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Super Cub Paint Schemes

I painted my Cub with more of a practical scheme, rather than asthetic. Dark colors on top get rid of frost and ice quickly, that would stay on a white Cub forever in the weak winter sun. Yellow is so much easier to see than white, when flying along with a white Cub in winter, you have to watch much more closely to not loose sight of it. And if the unthinkable happens, and I put the thing in somewhere in winter, I want it to really stand out to help SAR. I wouldn't recomend dark colors for southern planes though, they will cook. It might be ugly, but I can find it in a blizzard.
 
Paint

I like the 1978 to 87 paint scheme the best. It is easy to do and is symetrical to the shape of the airplane. Crash
 
If I were to paint a cub this day in age, with all the folks just waiting to turn a guy in, I recomend that you paint yours the same as the majority in the area--"Wasn't me??" could save your license?

Tim
 
Super Cub paint schemes

I like the older original paint schemes as well as the newer design. I know that Piper, Cessna and others employ commercial artists to design their schemes and they do a lot better job than me. I also dont care for J-3 scheme on anything other than a J-3, if I was dropping 150 large to Cub Crafters for a Top Cub the first thing on the order sheet would be no J-3 paint job. As I get closer to cover and paint I have been buying the older paint scheme prints from cub club and I think the '62 scheme looks good. I also think Super Cub MD's cub has the "look" with its yellow and red. Of course.........just another opinion.
 
Hey Cub Junkie, I agree with your preference for a stock scheme.

When I look at an aircraft, any aircraft, my eye seems to prefer the expected proportions that my mind expects to come with the stock scheme.

I also don't care much for the J3 lightning bolt and yellow scheme on anything but a J3.

However, it sure is visible, and Mark Drath has it right about frost staying on a white surface all day compared to a darker color helping to shed it within maybe 15 minutes of the sun hitting it.

Visibility is certainly an issue, even in the backcountry.

I suggest you find a nice quartering photo of a Cub and make it black and white. Make a bunch of copies and design a scheme you like. Back to crayons and magic markers. You may come up with something you like that still looks somewhat stock.

I'm refurbishing my old PA-11 for my wife and she likes Cub yellow with the lightning bolt. I've designed some more colorful schemes that don't go too far from the stock, but make it my own.

There's an 18 and also a 12 around here that are all black. They look great. I wouldn't have thought it, but they do. However, not visible unless silhoueted against snow or sky.

Have fun, Dave Calkins.
 
Out of interest on another web site the guys were discussing a problem with using dark colours on the top surface of planes when Stits poly -fiber fabric was used.The problem some were having was the tapes were shrinking from the heat of the sun causing them to see pinholes of light along the tapes when viewed from the inside of the finished wing threw inspection holes.They did some testing with various thermometers and found that on DARK coloured surfaces the sun warmed them to temps that caused the tapes to shrink different amounts.They even measured some tapes and then layed them in the sun and found shrinkage on the tapes layed on darker colours.The conclusion was White was the best colour to prevent heat enough to shrink the tapes. As you know any place the light passes threw on the fabric means that UV rays can attack the fabric and shorten its lifespan dramatically.
If you PRESHRINK your tapes with an iron at 250 degrees you would prevent this problem.
Dale
 
Yep, even the colors we choose to paint our aircraft come down to a compromise.

I've always thought myself safe from the heat problems of the lower 48'er Rag and tube guys cause I'm far to the north. But we had a scorcher 2 weeks ago and I swear it was 79 degrees at the beach at a special place in Prince William Sound where I found myself parked on a lake next to the ocean, with a surfboard ratchet strapped to the float struts. True story, beautiful day...Seals, moose, humpback whales, salmon, bear...

Maybe tapes cut from preshrunk fabric bolts is something to lobby the new fabric monopoly for.

By the way, if anyone out there does not use the "Florian Pinker" for cutting pinked edges, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It's a pinked edge maker that uses a "zig-zag" disc to cut the fabric using the same motion as you would to operate scissors. I got mine at Reeve Air Motive here in Anchorage for about 32 bucks. I haven't bought a fresh pair of pinking shears in years, and never will again.

Dave Calkins.
 
paint

Another consideration when choosing your paint scheme is weight. I've
been told white is the lightest (less coats). The only color I have
experience with is polytone yellow. Had to add an extra coat to cover up
the UV silver coat. When CC's paints a cub yellow they first paint it white
and then top coat it with yellow. I know, what are a couple more pounds.
Brian
 
DJ Fraudman, thanks for the info on the outline form Airglas.

By the way, if you guys have any inkling of desire for any Airglas products, they are great people who make cool stuff. They are very high tech and even have some contracts with helicopter people. (ever see a Black hawk on skis?)

Brian, you got that right with the weight of the paint. A whole other layer, and possible screw-ups, reactions, etc.

Any one who's read the Poly-Fiber manual has seen their recomendation to paint a coat of white under REDs and Yellows. What a pain. And expense.

I asked some advice of Jerry Burr on some wing mods for a PA-11 I'm refurbishing for my wife and he told me to install bolts of proper length instead of washering-up to get the right length. Here's a guy who cares a bout a little weight!! And I was asking about a totally different issue!!

Dave Calkins
 
If your a real weight fanatic, your first coat of silver should be your last coat of finish, not to many are willing to take it this far. A coat of white should be sprayed under any light pigment if you want the color to be bright, doesn't have to be a full coat, but just a light coat to get the pigment down.

If you ever see a silver Cub, be warned, that could be a REAL weight fanatic, and I imagine they will be wearing nothing but a g-string and a smile (or less), to save those precious ounces.
 
But is it OK to put one of those cutesy Cub stickers on the tailplane? I rather fancy one, myself, but suspect it isn't really the done thing. Please advise.

