My time in my BC-12D was some of the best flying ever. My time in a C150? I forgot!

If nothing else the historical aspect of the T-Craft needs to be experienced. And by that I mean, you will quickly realize it kicks butt, to this day, as far as horsepower v performance. it does AMAZING things on 65 horse. I have a warm fuzzy place for the T-Craft, (and rightly so) nuff said.

I am wary of listening to Pops. He can probably do things in a 65hp Taylorcraft that I couldn't do in a Supercub.

Isnt that exactly why you should listen to pops?

ccurrie wrote:

I am wary of listening to Pops. He can probably do things in a 65hp Taylorcraft that I couldn't do in a Supercub.

Isnt that exactly why you should listen to pops?

Yeah but he'll say "ahh it's easy, you just do this and that" while he does some magic, and the mortal man is left standing agape.

Ya know, I don't think there is enough years left in my life to get the experience that a lot of guys here have. I think I do all right, but I also know I have limitations to my skill (or lack of skill). I use to say you don't know your limitations till you get there, and I have found a lot of limitations in my life. But I'm pretty sure I don't I want to find that point in a plane. Guess I'm getting old.

I owned a BL-65 for two years. It had a Lycoming 65hp that couldn't seem to hold the oil internally. I should have gotten a good prebuy, but it was cheap and I trusted the guy who sold it to me. It was in a shit-state, but I learned a ton flying it around.
I flew it at the DZ where I worked teaching skydiving. It was a real free-thinking environment that encouraged finding and pushing your own limitations, if you know what I mean. I learned to enter and recover spins on heading and do real nice loops with that airplane. I really ought to be dead now...
It is amazing how well it did considering I was probably lucky to get 50hp out of that motor. I also dropped my first jumper out of it. He barely fit inside! Funny thing is, the first jumpship at the DZ in 1957 was a Taylorcraft with a C85. How those guys managed to get out of that thing with a chest mount eludes me to this day, but I've seen the pictures that prove it.
There is a guy in Canton, Ohio at Barber field who knows a lot about Taylorcraft airplanes. His name is Forrest. Ask him what you need to know.
John

Video of a really nice restored BC-12D set up for the backcountry. Crosspost.

Speaking of Taylorcrafts, there's a guy around here named Darren Adam who flies one all over. He calls it "Phyllis", and you'll see why once you see the registration. He's part time host of Wings Over Canada and this video shows some beach landings.


I'd love one of those things!

Do a check N number check on 95814, my old bird. I see it's up in Butte now, see if the guy wants to sell it? Tell him you heard about it from the previous owner who built new wings for it.

I had an idea I never followed through on: as I had all the log books from 46' on, I thought it'd be great fun to travel to all the 15 or so different owners over the years, and offer to take them flying in it once again! If they were dead, offer to take whoever answered the phone and or the closet relative, (this is your grandfathers old plane). Do it all on the spur of the moment, don't give them time to think about it. I still think it's a good idea, but I can't really do it now with my '07 Rans S-7S!

trock wrote:"had it updated but maybe someday. Your right too, I should just keep the 150, it isn't worth much but it's a great little plane. I wouldn't consider it but these guys just keep making jokes about the little wheel being on the wrong end"

Maybe we need to start a BCP 150's annonymous club. We can call it the 180 minus 30's. I'll get things started....Hello everyone my name is Tracey and I'm a 150 driver...Wow I feel better already lol

Hello folks, My name is Brian and " I am a 150 driver".

I did get up to see the Taylorcraft in Ogden and it looks neglected. I think it has been years since he flew it and it is missing logs. He didn't seem to know the hours and it just didn't look good. Lots of patches and flaking paint that had been patched over. The owner thinks it is worth between $12 - 18 K and that just seems high considering. I hope to get a taildragger someday but not this one.

This link has pics of my old T Cart on her Edo 1320's. N44498. Good little bird that taught me LOTS!!!!

http://tcraft.info/agawam.htm





Gump

I think one of the original questions was about whether or not a wood prop is ok. I'm certainly no expert on this subject, but I used to fly an ultralight with a wood prop and I was warned to avoid rain if possible. If you've ever ridden a motorcycle, you've felt the force of a raindrop at 40mph....you can imagine the force of a raindrop at the speed a prop is turning at cruise. If the leading edge of the prop is sheathed, this problem will be mitigated but not eliminated. I was told that you've got to be attentive to the torque you apply to the hub bolts of a wooden prop...too much torque and you'll deform the wood. I was also told that a wood prop shrinks and swells with humidity, and you've got to check the hub bolts periodically to ensure they are still within allowable torque specs. Wood boat, wood props....more maintenance but sure look neat.

Currently me and my father own a 1937 BL model with a closed cowl and 75hp, at 4gph and a cruise of 93kts how could you go wrong? The thing stalls at 36, and as soon as you can get the tail up on the ground roll your airborne (70'ish and light).
I don't think you can compare a 150 and a T-cart performance wise, two very different airplanes.

Disregard this unless you get an instructor who will teach you to fly slow in updrafts and fast through downdrafts (power thermalling) and how to use oregraphic (hydraulic or ridge) lift and to never depend on excess engine thrust for climb. That said, your 150 or the 65 hp Taylorcraft work fine in the mountains. Forget the engine, you don't have enough horsepower left to bother much with. Learn to use natural energy and the wing. Those of us too poor or too cheap to have a big engine have to learn to fly the wing and use natural energy. Unfortunately, the hotter and windier it is the more natural energy available. Freezing cool can only make perhaps 20 hp difference with a 65 hp engine. Think motorized glider and always know which way is downhill.

"Think motorized glider and always know which way is downhill."

Boy ain't that the truth.......

Gump

TangoFox wrote:

No one ever looks back at the 150 they used to fly with much affection.
I learned to fly in a 150 aerobat and I have never wanted to own one. (maybe that's just me)

Yup, it's just you. I learned in a fleet of 150s at the Elmendorf Aero Club back in the winter of 72-73, and I wouldn't mine owning a couple of them. They all had their own personalities (true of all small airplanes, I think), a couple of them were real jewels, but there wasn't a bad one in the lot.

On the other hand, if I were to track down any of them and buy it, my P172D would get jealous and prolly kick me in the butt. See what I mean about personalities?

Cary

Tcrafts are the best bang for the buck if 19 being the top model that being said I still like my F-22 for creature comforts

craft wrote:Tcrafts are the best bang for the buck if 19 being the top model that being said I still like my F-22 for creature comforts

You got a restroom and bar in there?

No but nice idea

GumpAir wrote:This link has pics of my old T Cart on her Edo 1320's. N44498. Good little bird that taught me LOTS!!!!

http://tcraft.info/agawam.htm


Gump

I see that this is an old link, didn't work for me..but was that Agawam Mass?
Pete