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Cubs Unlimited - J3 and Supercub Specialists

M

Mike Burcin

Registered User
Located Western Pennsylvania Finleyville airport G05. We do all types of work on j-3, pa-12, pa-18's. Fabric repair and replace. Custom instrument panels. popular engine upgrades & Alaska mods. Have a question, call me 724-348-7077, email: cubsunlimited@verizon.net
 
Mike- How about a dissertation on your "New" Supercub? Maybe you can give Cubcrafters a run for their money!
 
S2D,
What would you like to know? My name is John and I'm the owner of Cubs unlimited. I built the New supercub for Mike, who started out as a customer and became a good friend. He was very involved in the project with me.
Some details: Univair fuselage and complete wing assemblies, and tail feathers. Pretty much everything else was fabricated at my shop. O-320-B2B with Borer 8244 prop. Leading Edge exhaust system and K&N air filter. Rear mounted oil cooler and 60 amp alternator. 3" extended gear with Cleveland Brakes and 26" Goodyears. Gear has removable metal covers and welded on fueling steps. Full width extended baggage compartment and 180 lbs(3rd seat). Custom aluminum headliner. Custom squared off instrument panel fabricated by Cubs Unlimited with the radios and switches on the left side where it's easier to operate, unlike the C.C. panel. Switches, breakers and push-pull knobs located in an organized fashion, unlike the other ONE. Lots more goodies too numerous to mention here. I have several pics posted in the supercub gallery. The airplane is white with green trim. I will post more pics as soon as we do the test flight. We've gone through most of the paperwork and will be ready for final inspection in about a week.
cubsunlimited@verizon.net.
 
Pictures you posted look great. Just curious to the paperwork aspect. Did you have to show paperwork/ blueprints for every piece on the airplane. Just curious how the whole process went with FAA etc.
Brian
 
Diggler,
It weighed in at around 1150 lbs. A little heavier than I like but Mike , the customer wanted some comfort stuff in it. It should still be good performer as the ground tests felt like it had more than 160 ponies. I'm in process of constructing a thrust meter to more accurately determine thrust.
S2D,
Paperwork was time consuming but not impossible. fact is the MIDO office sent a letter to our Local FSDO and said that given my reputation and expertice, that the local boys could handle the certs.
We had to make up a maintenance manual and a parts manual. Also had to have a POH. They allowed us to use whatever Piper prints I had along with the Northland CD prints. They also verified that all the parts, hardware etc were either PMA'd or STC'd.
Should be doing test flight in a week or so.
 
Diggler,
It weighed in at around 1150 lbs. A little heavier than I like but Mike , the customer wanted some comfort stuff in it. It should still be good performer as the ground tests felt like it had more than 160 ponies. I'm in process of constructing a thrust meter to more accurately determine thrust.
S2D,
Paperwork was time consuming but not impossible. fact is the MIDO office sent a letter to our Local FSDO and said that given my reputation and expertice, that the local boys could handle the certs.
We had to make up a maintenance manual and a parts manual. Also had to have a POH. They allowed us to use whatever Piper prints I had along with the Northland CD prints. They also verified that all the parts, hardware etc were either PMA'd or STC'd.
Should be doing test flight in a week or so.

John
 
I am using the Poly-Fiber process with PPG Delta for a finish coat. I know the finish coat is not approved, but it used to be. I am getting field approvals for the top coat cause my local FSDO has known me for some time and were doing my 337's when it was legal. I have also contacted Poly-Fiber and asked them to look into approving the PPG delta paint as it was formulated for fabric use by PPG. I like the Poly-Fiber method cause it stays flexable for years. I have supercubs out there that have been done over 10 years ago and I can still push my thumb into the side of the fuselage and no cracks! And it is fire retardent, I tested it.
cubsunlimited@verizon.net
 
Diggler,
Hard to get an exact number for the amount of hours. Will try to figure out by going through all the invoices. Wings were unassembled so we had to build them up. We also added a landing light assembly to the right wing. We added some of our own mods to the fuselage so there was some welding required. All the sheetmetal was fabricated by Cubs Unlimited, ie, Boot cowl w/ s.s firewall, top, bottom and side engine cowlings, wing fairings, inspection panels, interior and exterior trim pieces, instrument panel and glare shield etc. Time for wing repairs and fuselage repairs and/or modifications depend on the extent of repair or modification. If you need a time for something specific, let me know.

John (owner Cubs Unlimited)
cubsunlimited@verizon.net
 
diggler said:
I copied this from another post.


I think it takes around 1100 hours to rebuild a super cub and to do a good job. Not slop it together. 1100X45.00 shop rate =$45,000 just for labor. I just thought maybe you had a better estimate for hours.

I havent heard from him.
Click to expand...

hey dig....

I want you to rebuild me a plane with your quick math method! :drinking:
 
diggler said:
I copied this from another post.

As for the cost some people are coming up with to rebuild a Cub, I would like to know where it is at. I have a hard time getting a bill built up that comes anywhere near some of these prices.
Click to expand...

I think it takes around 1100 hours to rebuild a super cub and to do a good job. Not slop it together. 1100X45.00 shop rate =$45,000 just for labor. I just thought maybe you had a better estimate for hours.

My response to the guy above was

I got a cub with a rusty fuselage, bent wings, beat up cowling, engine 1500 past tbo. What would you charge me to rebuild it. Labor and or parts?
Click to expand...
I havent heard for him
Click to expand...
Diggler
I'll rebuild any cub you can bring in for $20,000 plus parts. I'm gonna put in a new fuselage,New wings, New engine etc so start saving up extra for the parts. Course as slow as I work, I'd still wind up doing it for Minimum wage.
 
Things I have learned while building Cubs.

1) You can not build one from parts as cheap as you can buy one complete.

2) To get what you want, unless you build one from parts.

Crash
 
diggler said:
What does that equal?
Click to expand...

Way too much!! Guess that's why if you want a real nice airplane reasonable, either start spending all that time you'd be watching the boob tube or drinking beer with the buddies or harrassing the wife meticulously repairing and rebuilding your own Super Cub or luck out and find a cherry cheap.
 
Yesterday my son and flew down to check out Cubs Unlimited and meet John the owner. Wow!!! very professional opperation. John is typical of many of the Supercub.org members that I have met. He is a very accomadating and friendly guy who is a true Rag and Tube Guru specializing in Supercubs and kin. He had several 18's, a 12 and aJ3 in various stages of assembly. John is a true craftsman with lots of knowlege that he is willing to share. I am sure he would welcome other fellow supercubbers to stop
and visit . Thanks for the tour John, We"ll be back soon . Rick
 
Agreed, Rick. John has been super helpful with advice on my rebuild and I owe him a very public thanks!
 
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