Warbird Information Exchange

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.





Ryan

NEAT!! Given any thought to CAP WW2 markings?

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

Ryan,

Who was the previous owner?

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

Thanks,

Kyle

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

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

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?

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

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

Very nice Ryan and should be a lot of fun!

LadyO2Pilot wrote:

What she said

Sweet lookin' ride! Have a riot!!!

Andy Scott

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...

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

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!