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My new bird!

Sun Dec 16, 2012 10:30 pm

Ok, so it isn't a warbird, but she's my new trainer to use. The bird is a Taylorcraft BC-12D and she was born in 1946 just after WWII. We hope to use her for tailwheel and light sport training. Someday maybe I'll have a warbird, but for now this is in what seems to be an affordable price range for me.

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Ryan

Re: My new bird!

Sun Dec 16, 2012 10:44 pm

NEAT!! Given any thought to CAP WW2 markings?

Re: My new bird!

Sun Dec 16, 2012 10:49 pm

The Inspector wrote:NEAT!! Given any thought to CAP WW2 markings?

I think we are going to try and keep her in these basic colors for now.

Ryan

Re: My new bird!

Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:08 pm

Ryan,

Who was the previous owner?

That airplane looks like one that spent some time in my hangar.

Thanks,

Kyle

Re: My new bird!

Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:20 pm

Kyleb wrote:Ryan,

Who was the previous owner?

That airplane looks like one that spent some time in my hangar.

Thanks,

Kyle

The plane's been in Texas for quite a while... the last owner only had it for about three months, and it was at Kitty Hill near Austin before that.

Ryan

Re: My new bird!

Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:27 pm

Are you at least gonna exercise your 2nd Amendment rights and mount rocket pods on it since you're not going to paint it? :P

Re: My new bird!

Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:30 pm

muddyboots wrote:Are you at least gonna exercise your 2nd Amendment rights and mount rocket pods on it since you're not going to paint it? :P

Ironically, I'm about as civilian as you can get when it comes to flying most of the time! I like flying the L-birds, but I'm a civilian all the way pilot.

Ryan

Re: My new bird!

Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:28 am

Nice looking little plane, affordable and fun are great features to have in your plane.
Have a great time!

Re: My new bird!

Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:32 am

Very nice Ryan and should be a lot of fun! :D

Re: My new bird!

Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:09 pm

:supz:

Re: My new bird!

Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:57 pm

LadyO2Pilot wrote: :supz:


What she said :D

Sweet lookin' ride! Have a riot!!!

Andy Scott

Re: My new bird!

Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:30 pm

Got about 500 hrs. of T-craft time good bird. I'd own one. Mostly BC-12D some in an L-2...
Lots of fun, easy to fly hours-excellent spin trainer too...

Re: My new bird!

Tue Dec 18, 2012 12:32 am

Congrats!

We used to own one. Sweet and efficient aircraft.

One word. Make sure the fuel cutoff and the carb heat and the mixture if there is one are clearly labelled. I had an "adventure" one day, although no harm was done. I'll let your imagination fill in the details.

Dave

Re: My new bird!

Fri Dec 21, 2012 9:00 am

They are realy good aircraft. Remember instructing in a BC-12D and there weren't any brakes on the right side. I teach landings without brakes first and then they are introduced thereafter. On one of my first landings I got into a "tail wagging" phenomenom where she started oscillating and my rudder inputs only made it worse and more pronounced. It was a short grass strp and it was getting scary.
I locked the rudders in one position and this dampened the tail swings. Control was regained and then I carefully added back in what was needed to track straight. No telling how many T-Crafts have been torn up by that. Now I talk about that in my ground school for tailwheel checkouts.
The reputation of them "floating forever" is a function of being a couple of knots too fast and also getting into ground effect with a low drag profile. (think glider with no spoilers or flaps extended). The remedy is to dirty the airplane with a little cross control slip and to keep easing the stick back to get it below V L/D. As you know by now, once it dirties up it will quit flying.
Have also flown the L-2M and BL-65. They are great!
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