Combat Ready Legend Cub

SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, MAY 29, 2006 -- American Legend Aircraft Company announced today the availability of its Legend Combat. The all-new Legend Combat is a light-sport certified, 2-place tube-and-fabric aircraft with military paint and markings. The Legend Combat’s design is reminiscent of the historic Piper L-4, L-18 and L-21 produced as liaison aircraft for the U.S. Army and Air Force.

The Legend Combat was debuted at the Experimental Aviation Association’s Southwest Regional Fly-in in Hondo, Texas, on May 12 and 13th. The Legend Combat was on static display during the show. It featured military green paint with black and white markings of the 1940s. The Legend Combat is a safe, fun to fly and enjoyable aircraft for today’s pilots. It features high-tech instrumentation, plush interior finishes and a modern electrical system.

The original Legend Cub is a two-place aircraft designed for the recreational and light-sport pilot. The aircraft is similar in design and appearance to vintage Piper J-3, PA-11 and PA-18 Cubs. The new military paint scheme is being offered by American Legend as an option. It is patterned after the L-4, L-18 and L-21 designated, Piper-produced aircraft dating from 1942 to 1962. These aircraft are commonly nicknamed “Grasshopper”; the Legend Cub and Legend Combat are well-suited to takeoffs and landings on grass strips. The Legend Cub and Legend Combat are manufactured in the U.S.A in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

American Legend Aircraft Company offers the new Legend Cub and Legend Combat with a variety of standard features including doors on both sides of the fuselage, an aircraft electrical system with starter, fuel storage in wing tanks, a 3-inch wider cabin, and the 100-hp Continental O-200 engine.

American Legend Aircraft Company is a manufacturer of recreational aircraft that meet Light-Sport Aircraft certification requirements. The American Legend Cub is two-place design derived from the classic Cub. A variety of options are available including choice of interior, avionics, wheels, floats, lighting, propellers, and more. The Legend Cub is bringing back the enjoyment and economics of general aviation aircraft to today’s flying enthusiasts.

For further information on the Legend Cub and Legend Combat, contact American Legend Aircraft Company at 1810 Piper Lane, Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482; call 903-885-7000; or log on to www.legend.aero

Too bad the FAA is making the S-LSA manufacturers put 12 inch numbers on the airplanes. That is going to screw up that nice CC Sport Cub paint job, too. I'd love that "Green" Legend with small N numbers.

Rich

A CFI I know bought and instructs in a Legend Cub. He choose the fully cowled, round wing tip model. Although he likes the airplane, he has had a few problems with it. After looking at the plane, I would say much of the
little glitches he has encountered are from short cuts in assembly of minor components. The Legend folks need to look at similar installations on Super Cubs instead of trying to re-invent the wheel. Chaffing and lots of factory tie wraps seem to be related. The sky light had to be replaced because of a half dozen cracks around screw holes. Instead of pulling the wing root fairing tight with one screw at the back, like a Super Cub, Legend elected to run a row of screws down the fairing through the sklight and into U channel. The owner said his fuel lines in the wing root were plastic tubing. I am sure some of the glitches will be corrected in future production, but I would take a careful look at the Legend before I flew one.

Ron

The fuel lines are aluminum. You should take a careful look at any airplane before you fly it.

Rich

Will they put hard points on the wings for rockets and a center line hardpoint for the minigun? I mean ya gotta be able to shoot Willy Pete, and shoot up something with a militarized plane.

The lines for the fuel guages are plastic, held on with zip ties. The cable fairleads in the wing are installed twisted so that a substantial groove has already been worn in the fairleads after only a 100 hrs. The right gearleg already has large ringworm type cracks in the finish. The skylight was trashed. And it weighs 120lbs more than Ron's SuperCub

All that being said it is still a nice airplane and I am sure the good people at Legand will or have addressed the details. At least they are delivering airplanes and have not stiffed anybody like a lot of start up companies have. Hats off to them for that.

Dave

Snert said:

The lines for the fuel guages are plastic, held on with zip ties.

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Isn't that the way the Husky ones are too?

sj

Did they do the greenhouse? You haven't lived until you have enjoyed all that glass - like a Stearman without the breeze!

The Legend is a J-3/PA-11 look-alike. Sounds like they used J-3 style wing root fairings. Most of us replace the sheet metal screws with rivnuts or plate nuts, but that gets expensive at the factory.

I hadn't heard about the 12" numbers. Sounds like we all will be doing that at some future date, once somebody figures how to get us all scared again. I was looking forward to getting them off the Decathlon.

steve said:

Snert said:

The lines for the fuel guages are plastic, held on with zip ties.

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Isn't that the way the Husky ones are too?

sj

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And the Atlee Dodge gauges, except they use hose clamps.

There is probably nothing inherently wrong with the plastic tube. Zip ties get brittle over time. It is not what you would expect to see when you pull of the wing root fairings.
I used a section of plastic tubing on an over the wing ferry tank I had on a Pitts. When I saw bubbles going through the tube I would switch tanks.
I contimplated putting in short section of plastic in my wing tank lines on my cub for the same reason but elected not to.
Dave

I wouldn't use wire ties on a fuel line but if you are using wire ties that get any UV at all use the black MS ones. They have carbon in them that resists the UV making them brittle. I used to know the type of clear hose that held up to fuel very well but have misplaced it. I got it off a new set of fuel gauge hoses I ordered from Aviat for a Husky.

Neat idea but just doesn't do it for me without greenhouse and with supersize N-number.

People might feel safer if they saw a lot of these flying around....


sj

Does Dept of Homeland Security offer an IRS discount for providing citizen confidence in the safety of the skies?

