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| Certainly the most famous product of the Piper Company, the original version of the Piper PA-18 Super Cub,
powered by a 67kW Continental C90-12F flat-four engine, first came on the market in late 1949 after gaining type certification on 18 November 1949. It continued in production with Piper until 1981, when the company disposed of all rights in this aircraft to WTA Inc. of Lubbock, Texas. In the intervening period the PA-18 had appeared in progressively improving form, and had been powered by a variety of engines rated between 67 to 112kW. In its final Piper production form, as the PA-18-150, its basic configuration was that of the earliest two-seat Cubs with braced high-set wings, wire-braced tail unit, and fixed tailwheel landing gear, but powered by a 112kW Avco Lycoming O-320 flat-four engine. This powerplant had been used also for a specialised agricultural duster/sprayer version designated PA-18A which had been introduced in 1952; it incorporated as standard a chemical hopper and spray/dusting gear, but was easily convertible for general-purpose use, and when production ended a total of 2,650 had been built. In addition to civil construction, Piper built 838 PA-18s with the 71kW Continental C90-8F engine for the US Army under the designation L-18C, 108 of this total being supplied to foreign nations under the Military Aid Program, and the army then ordered 150 examples of the generally similar L-21A which differed by having the 92kW Avco Lycoming O-290-II engine; at a later date a number of these aircraft were converted for use as trainers, then being redesignated TL-21A. Under the designation YL-21 the US Army evaluated two examples of a version of the PA-18 Cub powered by a 101kW Avco Lycoming O-290-D2 engine, later acquiring a total of 584 under the designation L-21B, a number of them being supplied to foreign nations under MAP. In 1962 in-service L-21Bs were redesignated U-7A.
| MODEL | Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub |
| ENGINE | 1 x Avco Lycoming O-320 fiat-four piston engine, 112kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 794 kg | 1750 lb |
| Empty weight | 446 kg | 983 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 10.73 m | 35 ft 2 in |
| Length | 6.88 m | 23 ft 7 in |
| Height | 2.04 m | 7 ft 8 in |
| Wing area | 16.58 m2 | 178.47 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 209 km/h | 130 mph |
| Ceiling | 5790 m | 19000 ft |
| Range | 740 km | 460 miles |
| Joe Maurer, 19.03.2015 21:35 I soloed the Cub at Columbus AFB in 1955( class of 55G ) a great airplane and led me to the T-6 and further in the Air Force in numerous A /Cs until 1973 to retirement. reply | | Teddy erazo, e-mail, 23.05.2014 07:41 Saludos necesito comprar un PA-18 para importarlo a Ecuador x favor contacten a mi correo erazocorp@hotmail.com reply | | Glenn Johnson, e-mail, 30.12.2013 04:40 The only thing I've had longer than my PA-18 is my wife (40 yrs). Neither are for sale. Just rebuilt the engine a third time with 160hp and FAD exhaust. Put nearly 3000 hours on the second engine. With Alaska HotTips, micro VG's and 31" Bushwheels, most of the terra-firma planet is a runway. reply | | Rusty Pickus, e-mail, 26.12.2013 01:48 I have owned my PA-18 for over 40 years, I'm on the 6th engine, it is the only thing I own that I will not sell, the amount of fun I've had here in Alaska cannot be put into words, a lifetime of experiances. N4187Z reply | |
| | John Gallop, e-mail, 12.12.2013 08:17 I went solo in a Cub on 22 June 1968 at my club in Witbank. South Africa. That was our basic trainer and the Piper Colt followed and then I did my PPL in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. The Piper Cherokees were my favorite as they were low wing and like a fighter plane. 