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Heads up: Really Nice PA-12 Experimental in Sport Aviation

Bugs66

Registered User
Spokane WA
Just got my Sport Aviation mag from EAA. Right on the front cover is a beautiful experimental PA-12. Good story to go with it too.

Check it out.

0511_cover.jpg
 
Looks nice but does not seem like anything out of the ordinary???? Seems like most of those mods are STC'd anyway.


"A stock PA-12 topped out at 115
mph, cruised at 105, and climbed at a
sedate 650 fpm. According to its GPS,
397JH cruises at 135 to 140 mph, and
lightly loaded (pilot and half fuel)
has an initial rate of climb around
2,000 fpm. It gets off short, Tom says,
and lands slowly, which has always
been two of the Super Cruiser’s most
admired traits."


135mph? HUH??
 
Someone forgot to add that it weighs only about 1105 lbs and never stalls!
If you believe everything you read around here, you might suffer from a good case of cub envy :) .
 
Steve,
Thanks for posting the link to the article. I didn't realize you could read all of SA online.

As a side note, did anyone else notice that this new issue of SA seemed light years better than before? I was interested in every story. I was starting to get frustrated with SA because they kept having $300k certified aircraft stories and seemed to be straying from EAAs homebuilding roots. Anyway, this new issue seemed to eliminate that problem. I quit subscribing to Flying magazine because it is designed for John Travolta jet jocks. Keep up the good work SA!
 
Like my brother Matt said, seeing is believing. Tom has had the PA-12 in to Brodhead on several occassions. The worksmanship is excellent and his attention to detail is outstanding. I would recommend reading the article before critizing his claims too much. Remember, he has spent a lot of time on fairings including the gear and struts. He has also installed a tapered rod style tail spring and small tail wheel like used on RV's, Tailwinds, etc. Take off performance is impressive and watching it fly in the area, you can tell the airplane is faster than your normal Cub type aircraft. His mods may not help it get in and out shorter or handle rough terrain, but getting from point A to point B is where this airplane is going to shine. Just my $0.02.

James
(If my Rebel was as fast as it sounds, I'd have been there yesterday!)
 
Not too many people can build a whole airplane folks! If someone finds out I am building one they look at me like "Have you lost your mind"or "Don't ask me to fly with you". So my hats off to him. I am with you on the eaa mag being a little high end Buggs and have considered not getting it anymore so this issue was better. Paul one has a mag called To Fly which is full of how toos and articles of early EAA type planes being built. I read my dads but it is only bimonthly I think. It also has on the cover that it is from the sport aviation association.
 
Seeing is believing

I have seen it with my own eyes, I have a hangar at Hartford and Tom did a super job of keeping it light and making it go really fast. You should see the TravelAir he scratch built. Note the gear is 12 and faired, all the wheels are smal, and no one has a tighter cowl.
 
Tom is pretty anal about drag. He pointed out several things on my Clipper that were slowing it down. There was an article on his 12 several years ago in Cub Clues. He did some things Piper should have in my opinion.
 
Have some perspective here! Aviat added 30 more Hp, a high performance exhaust, a constant speed prop, a wing with a different angle of incidence and different flaps and still didn't increase the airspeed and rate of climb numbers simultaneously by as much of margin over the 18, which was already super slow, as this guy did with a 12 by making less obvious changes.
If he did this, Cessna, Aviat and Cub Crafters have had some serious sand kicked in thier face :roll: .
 
He is running at least 50 more horse power and know on Tom a helluva lot less drag. Doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
 
T.J.,
But it is a Monte Barrett engine, so it is reasonable that it can climb 2000 ft/min. with a 74" prop. At least, that is what the article is trying to tell us.
How could I become a disciple of The Tom? :-?
 
Come down to Broadhead, WI the second weekend in Sept. and sit around the campfire. If Tom isn't out spraying he will be there along with a lot of other very talented and friendly folks.
 
TJ, It is great time and you would fit right in. I know from the article that Budd Davidson wrote on my Dad and I several years ago that they get facts screwed up. Regardless of that Tom is s very talented builder and pilot. I would be curious to see his true airspeed.

Barrett Performance Aircraft build a lot of aerobatic and high performance experimental engines along the lines of Lycon.

http://www.bpaengines.com/site.html
 
T.J. Hinkle said:
I will retract all the above statements, when I see it. :D

TJ, Ground Loop, and all,

I HAVE seen it! I can confirm everything that's claimed for Tom's airplane. I've flown the airplane several times and have verified the numbers. The airplane is all that it claims to be.

Joe
 
For the record I think Barrett is one of the best/ the best rebuilder in the country. I would choose him over Lycon.
Remember,that cruise and climb require different types of props to maximize performance. He maximized both significantly with a cruise prop.
Put that airplane on floats with that prop and what kind of numbers do you think will show.
 
It would have been nice if they would have shown some pictures of the fairings, cowling, and the fit and finish on this plane. The true experimenters and knuclebusters would be impressed with the attention to detail Tom has done. This is probably the slipperyest Cub on the planet, and also defies the increasingly common building theme of "heavy is better", and shows what a well thought out light Cub with a good engine can do. It was built by a owner who knew his specific needs in the airplane, and built it accordingly. It is not a Alaskan dead moose hauler, but if you are not hauling dead moose, I don't see anything wrong with that. More owners would be better off if they built their Cubs for what they really need, instead of what they think they need.
 
SuperCub MD,
I smooth always better and faster? How much percentage difference can fit and finish make with the same aerodynamic design?
 
ground loop said:
SuperCub MD,
I smooth always better and faster? How much percentage difference can fit and finish make with the same aerodynamic design?

Well, smooth is usually good if you want to go fast, I don't think this is any kind of revelation. As a contrast, I probably have one of the dirtiest, draggiest Cubs to ever break ground. It was built for a entirely different purpose. Sometimes drag is good.
 
Ground loop,
How smooth is your pocket - 10K says I can blow away any 12 or 18 in your big belt buckle, small dick Alaska with a Chicago 12!
Mark
 
mmr,
It sounds like you have a very special 12. Can you please tell us more about it?
If you bring it to the Valdez fly-in this year you could put it up against the best :) . You will also get a good laugh out of how badly I do against the best :oops: .
 
Ground Loop,

Good answer. I thnk MMR may have had a few too many Old Styles when he posted that one....

Remember, little bobby and little susie are trying to learn how to be real pilots from this forum also.... (scary, I know!)

sj
 
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