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"A" Model Experimental?

daedgerton

PATRON
Arlington, VA
Is there a way turn a PA-18 experimental kit into an "A" model style fuselage? I guess you could maybe reuse an old "A" model fuselage and rebuild it EAB category... I know the "A" model has the flat back, is that just by removing the upper fabric supports or is there more to it?

A few months back there was an amazing PA18A that was for sale here on the forum that was totally rebuilt, yellow and black with the Flanagan STC for the L19 windows. Love the look of that Flanagan STC.

I'm walking down the road of making the jump to an EAB aircraft...
 
Sure there is. If it's an ex. fuselage you can do whatever you need to make it as you want it. Reshape the rear deck, window frames or anything else you would like to make as you want it. That's the beauty of going with an experimental. very satisfying to make it your way. If you don't want to bite off a project like that then you have to buy one that suits you. Luck.
 
I guess my real question would be what is the main difference between the "A" fuselage and a Stock PA18 other than the flat back where the hopper door used to be...
 
Appearance wise mostly the flat back. If you aren't going to spray with it, any structural difference in the hopper area or elseswhere would be a matter choice. The flat back would be a very easy mod for appearance wise and I agree is appealing to some.
 
Since I built the plane you lust over I'll tell you , there is a few more structural changes then just a flat back in the hopper area. If you want to do an experimental have Javron make one for you, I talked to Jay a few weeks ago had he was willing to make one for me to clone my last plane but I just bought a Tango cub so that idea is out the window.

ill post more tonight when I get home

Yes sir! You did build the plane I lust over! I figured I could get someone to make a custom fuselage for me. It's only money, right?
 
Or since you really aren't concerned about having to reroute the cables to clear a hopper, you can just add tubing as needed to make the shape
 
A while back I did a photo series that I Posted on my FACEBOOK page... I know there is a lot of people mad at facebook, but my page is public so you dont have to be a member to view it...

Ill have to get the photos and repost here later today

Brian
 
A while back I did a photo series that I Posted on my FACEBOOK page... I know there is a lot of people mad at facebook, but my page is public so you dont have to be a member to view it...

Ill have to get the photos and repost here later today

Brian

I just did a quick scan of Facebook, was it the red and white North star?
 
Oh man... I wish I had jumped on the opportunity to pick up your plane. Love that look and visibility... Is that "V" brace on the top added since the hopper is removed?
 
If you just want the L19 look you can do that with a stock frame. Did you also want a flat back?
DENNY
 
"A" Model Experimental?

I just did a quick scan of Facebook, was it the red and white North star?

No... The NorthStar is a whole different bird...

Here are the photos... I happened to have 2 bare frame Cubs in the shop at the same time when the pics were taken..

41453d15f75e7902f4dd91423578dfe3.jpg


This is a standard airframe with L-21 style glass frames installed, note the V from the rear carry through tube to the center of the airframe..

9c539cd66dba3723695fa2b1382cd474.jpg


This is an Ag airframe... Note the tubing arrangement so that a hopper can be fit... I welded in bracing in this aircraft similar to the Flanegan mod as pictured earlier..

47a1957f94a712b525b1ced29ea9e5ce.jpg


Standard model upper flap pulley attach point, note that it is inside the airframe..

cc7e77c467808020981399908d4701de.jpg


The Ag pulley is mounted outside the frame to clear the hopper tank...

9160b154c917838b22f1014c1c0b7133.jpg


The standard model has a raised baggage floor as seen here by the welded in angles behind the rear seat area..

57853a35d37e14581933428d5c065382.jpg


Ag model does not have the angles and the floor is all the way down to the lower longerons... The cables are normally covered by hat sections when the tank is removed..

0962e36f0286cfa7d6a81f2ee82a3e47.jpg


Standard airframe has a single flap cable routed up the rear V and splits after the top pulley, seen here by the pulley mount location..

3872eb6962042a1f570fe12a235649e7.jpg


Ag model splits the flap cable before it gets to the rear bulkhead and routes the two cables through 3 pulleys up the side of the airframe... This is for hopper clearance...

82f03195e6e8c6414a3e59e7d421a90f.jpg


Standard airframe back, has the center stringer and access door the the main aircraft battery located in the top of the airframe...

72a4b94554bb1eb91a94cf72f664e86c.jpg


Ag airframe... Flat back, no stringer, no access door... The battery was mounted behind the hopper and access was through a small side door behind the main cabin door..

Brian..
 
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Couldn't you just do some minor modifications to the former supports and leave the structure alonebto make a flat back? Same with the L21 glass. I saw one done this way somewhere recently if I haven't totally lost my mind. Seen lots of cool stuff and people in the last few weeks.
 
If you just want the L19 look you can do that with a stock frame. Did you also want a flat back?
DENNY

I sort of like the flat back... Chuck’s plane he had for sale a while back just was awesome... I never thought I like the Ag models till I saw that one.
 
Stock 18 L-21 doesn't look bad ether but my favorite is still the A-model. I'd do another one in a heart beat but they are not always easy to find in the rebuilder price range so you have to go with what you can find. If I was building an experimental then know doubt I'd have Javron build me an A-model fuselage and I thought long and hard about going that route but my planes don't seem to stick around more than a year or 2 at the most. Just don't know if there is a strong market for used experimental Cubs yet so I'll keep doing certified until I'm read to bet my money on them.
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in the second picture it looks like the air fliter is the round dome type, did you switch it?
 
Couldn't you just do some minor modifications to the former supports and leave the structure alone to make a flat back? Same with the L21 glass. I saw one done this way somewhere recently if I haven't totally lost my mind. Seen lots of cool stuff and people in the last few weeks.

That's what I'm doing on an experimental. I like the curve of the flat-back in side profile and the vertical aft edge of the L-21 window, so that's how I'm making it look, but with the tube structure of standard PA-18. I think the standard 18 tube structure is lighter than the 18A, there's a place to mount the shoulder harness for the rear seater and I had a new standard 18 flap cable in stock that needs to be used up.

The 18A has "shoulders" when viewed from behind, so that needs tweaking from an aesthetics point of view anyway, so you don't end up building to drawing in any event.

So, no pics worth showing yet, but I think that's the best way to go for experimental rather than faithfully re-create an Ag Cub fuse.

Andrew.
 
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