77 years old now and doing all my flying on FSX Simulator. reply | | Mike Brosch, e-mail, 20.02.2013 07:11 Early in my career as a pilot I was lucky enough to get paid to fly a Super Cub for power-line Patrol. I flew at low altitude all over the South and that bird made a pilot out of me. 33 years later, flying 8 miles high at mach .90 I still apply what that little cotton covered airplane showed me. reply | | Frank Smith, e-mail, 10.05.2012 23:15 As a member of USAF Class 55H I flew 20 hours in the PA-18 at the Hawthorne School of Aviation, ("Bevo" Howard, Pres.), Spence Air Base, Moultrie, GA. As a High School teacher my aviation class built a "Wag-Aero Cubby" and I made the maiden flight in December 1984. Flew it for almost one hundred hours. Guess you can say, a Cub is a Cub and they all fly the same. reply | | Ralph Alshouse, e-mail, 03.12.2011 04:03 We used the super cub 150 for towing gliders (sailplanes)in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was the perfect plane for towing. Gained a lot of repect for this airplane at Greenfield, Iowa. reply | | Jerry Hardesty, e-mail, 24.09.2011 01:23 I was in cadet class 56C and soloed the PA-18 at Hondo, Texas in Oct. 1955. Had flown numerous aircraft since then, but finally bought another Super Cub in May 2011. Started out in the Cub and will finish in the Cub........I LOVE IT!!!!! reply | | John Irwin, e-mail, 08.04.2011 06:49 I spent a lot of hours in the Super Cubs owned by the West Point Flying Club in the early 60s. I was flying C-119s with the Reserves and we could be associate members. They were a lot of fun to fly. reply | | Captain Cyrus CAMA, e-mail, 04.04.2011 19:51 I soloed on this plane in 1988 when i started my P.P.L. in India, was truly a pleasure, it was an agricultural machine PA-18 150A with an all metal propeller, today 23 odd yrs later i am a captain on the A380 super jumbo and its a good feeling to go back into the past and realize where most of us started our aviation carers from, would love to own and fly my own Piper cub some day. reply | | Lt Col Eston Hupp, CAP, e-mail, 04.03.2011 05:18 Used / Flew PA18 N264T, a former Air Force training aircrft, as a CAP search /rescue aircraft and glider towing ship for more than 20 years. Recoverd it twice and replaced 3 engines. Had a 115 hp eng. Recalled by CAP when discontinued fabric AC. Grefat airplane. Many fond memories of this old bird. reply |
| Tony Dawson, 01.03.2011 20:47 Rode in my first Super Cub in Alaska in the early '70s and became determined to fly one. Bought N9413P in Texas in 1979, and with a total of 60hrs of flight experience (only 4.2hrs in the Cub), I departed from Alvin, TX bound for Nome, AK with some detours and layovers along the way. Still own that airplane, newly rebuilt and christened with a new N-number. One of the biggest influences on the course of my life in the Far North. reply | | Mick Hiatt, e-mail, 19.12.2010 21:22 Does the L 21 Super Cub have both flaps and ailerons? Thanks. reply | |
| | Bill Schwoeble, e-mail, 12.12.2010 16:04 Class 56-H Marriana, Fl. Log book entry 4 Feb 55 first ride in the PA-18. Loved it! Last ride in the 150 HP version was in Fitzgerald, GA with a doctor that also owned a Citabria that was earlier owned by Bill Elliot of NASCAR fame. The Dr. loved the PA-18 better! reply | | Dave Cole, e-mail, 09.12.2010 04:28 I learn to fly in a J-3 Piper Cub at age 16, 1946. I lived 30 miles from Lock haven, PA the home for Piper Aviation, so new it well. Got accepted for Aviation
Cadets in 1954 and soled the PA-18, which 115hp engine sure beat the 65hp engine of the J-3. I understand Piper A /C has a museum at Lock Haven, PA that I must return and spend special time at.
Dave reply | | John Burdett miles_magister mi, e-mail, 24.11.2010 06:02 110mph if I remember... at 2100rpm ? reply | | Phil Stromowsky, e-mail, 05.11.2010 03:08 I soloed in the PA-18 on my birthday in 1955...as a part of Air Force class 56Q. What a thrill! reply | | Ernest Kaiser, e-mail, 25.10.2010 01:17 I soloed in Super Cub 7670D at FlightWays in Alaska in Feb 1959. My first 30 hrs were all Super Cub, after that the Cherokee 140. reply | | Jim Richards, e-mail, 12.10.2010 18:20 Returned from Vietnam in 1957, a bachelor with a pocket full of cash. Buddies bought new cars. I bought N3773P, a 90HP Super Cub. It was the love of my life, until I got married! She's still flying, according to Google. reply |
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I joined the CAP in 1975 in Yuma AZ to learn to fly their 108 hp ex-USAF super cub N324T. She was a truly great airplane and she taught me, a low time C150 driver, a lot about flying. I spent innumerable hours in her searching for lost aircraft including a couple searches of parts of the Grand Canyon. Because the CAP didn’t have enough current and qualified tail wheel pilots they sold them all. N324T was replaced with a rebuilt ex-USAF IFR T41B. I’m still in the CAP but get my tail wheel fix in my 260 hp Skybolt.
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