What's the fascination with a Cub?

RoscoeT said:
If you have to ask, you wouldn't get it. J-3 Cubs have significantly better flying qualities than Champs, BTW. I've owned both.

And I don't get why people say Cubs are over priced. Over priced means priced higher than the market will bear. Cubs are priced the way they are because they fetch those prices.
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AvWeb did a side-by-side a couple years back and it seemed to me from the description that the Aeronca was better in almost every way

http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/Cub-vs-Champ-Which-to-Pick-223612-1.html
 
labbadabba said:
AvWeb did a side-by-side a couple years back and it seemed to me from the description that the Aeronca was better in almost every way

http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/Cub-vs-Champ-Which-to-Pick-223612-1.html
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Since you've never flown either, and likely have limited flying experience, let me tell you the difference in flying qualities based on my personal experience owning these aircraft, and without referencing an internet video. Cubs have a higher lift wing, which means they will take off and land shorter. Cubs have more rudder and aileron authority. Cubs have better balanced aileron/rudder. Cubs have better feedback near the stall. The Champ is more aileron limited. Cubs slip better. Cubs have less adverse yaw. Cubs are just more responsive and all-around better balanced with better control feel, even though they fly a few mph slower on the same power.

Let me put it this way...anyone ever heard of a Clip Wing Champ? What a POS that would be. LOL
 
RoscoeT said:
If you have to ask, you wouldn't get it. J-3 Cubs have significantly better flying qualities than Champs, BTW. I've owned both.

And I don't get why people say Cubs are over priced. Over priced means priced higher than the market will bear. Cubs are priced the way they are because they fetch those prices.
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I think he meant overpriced compared to aircraft that have identical or better performance but sell for less money. It wasn't a treatise on market supply/demand.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I think he meant overpriced compared to aircraft that have identical or better performance but sell for less money. It wasn't a treatise on market supply/demand.
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In that case the Cub is not unique, and there are a whole lot of "overpriced" airplanes out there. Anything with a radial engine and/or two wings qualifies. People don't buy a Cub by comparing performance specs any more than the Waco pilot does. They're not bought or priced based on utility, they are priced like they are because they're special. Like lots of other things in life beyond airplanes. So I still don't understand the point of saying Cubs or anything else are overpriced if they sell.
 
RoscoeT said:
If you have to ask, you wouldn't get it. J-3 Cubs have significantly better flying qualities than Champs, BTW. I've owned both.

And I don't get why people say Cubs are over priced. Over priced means priced higher than the market will bear. Cubs are priced the way they are because they fetch those prices.
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They are not overpriced for the market. They are overpriced for what they are to me as a buyer. Hence I don't have one.
 
Tarheelpilot said:
They are not overpriced for the market. They are overpriced for what they are to me as a buyer. Hence I don't have one.
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Yugos were overpriced for what they were to me as a buyer. Hence I never bought one. Everything we are not interested in is overpriced.
 
There are plenty of $250K+ Cubs flying. Most of those owners aren't interested in J-3s, either.
 
Bobanna said:
Red tractor or green tractor?
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Currently blue, but probably get an orange one eventually. ;-)

As far as the Cub/Champ debate, don't care. Would fly either one if there were any around here.

They both have a significant horsepower problem at this altitude in their original forms. Thus, we see up-engined models for the most part.
 
Well I sold my 1940 J-3 in January for some stupid reason.... The new owner crashed and destroyed it before he left the airport! That really hit my whole family hard and he had the attitude Oh well, I will just go buy another one!
I have owned a 172, Decathlon, Skybolt, Christen eagles, Staudacher S-300D, Pitts S-2C, Pitts Model 12, Cessna 140 and fly a V35B Bonanza. I will tell you I enjoyed flying my J-3 more than any other airplane I have flown. Hand prop, no radio, just open the door and cruise.
I looked at buying a Carbon Cub but you can't take off with the door open. That is plain dumb!
I went and bought a Breezy a couple of weeks ago and I think I will enjoy it more than the J-3.
Not really sure why I liked the Cub so much? I loved that airplane though. Lots of memories the few years I owned it.
 
Salty said:
It pretty much describes free market economics in one simple sentence.
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Oh no, it describes so much more!
Thank you, I now have a new message to put on the board for my students.
 
When I learned to fly you either did it in a Cub or a Champ and depending on which, you thereafter became either a Cub guy or a Champ guy and pretty much detested the other for the rest of eternity. I was a Cub guy and hated Champs despite the fact I had never flown one. Fast forward 30 years and the only taildragger you could find to rent was a Citabria, which is basically a 150 hp Champ. So I did that and liked it and when I decided to retrograde to an old low and slow taildragger I looked at Cubs and Champs and decided to buy a 90 hp 7EC mainly because it was half the price of a 65 hp Cub.

I still love Cubs but you're paying a big premium for nothing more than nostalgia.
 
I got about 30 minutes in one last week, I forgot how small that front cockpit was. I don't fold up that small anymore. could barely walk after 30 minutes.
 

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Silvaire said:
When I learned to fly you either did it in a Cub or a Champ and depending on which, you thereafter became either a Cub guy or a Champ guy and pretty much detested the other for the rest of eternity.
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Kinda like the Ford vs. Chevy differences I suppose.
 
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