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PA-18: FOUR INCH Wider Fuselage for STOL Performance?

S

Skysurfer

Registered User
Hello Folks,

What is good and or bad about a newer fuselage that is 4" wider on an old PA-18? I have searched threads and came up with dimensions, but not much else (I may be missing a great thread, if so, show me the light please). I realize it will be like a PA-12 size, right? Maybe not quite as wide? But I have not found information relating to STOL and driving the thing around characteristics, in the air that is.
What I am most interested in are the STOL characteristics. I have had a 12 and love them but for STOL, the 18 is better. (Realize this is generally and I am not talking mods or souped up versions, your turbine equipped 12 for example.)
Will a PA-18 with a 4" wider fuselage perform as well as a PA-18 with a standard fuselage with the same engine and/or VG's and/or bigger tires, and/or whatever?
Thanks everyone for all the great input and super constructive information.
 
How short do you expect it to land and take off in? Expected empty Weight finished?
Is it for competition or personal TO n LD performance. HP, certified or EX?
 
Just for personal, no competition on a certified PA-18 Cub. I am trying to get a comparison and see what is lost, if anything to the extra four inch width. Hope these 4" wider fuselages are coming in at 1100 or not much over when aircraft is finished without heavy mods.
 
mike mcs repair said:
it will weigh 4" more of tubing... no other changes... so......
Click to expand...

4" of
Fabric
Paint
Firewall
Cowl
Windshield and skylight Plexi
Floorboard
Brake line and fluid
Cabane V and shock struts
Safety cables
Aileron and flap cable
Headliner
...................

Glenn
 
If you are good enough to tell the difference between a stock and a 4 in wider cub you should be good enough to make up for any extra weight. Most cubs with any mods come in around 1200 lbs. If you want performance add some wing.
DENNY
 
I prefer the stock fuselage, feel like I wear it. Flown quite a few wide body Super Cubs and they fly just ike any other Super Cub but feels different just in what is around me. Granted I weigh 150 lbs.
 
Does that mean a guy who is 5' 10 and weighs 280# would like the wider fuselage? That is if I--I mean he can get through the door.
 
I was just thinking about this the other day. What if the extra width was just at the top longeron? Leave the lower longeron, firewall, and top deck original width, but widen the top one out to gain a little elbow room... Maybe not even 4 inches wider. Just 2 inches would make it feel more spacious without noticeably changing the aesthetics. Seems like this would be easier, since you could use stock cabane and windscreen. What am I missing? Maybe it's already been done?
 
I for one like the widebody better than the stock because it is easier to get in and out of, there is more elbow room and the flap handle doesn't get tangled up with my left leg. I also believe that it is a bit more aerodynamically clean (less drag) than the stock Cub. Better air flow along side.
 
Area rule ?

skywagon8a said:
I for one like the widebody better than the stock because it is easier to get in and out of, there is more elbow room and the flap handle doesn't get tangled up with my left leg. I also believe that it is a bit more aerodynamically clean (less drag) than the stock Cub. Better air flow along side.
Click to expand...
 
My Super Cub listed for sale has an Airframes Inc. wide body fuselage. My experience is that it took off and landed the same as the original fuselage. The one important gain is now the airplane is more stable in smooth air and regains straight and level flight with regards to light turbulence. It Flys hands and feet off for an abnormally long amount of time compared to the old fuselage. A belly tank on the old fuselage made the Cub more stable as with floats.


Sent from my iPad using SuperCub.Org
 
1934A said:
I was just thinking about this the other day. What if the extra width was just at the top longeron? Leave the lower longeron, firewall, and top deck original width, but widen the top one out to gain a little elbow room... Maybe not even 4 inches wider. Just 2 inches would make it feel more spacious without noticeably changing the aesthetics. Seems like this would be easier, since you could use stock cabane and windscreen. What am I missing? Maybe it's already been done?
Click to expand...


Carbon Cub
XCub
NX
 
the wider fuselage should fly the same as the stock 18. The 18's flew different than the 12's because of the angle of incidence of the wings. The 18's have a higher angle of incidence hence the better STOL performance, the 12's known as the Super Cruiser were built for speed, hence the lower angle of incidence...
 
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