Piper Cub

You will definitely pay a substantial nostalgia premium for a Cub. It is kinda cool flying along with the door open but eventually you will tire of that and want to close it and well, pretty much everything else about it other than the being open part sucks. I learned to fly in a J3 so they have always held a special place in my heart but about ten years ago I stumbled upon a 90hp 7EC Champ for less than half the price of a Cub and bought it. I've found it quite similar in form and function to the original 90hp Supercub with a bit more room and comfort. There has always been a sort of a team loyalty thing between Cubs and Champs that probably depended on which one you learned to fly in and I honestly was always a Cub guy who hated Champs even though I had never flown one.

Now I like them both. They have their subtle differences and both may be easy to fly but they aren't necessarily easy to fly gracefully, it takes some time to master all of the quirky nuances of each.
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
How do you approach/view the fabric? I understand recovering could be the same/more than an engine?
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Dacron fabric practically never wears out, assuming it has the proper UV coat applied. You generally recover not so much because the fabric's worn out, but because of the condition of the underlying airframe and how scruffy and cracked the paint might be after 40 years or so. But yeah paying someone to do a quality recover and paint job is big bucks.
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
How do you approach/view the fabric?
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Depends on which view. From a preventative mx/upkeep view they require more work vs a metal aircraft. From a repair view they can be rather expensive and easily cost more than an engine replacement depending on condition. But as noted with todays fabrics it more in how it is maintained that determines the life of the fabric. For example, several years ago we finished a complete recover on a Super Cub that had its original fabric from 1976. The fabric was still good but the paint was shot and the frame had some serious corrosion issues. Can it be expensive? Sure. But with the right care a fabric aircraft can last for many years. All things equal I always preferred working on fabric airplanes over metal ones.
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
I understand recovering could be the same/more than an engine?
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Polyfiber estimates $3000 - $4000 in materials for a Cub size aircraft. Labor is fairly extensive. Fabric goes on reasonably quickly but there is a ton of detail work - rib stitching, tapes, patches... Then lots of different coats of stuff i.e. Polybrush (2 coats?), PolySpray (3 or 4?), then your finish color(s). It all takes time.

Depending on the finish type and how fussy you are, repairs can be easy or somewhat time consuming...
 
Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) said:
@Silvaire do you do your own maintenance? How do you approach/view the fabric? I understand recovering could be the same/more than an engine?
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When looking at airplanes that are anywhere from 50 to 70 years old there are a number of factors to consider. I also own a 1946 all metal Luscombe and it too can have challenging and possibly expensive corrosion and repair issues that have to be addressed. In regards to fabric there is a stigma attached that is associated with the original material that was traditionally replaced every 5 to 10 years however it is very unlikely that you will find an airplane that has not been recovered with poly-fiber which is an entirely different material and process that can easily last 30 years outdoors. The issue that may be of concern is that the tubular airframe and/or wooden spars themselves have not had the intensive inspections and treatments that they used to get during a periodic recover operation but metal airplanes also have corrosion and fatigue issues that can remain hidden and in such cases a fabric airframe can often be easier to repair.

So it comes down to condition and maintenance history including quality of repairs. Both of my airplanes have damage and repair history and it is quite common for aircraft of this age group and type to have been involved in a mishap or two. The main thing to consider however is current condition.
 
The latest 8A models are using the TCM O-200, have a hinged instrument panel but are not an inch wider in the cockpit. They have an impressive price tag. Check them out.
WWW.luscombeair.com
 
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