Taylorcraft B
 Taylorcraft B. Photo: Ahunt at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Taylorcraft |
|---|---|
| Model | Taylorcraft B |
| Type | Light aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| Registered in the US | 1,535 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, one passenger |
| Engine | Continental C-85, 85 hp |
| Cruise speed | 110 mph (Taylorcraft 19) |
| Range | 300 mi (Taylorcraft 19) |
| Service ceiling | 17,000 ft (Taylorcraft 19) |
| Max weight | 1,500 lb (Taylorcraft 19) |
| Developed from | Taylorcraft Model A |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Taylorcraft B is a light, single-engine, high-wing airplane with two seats side by side, built by the Taylorcraft Aviation Corporation of Alliance, Ohio.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,535 with a valid registration.[2]
History
The Model B was built in large numbers in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and could be ordered from the factory as a landplane or a floatplane. Like many light airplanes of its day, it has a welded steel-tube fuselage covered in doped fabric, with wings braced by steel-tube struts.[1]
Most were bought by private pilots. Large numbers flew in the United States, many went to Canada and overseas, and many were still active in 2022.[1]
Models
The 1938 BC had a 50 hp Continental A-50. The 1939 BC-65 moved to a 65 hp Continental, and the 1941 BC-12-65 (the Army's L-2H) added minor structural changes and an elevator trim tab. After the war came the BC-12D "Twosome", also sold as the Traveller, with a 65 hp Continental A-65-8; it is by far the most common Taylorcraft on the U.S. register today. Seaplane versions carry an "S" in the name.[1][2]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,535 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| BC12-D | 993 |
| BL-65 | 130 |
| BC-65 | 108 |
| BC12-65 | 102 |
| BC12-D1 | 74 |
| BC12D-85 | 27 |
| BC | 17 |
| BL12-65 | 16 |
| BF12-65 | 14 |
| BL | 13 |
| BCS12-D | 10 |
| BF-65 | 9 |
| BF | 7 |
| BC12D-4-85 | 6 |
| BCS12D-4-85 | 5 |
| BCS-65 | 2 |
| BF-60 | 1 |
| BCS12-65 | 1 |
Specifications (Taylorcraft 19)
| Item | Taylorcraft 19 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | one passenger |
| Empty weight | 860 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,500 lb |
| Fuel | 18 u.s.gal |
| Engine | Continental C-85, 85 hp (four-cylinder horizontally opposed aircraft engine) |
| Propeller | metal |
| Maximum speed | 120 mph |
| Cruise speed | 110 mph |
| Stall speed | 38 mph |
| Range | 300 mi |
| Service ceiling | 17,000 ft |
| Rate of climb | 700 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Taylorcraft BC12-D. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Photograph of a 1946 Taylorcraft BC-12-D with custom painted fabric taken at Phoenix Field, California in 1950. Photo: Harold Wahlberg, CC0 -
Taylorcraft BC12D-85. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Taylorcraft BL65. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Taylorcraft B
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Taylorcraft B", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.