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The rarest of all—a stock Super Cub?

Joe Wood

FRIEND
Amarillo, Texas
Am I the only one still flying a stock Super Cub? I’m beginning to think I am. Everyone I know who is flying them has added about every mod available till they’re beginning to look like bloated pelicans. There just doesn’t seem to be any end to the quest for the latest and greatest. The only thing I’ve added to my1979 Cub are vortex generators on the wings. Running 8.50’s and still have bungees (they’ve worked for 80 years), and I find very few places I want to land that I can’t. I’ve flown cubs for 53 years, 2 J-3’s and for the past 21 years my super cub. Never have bent one (yet) and the places I put them in when I was much younger would raise the back hair on most pilots. This morning I took off with full fuel from a 8,300’ field in a dead calm and a 9,500’ density altitude and was off in about 300’.

I can’t wait till a 45” bush wheel is offered! Then retractable stepladders.....
 
We have two Carbon cubs in my area with 31" bushwheels that never get off pavement. Its for stylin' at the EAA pancake breakfast.
 
I know of a bone stock 95hp super cub that still gets flown, but that's about the only one I know of.
 
Am I the only one still flying a stock Super Cub? I’m beginning to think I am. Everyone I know who is flying them has added about every mod available till they’re beginning to look like bloated pelicans. There just doesn’t seem to be any end to the quest for the latest and greatest. The only thing I’ve added to my1979 Cub are vortex generators on the wings. Running 8.50’s and still have bungees (they’ve worked for 80 years), and I find very few places I want to land that I can’t. I’ve flown cubs for 53 years, 2 J-3’s and for the past 21 years my super cub. Never have bent one (yet) and the places I put them in when I was much younger would raise the back hair on most pilots. This morning I took off with full fuel from a 8,300’ field in a dead calm and a 9,500’ density altitude and was off in about 300’.

I can’t wait till a 45” bush wheel is offered! Then retractable stepladders.....
.

Well written. You are not alone, Maybe we are the silent majority.
 
8.50s just won’t do what a lot of cub pilots like to do up here, which leads to HD gear, bigger prop, extended baggage, bigger tailwheel, and safety cables at a minimum. All of that adds weight, but increases safety margin. Obviously I’d rather have the lightest plane possible, but wouldn’t want to sacrifice durability.
 
Most of us are not good enough and/or not wealthy enough to land on things that require bigger tires than 8:50s. Most of the Cubs I know of with huge wheels operate almost exclusively on pavement.

One local Cub has so many mods it has a 400# useful load. That's two guys and no fuel.
 
Most of us are not good enough and/or not wealthy enough to land on things that require bigger tires than 8:50s. Most of the Cubs I know of with huge wheels operate almost exclusively on pavement.

One local Cub has so many mods it has a 400# useful load. That's two guys and no fuel.
There’s a plane for almost every budget, my Pacer has gotten me to a couple spots that I don’t believe 8.50s would have worked, and I’m no Claus/Ellis/Loni/etc! I get that it’s not for everyone, and some people just like the way a cub on big tires looks, which is cool if you have the money. Heck, when I went to college in Texas I can’t tell you how many lifted trucks with big ol tires I saw. And never once did I see one of them with so much as a spot of dirt on them. No judgement here, but I did get a kick out of it. 1350lbs sounds chunky, shouldnt be hard to stay under 1300lbs on 35s.
 
Am I the only one still flying a stock Super Cub? I’m beginning to think I am. Everyone I know who is flying them has added about every mod available till they’re beginning to look like bloated pelicans. There just doesn’t seem to be any end to the quest for the latest and greatest. The only thing I’ve added to my1979 Cub are vortex generators on the wings. Running 8.50’s and still have bungees (they’ve worked for 80 years), and I find very few places I want to land that I can’t. I’ve flown cubs for 53 years, 2 J-3’s and for the past 21 years my super cub. Never have bent one (yet) and the places I put them in when I was much younger would raise the back hair on most pilots. This morning I took off with full fuel from a 8,300’ field in a dead calm and a 9,500’ density altitude and was off in about 300’.

I can’t wait till a 45” bush wheel is offered! Then retractable stepladders.....

Sounds like your plane is perfect for Texas! But seriously I like the looks of the original stock Cub and the few times I got to fly one it was a joy. Look at some old Alaska cub pics and they were common back in the day and got the job done with none of the mods we have now.

But I’m happy with our bloated pelican with monster tires. Takes me to some neat places and I feel the big tires make it a bit safer in some of the places I go. I remember when I first started experimenting around with the 35’s it was amazing what they could allow one to do.........until I scared the s#$t outta myself. Had to reel it back in a bit. I think I’ll pass on the up and coming 45” wheels thou!
 
Define "stock". I've got a 78 Cub that is mostly stock apart from 31" tires and a belly pod. Seems that VGs would affect the flight characteristics just as much if not more so, as those are actually on a flight surface. I can't recall the last flight I took when my destination was an airport. I'm a rookie compared to most in here, but muddy riverbanks and hummocky tundra are where I land more often than not. My cub is mostly stock, but I'm pretty dang happy to have those bigger tires when I'm landing off-airport. And that belly pod came in handy when hauling my buddy's caribou back home last weekend. Stock cubs are awesome, but based on your mission, minor improvements don't hurt.
 
