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Can the airframe number and serial differ????

vanair

Registered User
South Africa
Hi guys

First time on this site but also indulge in Cub driving, Cub loving, etc. Looks like a marvelous site to be on!

I found out with a shock yesterday that the airframe number (plate welded to the frame) differs to the serial nr on the data plate screwed to the floor under the seat.

Immediately comes to mind the insurance/FAA people pondering over the dilemma of the differing numbers in case of a mishap, especially when I am not around.

Spoke to the maintenance man today and reassured me that it is common with Piepr Cubs for these numbers to differ. Something about the airframe nr that is used in the factory before the real serial number is allocated. It sounded a bit unreal to my liking.

Should these two number be the same?

Please help me out I want to go and fly!!

Pieter
 
vanair said:
Hi guys

First time on this site but also indulge in Cub driving, Cub loving, etc. Looks like a marvelous site to be on!

I found out with a shock yesterday that the airframe number (plate welded to the frame) differs to the serial nr on the data plate screwed to the floor under the seat.

Immediately comes to mind the insurance/FAA people pondering over the dilemma of the differing numbers in case of a mishap, especially when I am not around.

Spoke to the maintenance man today and reassured me that it is common with Piepr Cubs for these numbers to differ. Something about the airframe nr that is used in the factory before the real serial number is allocated. It sounded a bit unreal to my liking.

Should these two number be the same?

Please help me out I want to go and fly!!

Pieter

Not a problem... There's a debate going as to whether the numbers even matched from the factory... Doesn't matter... If you replace your damaged fuselage with an used one (perfectly legal), you'll have a different number...
 
Per Clyde Smith, it was absolutely common for numbers to be mismatched. This has been covered extensively in the Cub Club newsletter; contact Steve Krog for back issues on the subject.
 
vanair said:
Should these two number be the same?

Please help me out I want to go and fly!!

Pieter

Think of it this way-- S/N 1 "might" have matched (although I doubt it) then after that, figure in a few spare fuselages, a few shipped to other countries etc all the while keeping the aircraft S/N in order pretty soon it is easy to get way off on numbers. S/N's in the mid to late 50's are quite a ways off. They get farther off the newer the aircraft.

I heard one time of an inspector in england making a guy completely rebuild his plane because the Fuselage and Data plate s/n didn't match.
It seems a simple call to piper could have straightened that out. But maybe that was during the period that Pipere wouldn't tell them anything.
 
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