysteries of the Stromberg mixture control. If that proves impractical, I may switch to the more common mixture control of the Marvel Schebler MA-3SPA 10240-1.
I have entrusted the completion of the remainder of the restoration to the capable hands of Kevin Mays "crispy critter" and am looking forward to having N5202M back in the air later this year!
Brian Leverson
Hendersonville, NC
1947 BC12D-85/N5202M
My wife and I recently moved to Western North Carolina from Seattle and one of my retirement goals is to get back into flying. With fond memories of the 1946 T-craft BC12D I flew when I was young in Montana, including flying on skis, I decided to pursue the purchase of a T-craft. After shopping around I purchased N5202M, a 1947 65-hp BC12D that was upgraded in the mid-50's with a "factory kit" to a BC12D-85. Like most T-crafts it has had a number of owners, spending most of its life in Maine, at times on floats. A number of years ago the airframe, minus the C85-8 engine, was sold and a full restoration begun by the new owner under the supervision of an IA. Much of the restoration had been completed at my purchase.
There will be a number of changes from its earlier configuration. Lacking the C85-8 engine at aircraft purchase, the previous owner procured a C85-12F, which has been fully rebuilt with a lightweight Skytec starter and 8-amp B&C alternator. This eliminates the "Armstrong" starter, something my wife demanded. With the addition of limited electric capability, I intend to add low-power LED navigation lights, EI UBG-16 engine monitor, and perhaps some "glovebox" avionics. The previous owner obtained the Clayton skylight STC and the aircraft had the Brackett air filter and Tempest spin-on oil filter STCs in the logbooks, all of which I intend to have installed. Given the higher airport and density altitudes of the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains where we live and the possibility of trips back to the Rockies of Montana and Colorado, I intend to explore the mysteries of the Stromberg mixture control. If that proves impractical, I may switch to the more common mixture control of the Marvel Schebler MA-3SPA 10240-1.
I have entrusted the completion of the remainder of the restoration to the capable hands of Kevin Mays "crispy critter" and am looking forward to having N5202M back in the air later this year!
Brian Leverson
Hendersonville, NC
1947 BC12D-85/N5202M
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