"not to fear----Super Cubbers are here!"

Steve could dress up in his super cuber uniform and do appearances at airports!

It strikes me as lazy and cheap to just do the military paint job and not also install the greenhouse glass. That extended glass is the prime differentiating factor that sets the warbird cubs apart from the rest!

I wouldn't call Pat and the guys at Legend lazy or cheap. I bet they had some customers that wanted to be warbird pilots and have their hands full filling orders rather than have to start changing things.

Steve Pierce said:

I wouldn't call Pat and the guys at Legend lazy or cheap. I bet they had some customers that wanted to be warbird pilots and have their hands full filling orders rather than have to start changing things.

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The right thing to do would be to refuse those orders until they could do the job right, with the greenhouse, as it should be. From my understanding it's not hard to do.

That's what I would do if it was my company, anyway. Anything else is lazy and cheap. Sure, some people will buy lazy and cheap. But I wouldn't want it on my reputation.

The Legend Combat’s design is reminiscent of the historic Piper L-4, L-18 and L-21 produced as liaison aircraft for the U.S. Army and Air Force.

For crying out loud folks, it is JUST a paintjob. Geeeze! When you see a Chevy truck with Nascar logos on it you know it is not the real thing.

Believe it or not, some folks remove the greenhouse glass.

Would it be "lazy and cheap" if you did not have your sling seat, desk, and scads of heavy radios in your L21 also? Or is that just practical?

Man, if I saw an L21 with 31" tires... what a travesty that would be!

sj

steve said:

Man, if I saw an L21 with 31" tires... what a travesty that would be!

sj

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Hey! I resemble that remark!

Ron I think you mean "I need to RE-ASSEMBLE that remark".. 8)

sj

steve said:

Would it be "lazy and cheap" if you did not have your sling seat, desk, and scads of heavy radios in your L21 also? Or is that just practical?

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Well, believe it or not I still have the heavy radio, desk etc in mine. But my point is these things do not define "warbird cub" in people's minds... the greenhouse does! And you certainly don't sacrifice anything in terms of usability by having a greenhouse, unlike the heavy old radio.

steve said:

Man, if I saw an L21 with 31" tires... what a travesty that would be!

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Well, I don't have to pretend. Mine's the real thing, and has actually served in the cause of freedom. On the other hand, I'm not going to go landing on gravel bars with tiny stock tires and brakes.

The whole point of my original response was that it would be extremely easy to install a greenhouse and it would greatly enhance the "reminiscent" factor and desirability. The fact that they chose the easy way out says a lot.

When you are about to order the "combat ready" color scheme, ask Legend to use vinyl background and lettering. If they blow off on your way home you can temporarily replace them with 4" letters.

What would it cost to install L21 glass and get it approved on a certified non Piper aircraft?

Well, as hard as I try I can't stay out of this discussion. All I will say is that judging a group of people based on how they choose to deliver one variant of their product to a customer is short sighted.

I have the privilege of knowing the people who are the American Legend Company and "Lazy and Cheap" could not be farther from the truth. Lazy people don't start with a concept, 3 months later have a prototype flying, a month later have another, 4 months later have FAA certification and by the end of the ninth month after the first airplane flew have 15 airplanes in customers' hands. Lazy people delay shipments when their source of engines dries up. Legend went to Continental and lobbied for a new o-200. Other LSA manufacturers using the o-200 need to thank these "lazy guys".

Cheap people don't treat their customers like VIPs when they visit. I'm sure Tim, Kurt and Darin would rather be home with their families than entertaining prospects in swinging Sulphur Springs. (They do have a real good eye-talian restaurant there.)

Better adjectives might be "Honest"; "smart"; "dedicated"; "professional" and "experienced" for starters.

Oh, and one more thing: They aren't building a J3 or a PA11 or a PA18 or an L4 or an L21. They build an AL3C-100, or an AL11C-100. Legend Cubs don't have a greenhouse. That's one way to tell them apart

BTW, I'd like it better with small numbers and a greenhouse, too. See? you CAN say it without insulting anybody.

Rich

Christina, maybe you should call them and find out why they did it that way before you make those bold statements. [/b]

Richgj3 said:

I have the privilege of knowing the people who are the American Legend Company and "Lazy and Cheap" could not be farther from the truth.

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Well, maybe lazy is the wrong word. And I certainly didn't mean to use that word to describe the people, just this particular situation. Henry Ford certainly wasn't lazy. But he sure was cheap. You could buy a Model T in any color you want, as long as it's black.

Richgj3 said:

Cheap people don't treat their customers like VIPs when they visit.

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And I'm sure when their customers request the greenhouse, they will treat them like VIPs at that time too and install it.....

I can see just painting the things different. But with all the airplanes out there, red or yellow or some combination is better! Both L-4s I have had a hand in restoring are yellow with a red lightning stripe. and are more fun to fly than a J-3!

I just had the chance to fly a Taylorcraft L-2. I was prepared to be not very impressed. I sure was surprised! It has a little mirror mounted on the windshield post - I am sure it is there so the pilot can check out his grin every few minutes or so - especially when using those unique spoilers!

Richgj3 said:

Better adjectives might be "Honest"; "smart"; "dedicated"; "professional" and "experienced" for starters.

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I would agree with that, Rich. I met those fine folks at Sun-n-Fun and they went out of their way to show me how they made their plane. Their passion was evident. Their staff was simply top notch. No other company that I visited during those 3 days even came close. I really felt that they stood behind their products. Whatever the temporary shortcomings, I'm confident that they would respond if they knew it was an issue.