Finished!

[Recluse]

The 1941 Taylorcraft restoration project is finished. Complete. Just waiting on the insurance before flying.

From this--

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77274&d=1374900033

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77273&d=1374900033

To this--

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77275&d=1374900146

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77272&d=1374900033

And then to this--

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77276&d=1374900260

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77270&d=1374899775

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77269&d=1374899774

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77271&d=1374899776

Now I have time to finish my next book. :)

:coffee:

[smoked turkey]

Very very nice. I know that is a load off. Better get writtin'.

[Bad Water Bill]

You sir are a real craftsman producing quality work.

When will you get your inspection or has that been an ongoing thing? Could be a real nail biter.

Now finish that book I have been waiting years and years to read.:kidding:

[tward]

Looks great, nice work! Tim

[waksupi]

Good work JD!

[Dean D.]

She looks fantastic JD, you have a right to feel proud. I'm envious. Let us know when you take her up for the first time!

[hiram1]

I love to see good work done and you sir do GOOD work.

[BRobertson]

Very nice T-Craft!!!

I learned to fly, forty years ago, in one just like it!!! Not nearly as nice however!!
Mine was 65 horse, no electrical, hand prop only!!
It was a lot of fun on skiis in the winter

Bob

[snuffy]

JD, I'm not sure which I want to see first, your next book, or you at the controls of that beautiful Taylor craft!

Great work, but I know it was a team effort. The man-hours must be immense! Is the wing surface the standard cloth, or a newer fiberglass or composite?

[jmort]

I like the look of your plane. The fixed landing gear and wing on top are perfect in my book. Looks like it is ready for work in the bush.

[Recluse]

JD, I'm not sure which I want to see first, your next book, or you at the controls of that beautiful Taylor craft!

Great work, but I know it was a team effort. The man-hours must be immense! Is the wing surface the standard cloth, or a newer fiberglass or composite?

Could be a toss up as to which one you'll see first. :) The next book, False Gods, is well on schedule to be finished, released and on sale sometime in November. Hopefully the insurance will be taken care of before then, LOL!

It was definitely a team effort. My uncle was the real driving force behind this as he had far more time to invest than I did, but we've always been a heckuva good team and this is one more example of that.

As far as the covering, it's fabric--we both do not like working with fiberglass and composites, although there is no argument over how strong and durable they are. But the fabric and painting was done using a method called the Stewart Method, and it was fairly easy. Tedious, to be sure, but fairly easy. The painting wasn't bad, but could get frustrating in a hurry. But when it's all said and done, we're a couple of amateurs and did the best we could and have no real complaints.

As hot as it is around here right now and as slow as a T-craft climbs, I'm plenty content, in reality, to wait until fall to take her up. This was another case of enjoying the journey more than the destination, although flying this will be fun, it's not really a two-person airplane--very low useful load weight limit, very VERY cramped inside, underpowered, etc. But for a single pilot, it's absolute fun.

Still undecided if I have the will or desire to pedal this thing all the way to Air Venture.

:coffee:

[Cag40Navy]

She is beautiful! I would love a ride in her... Just an absolutely beautiful.

[wallenba]

Very nice! Inspector signed off? Going to be able to get it to Oshkosh?

[Goatwhiskers]

That is one beautiful job! Modern planes, like modern cars, are nice and have their place, but sometimes it does the soul good to bring back an old machine and breathe life into it. When you take off in that thing you will feel a freedom that doesn't exist anywhere else. GW

[WILCO]

Good work JD!

Ditto for me!

[Bzcraig]

Very nice......good workmanship, great craftsmanship!

[Taylor]

Good job,nice. I notice that it also has a right hand drive set up.Air mail?

[Ajax]

Amazing transformation JD.


Andy

[elkhuntfever]

What a treat to see. I stopped flying close to 30 years back but still to this day will stop to watch'em go over.

[farmerjim]

Wow!
US private, Canadian Commercial, Haven't flown in 20 years, but still drool when a single engine flies over me when working out in the fields. Can't wait for the flight pictures.

[KrisR]

Nice work, really brings back memories when I watched my neighbor build a J3 piper cub in his garage. Are you still able too up the horsepower in planes and label it a experimental aircraft?

[Gliden07]

WOW!! I liked the other series of pictures you posted a few weeks ago when it was almost done! But these are even better!! Like I said before you do awesome work! I'm sure the pictures don't do the actual plane justice!!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

very neat project, and by the photo's looks like excellent craftsmanship.

[Artful]

Super Job, awaiting flight pic's

[snuffy]

JD, you made me go look up the Stewart method. Interesting process.

In case anyone else is interested, here's a link to the Stewart method with tons of pics of the entire process;

http://www.supercubproject.com/afs.aspx

Every flight surface or the entire plane had to have that done to it. It takes a very long time to do.

Here's another link to wikipedia where wing and flight surface covering is discussed in the historical perspective;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_fabric_covering

The planes are back! The nightly air show from air venture comes far enough north for me to see each night. At least the war planes in formation.

JD, if you do make it to next years air venture, I'll make the 10 mile trip down to meet you and take a long, close up look, at the T-craft. I know the limitations of the T-craft. I spent many hours riding in one with my dad in his. He was partners with a fellow worker, they shared the expenses and the hangar rent.

The Canadians sent down a big chunk of their air mass, the temp barely made it to 60 degrees yesterday! Good flying weather for the T-craft. At least those poor suckers at the EAA won't be sweating too much this year!

[sparky45]

Congratulations !! Job well done. Now all we need/want is a video of her Maiden.

[Echo]

Sweet, JD - Sweet...

[firefly1957]

Looks great!

[sleeper1428]

A truly beautiful bird!! Brings back memories of the PA-19 in which I learned to fly and in which I did my first solo flight. That was back in the mid-1960's and although I got my Private Pilot's License at that time, I haven't flown since. But I do miss it dearly. Get that bird licensed and then get up there and punch some holes in the sky!!

sleeper1428

[mikeym1a]

Nice plane. the first time I got to fly was a Civil Defense exercise with the Civil Air Patrol. We had a Taylorcraft, a Luscombe, a TriPacer, and an old Stinson L-5, that didn't want to fly that day. The Civil Defense guys never showed up, so we spent the rest of the day planning our own missions, and flying. None of those planes looked as good as yours. Great work!!!!:D

[**oneshot**]

Put off the book until you go fly a few hours. That looks incredible!!!!!!

[wallenba]

Looking at the uncovered cowling pics and the finished ramp pictures I don't see any bungees. How does a Taylorcraft main suspension work?

[Recluse]

Looking at the uncovered cowling pics and the finished ramp pictures I don't see any bungees. How does a Taylorcraft main suspension work?

They use bungees--I just didn't post any pictures of that phase of restoration. We have the floor set up for a quick remove to serve as an inspection point for annual inspections as the gear bungees need to be checked.

:coffee: