Piper J-3
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PiperJ-3Cub02.jpg
The Piper Model J-3 'Cub' was originally designed by the Taylor brothers as a small, light and simple utility aircraft. It is one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time, and its simplicity, affordability, and popularity invoked comparisons to the Ford Model T automobile. Its standard yellow paint job came to be known as "Cub Yellow."
Its predecessor, the Model E-2 Taylor Cub, first appeared in 1930. It underwent several changes and became the J-2, released in 1936, and William T. Piper bought out C. G. Taylor. Although sales were initially slow, about 1,200 J-2s were produced before a fire in the Piper factory ended its production in 1938.
After Piper moved his factory, the J-3 replaced the J-2. Powered by a 40 horsepower (30 kW) engine, in 1938 it sold for just over $1,000. Sales were boosted by the pre-World War II Civilian Pilot Training program, and the Cub was later modified to perform various military duties. An icon of the era, the J-3 Cub has long been beloved by pilots and non-pilots alike, with hundreds still in use today. Its military variant, used during World War II was designated Piper L-4. Used primarily as a trainer and a surveilance plane, an L-4 "Grasshopper" once found itself pursued by a German Messerschmitt Bf-109, outmaneuvered it and caused it to crash, and was credited for a kill. Mechanically identical to the J-3, the L-4 was equipped with large Plexiglas windows extending over the top of the wing and back to the empanage. The cabin's side windows were enlarged and expanded as well. After the war, most were sold as surplus but a few saw service in the Korean War. Of the Grasshoppers sold as surplus, many were repainted in Cub Yellow and refitted with the standard J-3 window scheme.
Piper sold 19,073 J-3s between 1938 and 1947, the majority of them L-4s and other military variants. Postwar, thousands of Grasshoppers were civilian-registered under the designation J-3. Hundreds of Cubs were assembled from parts in Canada, Denmark, and Argentina, and by a licensee in Oklahoma. A 1946 model that sold new for about $2,500 would fetch more than $30,000 today in good condition.
With a wingspan of just over 35 feet (11 m) and a length of nearly 22.5 feet (6.8 m), the J-3 was powered by a 75-horsepower (55 kW), four-cylinder, air-cooled engine and had a cruising speed of 87 miles per hour (140 km/h) with a range of 220 miles (350 km).
In 1949, the J-3 was replaced by the Piper PA-18 Super Cub, which Piper produced until 1981 when it sold the rights to WTA Inc. In all, Piper produced 2,650 Super Cubs. The Super Cub had a 150-horsepower (110 kW) engine which increased its top speed to 130 miles per hour (210 km/h) and its range to 460 miles (740 km).
Modernized and up-engined versions are still being produced today by Cub Crafters in Washington State and by American Legend Aircraft in Texas, as the Cub continues to be sought after by bush pilots for its STOL capabilities.
So popular is the J-3 as a subject for radio controlled model aircraft that manufacturers of R/C covering film produce it in available Cub Yellow.
External links
- The Piper Cub Forum (http://www.pipercubforum.com/)
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