Charlie Longley
MEMBER
Remote indicating compass. (I've never seen that in a Cub!)
View attachment 46596
Charlie, My thinking differs from many of the others so take it with a grain of salt.So the mission of this airplane will be to tow my glider,....... with occasional forays into Alaska to visit family and friends. I would also like to explore more of Alaska.
The mods I am thinking of off the top of my head-
*Cubcrafters 3x3 gear 1.25”
*ABW wheels and brakes with probably a set of 31” tires.
*Rebuild the O320A2B into a 160 hp engine. (I think this is legal)
*Borer prop
That’s all I can think of right now. My goal is to have the project done in one year. (We’ll see how that goes.)
Charlie, My thinking differs from many of the others so take it with a grain of salt.
Large tires create low down drag which in turn requires more nose up trim, thus lower cruise speeds.
3x3 gear lowers those tires, further increasing that drag. Sure perhaps some may not notice this drag but it will require more nose up trim which is drag.
The purpose of the 3x3 gear is to provide an increased wing LE angle to the ground for slower take off and touchdown speeds. The large tires do the same thing. Do you need both? With the associated increased drag? I would keep the stock gear with the big tires. That should be more than adequate for most situations.
The engine can be changed to a 160 via parts book minor alteration. To be used in the PA-18 an STC or a field approval placarding the tach to 150 hp would be required. I have one of these field approvals. With a fixed pitch prop there is no actual penalty since the red lined rpm will not be reached on take off.
Since you already have the prop governor installation use a Hartzell trailblazer constant speed prop. You will have full power available for towing the glider and a reasonable cruise speed for your cross country trips to Alaska. You will appreciate the higher cruise speed, particularly when coupled with excellent take off performance.
Replace the pulleys which have friction bearings with ball bearing pulleys. Then you can keep the cable tensions tight and the control responses crisp. Many seem to slack off the aileron cables to lighten the pressures. This prevents the aileron from going to full travel in flight since much of the stick movement is just taking up the slack, reducing roll authority leading one to believe that he needs VGs.
So the mission of this airplane will be to tow my glider, basic transport around the Puget Sound with occasional forays into Alaska to visit family and friends. I would also like to explore more of Alaska.
The mods I am thinking of off the top of my head-
*Gross weight increase.
*Extended baggage.
*Cubcrafters 3x3 gear 1.25”
*ABW wheels and brakes with probably a set of 31” tires.
*Rebuild the O320A2B into a 160 hp engine. (I think this is legal)
*Borer prop
*Simple instrument panel CGR30P, Trig comm probably a Stratus transponder.
*Tost tow hitch
*Poly Fiber covering with Aerothane finish.
*Dakota Cub fuel tanks.
*Cubcrafters header tank deletion.
*Folding seat and under seat battery.
*Maybe an AOSS gear system.
*Gear safety cables.
That’s all I can think of right now. My goal is to have the project done in one year. (We’ll see how that goes.)
Atlee Dodge has a big weld in extended baggage that is nice. They also sell Butch Cavaghna's big baggage door STC which makes baggage access very nice with the diagonal tube replaced with an inverted dog leg.
Dakota will give you their headerless STC when you buy their gascolator, fuel valve and gas caps.
I have been installing the Hawker battery in the stock location to keep the CG more manageable when not fully loaded.
Upper deck X brace?
Seat belt attach to the floor?
Bushing in the tail spring fitting, X or H in the tail and a 1/4-28 nut welded to the rear carry-thru tube. Metal panel on the belly from the jack screw back to the tail post.
I take it they had a big dich in the firewall for the prop governor?
Was the liner tube stuck inside this? Was it driven out or was it removed by hand?
Web
I have had to drive quite a few out. Had a PA16 come through here with a PK screw through that hole after a fresh rebuild. This one a few years ago takes the cake, brand new Airframes fuselage.
A model fuselage in for repairs right now. Diagonals to the tail post are twisted one has a repair. The two diagonals from the jackscrew down to the lower longerons were installed in all of the A models I have worked on and in the last of the Lockhaven Super Cubs. I have never seen or noticed the tube between the two bottom longerons and the diagonal in front of them going between the two handles but they are shown on the A model fuselage drawings I have.
View attachment 46656
So a 180 hp engine caused the need for the tube over a tube repair and the addition of the vertical tube or was there a wreck in it's past. Have seen the longeron crack behind the rear horizontal fitting on 160 hp Super Cub that had been wrecked. Never seen any issues there on anything I maintain. The Husky has a solid tube there, non-moveable stabilizers. Aviat issued a service bulletin that mainly effects banner and glider tow aircraft for increasing the wall thickness of this tube.
Add belly pod tabs to that list if you’re going to AKSo the mission of this airplane will be to tow my glider, basic transport around the Puget Sound with occasional forays into Alaska to visit family and friends. I would also like to explore more of Alaska.
The mods I am thinking of off the top of my head-
*Gross weight increase.
*Extended baggage.
*Cubcrafters 3x3 gear 1.25”
*ABW wheels and brakes with probably a set of 31” tires.
*Rebuild the O320A2B into a 160 hp engine. (I think this is legal)
*Borer prop
*Simple instrument panel CGR30P, Trig comm probably a Stratus transponder.
*Tost tow hitch
*Poly Fiber covering with Aerothane finish.
*Dakota Cub fuel tanks.
*Cubcrafters header tank deletion.
*Folding seat and under seat battery.
*Maybe an AOSS gear system.
*Gear safety cables.
That’s all I can think of right now. My goal is to have the project done in one year. (We’ll see how that goes.)
Add belly pod tabs to that list if you’re going to AK
Give the folks at Dakota Cub a call about ball bearing pulleys. They are a really nice upgrade! 605-757-6628
—Amy
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- Lift handles on both sides like in Steve's photos
- weld tabs on door opening bottom tube to attach interior panel
- 3rd seat STC. Even if you never intend to put someone back there, it increases your baggage area legal load and adds a couple of good cargo tie downs points.
- welded on float fittings?
- what are your plans to mount shoulder harness? Note that many add a small cross tube when they add the upper X-brace, to run the pilot's shoulder harness through. Improves the angle of the strap on your shoulders and keeps it out of the passengers face.
I know, every little bit of metal adds weight. All depends on the mission.
Jim