Freedom machine!

The first Cub to take to the air was the Taylor E2 back on September 12 1930 with a Mr. Kirkendell at the controls. This was a very basic aircraft (airplane as our American friends would say) with an open cockpit and a 20 hp Brownbach Tiger Kitten engine up front. The power was too low and as a result it later had a 40 hp Salmson radial and then a Continental 37 hp A-40 flat four engine. The E-2 became the J-2 and along the way the manufacturing firm morphed from Taylor to Piper. The 37 hp engine was later replaced by the 65 hp Continental and the aircraft became the Piper J-3.

The Piper Cub was born.

Over the years the J-3 Cub had horsepower increases stepping up to 50 and later 65 hp. The aircraft arrived at a time when low power aided in getting people into the air at low cost. Two seats in tandem, fabric covered fuselage and wings, dual controls. The concept was to last the test of time. It proved a great trainer and private owned aircraft.

With World War two the Cub became the military L-4 and was used for spotting, liaison and one or two actually had rockets mounted under the wings that were used in anger! Korea saw the L-4 used again by the military.

The J-3 was developed into the 90 hp and later 150 hp Super Cub, the aircraft that became the staple of back country pilots. The Super Cub has been used as a crop duster, on floats, as a ski plane, with a belly pannier pack, Alaska land-anywhere big tyres and as a glider tug and banner tower.

Over the years I have been able to fly a bunch of the Cub design aircraft. I got to fly a Taylor J-2 back in 1978 by doing a check flight with Robert Bunn in VH-UYT. No brakes and a fixed tailskid. It was an interesting flight. Later I got to do an extended cross country flight in UYT from Albury to Bowral and return.

I met the Piper PA18-150, in fact an ex crop-duster, in 1972. My favourite gliding club, Geelong Gliding Club, had a Piper PA18A-150, VH-MSA. The 18A designation said that it had been a crop duster. The club needed glider tug pilots. I had Bruce Dwyer as the tug-master and as my tailwheel instructor. He sent me solo with a total of three hours of dual tailwheel time. I would not dare to send any of my tailwheel student’s solo with that time today! Bruce had confidence in me and I did not let him down as I later did hundreds of hours in MSA as a tug pilot.

Over the years the Cub has had its ups and downs. Piper stopped production for some years and then later sold the design to Cub Crafters of Yakima, Washington State. Cub Crafters had been the original Cub mod shop. They then became a manufacturer and incorporated all manner of design changes, most dictated by the customer.

Over the years the Cub has had its ups and downs.

Today we have Cub Crafters building the Super Cub and its derivates. One can still buy a 150 hp Super Cub but most opt for the 160 hp or even 200 hp power plane. Meanwhile others have viewed the market place and the design and we now have the Savage Cub, the American Legend Cub, the Carbon Cub, the Backcountry Cub and the Cub Crafters machine. The aircraft can also be bought in kit form with part built airframes ready to ship from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty.

In more recent times I got to fly Rob Black’s Taylor J-2, VH-UYL at Tyabb. That was fun. The last Cub that I flew was an America legend AL-3 Cub, N155WB, out of Fergusson Field, Pensacola, Florida. Part time instructor and full time Police Officer Doug Eddins, took me for a ride, literally. We shot some circuits and local flying. Not knowing me he was cautious at first of my flying and tailwheel skills. He said he had had some exciting times in the past with people who had more talk time than tail wheel skills.

The Taylor/Piper Cub was copied and developed. In the UK it became the Taylorcraft Auster and back in the USA Mr. Taylor went on to build his own version of the original design that he called the Taylorcraft. Along the way I have flown about four Auster models and even a Taylorcraft F-21B. All great aircraft but I have a leaning towards the Cub design.

If you have never flown a Cub, Piper or other brand, you do not know what you are missing. Seek one out and go for a flight. They are just a great machine!

Contact Dave by email: [email protected]