BCB
 
Cub sticker

BCB...Do what you want res: tail art. The last Cubs Piper made in 94 had cutesy Cubs on their tails. Really, as long as you avoid pink or violet and other pastels, about anything can and does go on a PA-18. Brad

(I had a Cub with barbells and a Superman cape on my tail. People got a kick out of it. This was before Wip came out with his. When I showed up at the factory, Bob spotted it and said, "Hey!". But I explained that I came up with it first and he quit complaining)
 
I'm not so much of a weight fanatic as Jerry Burr may be.

I also might drive my car past my airplanes as much to enjoy looking at them as to make sure they're still tied down and the covers are on straight.

I have a buddy who operates an amphib 206, a wheel/ski 185, and a Robinson R44 heli out of the local ski town about 40 miles east of Anchorage. He actually flies the chopper in Teva sandals, and has taken strut fairings off it to gain climb performance. He's serious when I asked about his footwear.

I was talking about his survival gear and showed him an alcohol burning stove I made out of the bottoms of a couple of pop cans...He loved this, and said he needs to have one.

Anyway... weight fanatic.

And Yeah, it sure makes a difference in the feel of your a/c.

Dave Calkins.
 
White & Red Color Shades

What are the preferred color shades for both White and Red on a Super Cub? I am considering to apply it to the PA-14 I am rebuilding and looking for opinions.
 
My favorite paint scheme is the original factory scheme with the swoosh at the nose, and the two stylized birds on the tail; and it has to be red on white (not much frost here in Florida). Does anyone know what year(s) it's from? I love the black lightning bolt on yellow paint, but like most, only on a J-3. I agree that unless you are a successful professional graphic designer, you should stick with the original factory paint schemes. As they say, "don't try this at home".
 
My favorite paint scheme is the original factory scheme with the swoosh at the nose, and the two stylized birds on the tail; and it has to be red on white (not much frost here in Florida). Does anyone know what year(s) it's from? I love the black lightning bolt on yellow paint, but like most, only on a J-3. I agree that unless you are a successful professional graphic designer, you should stick with the original factory paint schemes. As they say, "don't try this at home".
 
My favorite paint scheme is the original factory scheme with the swoosh at the nose, and the two stylized birds on the tail; and it has to be red on white (not much frost here in Florida). Does anyone know what year(s) it's from? I love the black lightning bolt on yellow paint, but like most, only on a J-3. I agree that unless you are a successful professional graphic designer, you should stick with the original factory paint schemes. As they say, "don't try this at home".
 
Tail Art...

Regarding Tail Art...
I had a Handicapped Parking sticker on my tail for a good while, but for some reason, I couldn't ever find a decent tiedown....
Now I am thinking of designing a Chicken with big balls to go on the tail?
So I am probably going to recover/repaint the Cub within the next couple years, and I am pretty sure I'm gonna go with White with blue wings and horizontal, and black trim (esp. wing leading edges and struts) with black highlights on the Numbers and trim. I like original, but still simple.
Andy
 
I think that big balled chicken would actually then be a rooster. Farm boys know these things, but I like it anyway. My tail currently sports a black cat with a 13, the old Spartan (I went there a long time ago) insignia that the cadets, somewhat cockily, painted on their tails believing that their knowledge and skill would always overcome luck and superstition. I always believed that, but still take all the free luck I can get!
 
Daytona White with Tennessee Red is common. Aircraft Spruce or Univair sells it. I've got the little Cub Club sticker, and an EAA sticker on the tail.

Anne.
 
Paint Color Shades for White & Red

Thanks for the feedback on Daytona White & Tennesse Red combination. I have looked at a color chart and see that the Daytona White is almost an almond color. Do many use the Juneau White with the same or another shade of red?
 
diggler said:
I was looking at the Super Cub pictures and noticed allot of really different ( ugly ) paint schemes. I like the original paint schemes myself from 1955 and up. I think that if a guy is rebuilding his cub he should paint it original. Am I the only one who thinks this way. I had a guy tell me last year that a non standard cub design takes $10,000 off the price of a cub. Any comments? :drinking:

I've seen hundreds of cubs sell with every imaginable paint scheme.....including camo and I can testify that the above statement is not true. A crappy quality paint job, on the other hand, will definately devalue a cub but not by $10,000.
 
Sorry, but I agree with Diggler.

I guess my eye's and taste tend to appreciate better what they expect to see.......like a J-3 scheme and colors on a J-3, or a PA-18 scheme and colors on an -18. I can't stand seeing a Cessna "hockey stick" scheme on a Husky, Cub, or even a Beaver....but I don't mind it on the Cessna.


Personal opinion, eh? I think that the colors and/or scheme that goes on a Cub or any fabric aircraft are more likely to affect market value because you'll never chemically strip the color and start over, with rag and tube.

That goes for a crappy quality "paint job" as well. I tend to think of color coat application quality as more important on fabric than metal for the same reason of "not easy to start over without disturbing the fabric".

I've seen more than 1 freshly rebuilt/recovered/painted PA-18 that I wouldn't even think of owning due to the quality of the fabric and color coat workmanship. I'd say that would be "devalued" more than a mere $10K.......

Enough.....If you like it.....YOU LIKE IT.

Dave Calkins.
 
Paint

I agree with Diggler on the Insignia white. I did my PA-14 in Insignia white and it really jumps out at you. My old Cub is Juneau white and it seems dull by comparison. I had some paint mixed for it once and the guy put a shot of black in it as the formula called for, that should tell you something. I like red striping and use Flag Red in the Dupont Imeron color selection. The Cub that is now in rebuild will be a Randolf dope finish with Imeron on the metal and stripes. The scheme will be 1978-88 Piper. Crash
 
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