Then and now. There IS light at the end of the Taylorcraft restoration project.

[Recluse]

One year ago, our Taylorcraft restoration project looked like this:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=53081&d=1327646336

It's hard to describe or comprehend how much work went into just getting the project THAT far.

Over the course of last fall, winter and spring, we covered the plane, did metal and fiberglass work, restored the instruments and panel, rebuilt the engine, etc etc etc etc etc etc.

Bad weather kept me at the hangar today instead of heading down to Fredericksburg to meet this young Australian teenager who is trying to become the youngest pilot in history to fly solo around the world. So we put the wings on the T-craft and I snapped a few pictures afterwards. Lot of progress has been made.

Can't wait to fly this thing!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76323&d=1374028821

Good ol' wooden Sensenich prop.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76324&d=1374028822

Completely restored interior. Probably nicer than it was in 1941.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76329&d=1374028826

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76330&d=1374028827

Still have to attach the ailerons and adjust and calibrate the linkage, hook up the linkage to the tailwheel, make sure the wings are rigged properly, and then the checking to make sure all cotter pins are installed where they should be, and a bunch of other details. But this thing will be flying by fall.

Cannot wait!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76326&d=1374028824

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76327&d=1374028824

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=76328&d=1374028825

:coffee:

[Gliden07]

You guys do beautiful work!! Pic's are worth a thousand words!!

[uscra112]

I'll take the T-craft over a Cub any day! Looks beautiful. And if it looks good, it'll fly good.

[Dean D.]

Beautiful job JD! Thanks for sharing with us!

[waksupi]

Sweet build!

[Reg]

Put in many hours in a 46 BC12-D. Wonderful craft. You have no idea what flying is until you put in a few hours in a plane like this with big wings and a 65 horse motor pulling you through the air. It's really what flight is really all about.

[Alstep]

What a beauty! A classic indeed! Always wanted to restore something like that. Maybe someday when I get reincarnated, I'll have time in a second life.

[MtGun44]

Beautiful bird. And since I have built a Long EZ from scratch, and done plenty of work
on my brother's Aeronca over the years, I do have pretty good idea of what that takes.

Well done!

Bill

[Bad Water Bill]

What a quality work of restoration.

Now tell us who WAXES the deck every day?

[Goatwhiskers]

A beautiful job! Like older cars, some are just classics! My brother used to own a Cessna 195 with a turbo'ed shaky Jake. Dad, who flew ATC over the Hump in the war never seemed to be overly interested in planes afterward, but when he saw that one he perked up and actually flew it. Bet it brought back some old memories. GW

[elk hunter]

Wow! A long and demanding task and one that will give you the pride and pleasure of accomplishment. Seeing the pictures brings back memories, my first ever airplane ride was in a 1946? Taylor Craft, the second was in a Cub, both in the early 60's.

[DLCTEX]

No wonder you're grumpy JD, sitting around idle so much. You need a hobby.:razz:

[texassako]

Nice! I don't know much about planes, but always like to see mechanical things restored to their former glory.

[popper]

Oh the memories. First flight was in a C-140, then the GS air club got a T-craft like that. You glassed the body? Dad had a C-195 w/ crosswind. Very comfortable AC.

[wildwilly]

My compliments on a very meticulous restoration. I restored a BC12D back in 1975 (C-75 Cont.). I flew my uncle on the most memorable trip of his life.....up the CA coastline from San Diego through the LAX VFR corridor to Santa Monica and back. The T-craft is a very gentle and forgiving a/c to fly...but really not in the same league with Pipers 11, 12 & 18s (7K hrs. stick time).

[WILCO]

Sweet build!

Indeed!!! Thanks for sharing the updates.

[JeffinNZ]

'Dillon' would be proud.

[wch]

What a pretty little airplane!

[Circuit Rider]

really beautiful JD.

[Reloader06]

Outstanding job Sir. You got skills, as the young ones say.

[TXGunNut]

Wow, I see lots of hours represented in that plane and I probably have no idea how many little jobs it took to go from a pile of tubes ond other pieces to what we see now. Pretty awesome, nicely done!

[missionary5155]

Good morning
That is one fine looking heavier than air. As a kid I used to love to hang around the airport when possible and watch any work going on in the little hangers.
Then an older friend Gary C. started flying single engines to get his hours in before Naval flight school and I got to sit for hours in the right seat. I was hooked for life with anything that overcomes the gravity factor.
I await the word that lift has been accomplished.
Mike in Peru

[Echo]

Sweet, JD - absolutely Sweet!

[YunGun]

WOW - Very impressive work indeed!

[rexherring]

Sweet restoration.

Now where are the gun ports?:bigsmyl2: