Bushwacker Aircraft

Hey folks, I am starting to research different options for building or restoring a PA-18-95. I started to do this 3 years ago but I got sidetracked building a Zenith 750. A great plane, just not a cub. I have restored about 12 antique classic Cubs, Champs, and Chiefs. I also built a Zenith 750. I have been looking at Bushwacker Aircraft, and their Cub kit. Can anyone out there comment on the quality of their kits. Chris Hatin has been most helpful answering my questions. In the end, I would like to end up with a L-18-C copy. Chris can do a fuselage with the greenhouse...no problem. Any advise would be appreciated. Not on what to build, but on Bushwacker kits.

Matt Miller

I know this is really late to the ball game but I'll add what I know from my interaction with their fuselage and empennage tubing for future reference of anyone reading this thread. I believe they order their tubing cut from VR3 engineering in Canada and I ordered the same one direct from Canada, not through Bushwacker.

1. The coping is precise and the fit ups are pretty good.

2. Some mods are included in the fuselage but may be different than what some consider optimal. For example, the tail brace is the "H" design as opposed to the "X" design. Also, the landing gear kit from VR3 is 1.375" on the front tube. A heavy duty landing gear would be 1.5" on the front tube.

3. When jigging up the components I start from the VR3 drawings and cross reference with the Piper drawings but always weld to the VR3 drawings. Some of the dimensions are slightly different from the original Super Cub. For example the fuselage length without the engine mount is 214.75" according to the L-21 manual but 214.5" for the VR3/Bushwacker fuselage. I've also noticed differences of 1/16" on the rudder when comparing the drawings. I'm not sure how any of this affects performance or interchangeability, but it's worth noting. I'm also not sure why it was done. I reached out Bushwacker for input on the mods they did but had no response.

That's about all I know for now. I bought the fuselage and empennage kits so that I can build it myself. It just happend to be the Bushwacker design.

For what it's worth I have found dimensional differences at least as large as yours on many original piper fuselages. Not at all uncommon in my experience.

That‘s good to hear! It sounds like I won‘t have any major interchabgeability problems if I need new pieces.

supercrow said:

For what it's worth I have found dimensional differences at least as large as yours on many original piper fuselages. Not at all uncommon in my experience.

Click to expand...

Gas welding vs Tig welding being one of the reasons, I think.

In 1970 Piper went from Oxy/Acetylene welding to Tig and the fuselages stretched 9/16".

supercrow said:

For what it's worth I have found dimensional differences at least as large as yours on many original piper fuselages. Not at all uncommon in my experience.

Click to expand...

Cut it with a hacksaw, weld it with a torch, adjust with a hammer and measure with a micrometer.
Lol