Joe, it is like Crack, we just want more and more. 8)

Your text on Friday said it all, "I love this Cub!". That is all that matters. ;)

Oh, and no, I don't see any stock Cubs anymore.
 
I’ve seen a few stock 95hp Super Cubs, but they’re rare. 150’s are even rarer.

Relatedly, my 185 is uncommonly stock. It spent its first 6000 hours flying hunters, etc., at Slave Lake, AB. Every time I’m tempted to buy upgrades, I say to myself, “if those 20-year-old Canadians didn’t need it, I don’t need it either.”

Those kids have saved me thousands.
 
Excellent plan. We picked the 400#UL bird in Fargo.
My J3 looks stock, except for the red stripe. But - Stroker, Grove, PA-11 struts, radio, Stits - doesn't qualify.
I too would love to have an almost stock 95. It would get Grove, a starter, and a radio. And Ceconite or Stits.
 
8.50's are not stock tires if you want to get picky. Proper gear choice for conditions, wheels, skis, floats, a cub can still be stock above the gear. I remember a lot of ribbing from some of the website founders here for my big goofy looking tires back in the day, how times have changed. Best performance mod you can buy is gas to keep the big nut in the front seat tuned up.
Seems these days people look at what they can add to a cub to make it fly better, I look at what I can take off.
 
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There is a reason why the plain, old Super Cub is the standard by which all others are judged.
 
Am I the only one still flying a stock Super Cub? I’m beginning to think I am. Everyone I know who is flying them has added about every mod available till they’re beginning to look like bloated pelicans. There just doesn’t seem to be any end to the quest for the latest and greatest. The only thing I’ve added to my1979 Cub are vortex generators on the wings. Running 8.50’s and still have bungees (they’ve worked for 80 years), and I find very few places I want to land that I can’t. I’ve flown cubs for 53 years, 2 J-3’s and for the past 21 years my super cub. Never have bent one (yet) and the places I put them in when I was much younger would raise the back hair on most pilots. This morning I took off with full fuel from a 8,300’ field in a dead calm and a 9,500’ density altitude and was off in about 300’.

I can’t wait till a 45” bush wheel is offered! Then retractable stepladders.....
308E3895-7511-4A59-AFD3-3F88CA477715.jpeg
Actually Joe, big tires give you a taller seat, a longer prop gives you more room to hang wet towels on and extended gear gives you more wing shade and a better place to put your leaking tent under:p
 

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A banner hook is the only non standard item. D256B7B4-CCFB-4CD7-B550-5CFDAADDB1A6.jpgD256B7B4-CCFB-4CD7-B550-5CFDAADDB1A6.jpg
 

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Odd man out again... I don't even have to think too hard to come up with many places I visit that I would give up if I was bound to an 8.50 size max. :sad:

Could I get in? ya sure, but if you only have to use a sat phone once to get back out, the tall tires will have more than paid for themselves.... :roll:

And if you have never found yourself parked on a spit wishing for just a little more prop or hp, you have far more self control (or are less fun) than I... :lol:

A 'stock' anything is exceptionally cool, but a well executed mod is always funner to drive.... This works with anything from cars, bikes, quads, boats, you name it....

There's no shame in wanting to make a good thing better.

YMMV, Rob
 
Sure would be hard getting here on 8.50’s. Hell even 35’s. And I would have no place to put my junk and my wife’s stuff when we go fishing if it was a stock cub

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I’ve always been intrigued by the debate about stock versus modified. It’s your airplane, your choice. I have a modified J-3/PA-11 and I had a guy walk up to it one day and say “why would you do that to a Cub”. I just said because I wanted to. I think some of it has to do with where you live. I grew up in Alaska and most airplanes weren’t in a hangar, polished and flown to breakfast on weekends. When I left Alaska, I saw that side of aviation and enjoyed looking at those airplanes but have never had a desire to own one. To each his/her own!
 
Sure would be hard getting here on 8.50’s. Hell even 35’s. And I would have no place to put my junk and my wife’s stuff when we go fishing if it was a stock cub

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I remember when that cub was as close to stock as it comes, and I sure miss the (then) owner, but I can guarantee you even though he flew that pretty stock cub all over the US and Mexico, he would have loved it in that configuration 8). You've done some pretty cool / fun stuff with that one.
 
I remember when that cub was as close to stock as it comes, and I sure miss the (then) owner, but I can guarantee you even though he flew that pretty stock cub all over the US and Mexico, he would have loved it in that configuration 8). You've done some pretty cool / fun stuff with that one.

Best part about the rebuild, it flys just like it used to. Just a little better. One of these days I’d love to hear of the story’s of don and the cub. I’ll get them out of ron one of these days.


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I fly a stock 95. Upgrading for safety and useful loads sake very soon. Like Steve mentioned above, it’s all about the man, mission and machine.


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It all depends on your mission.

100%

There's not very many places off-airport in Alaska where you can take a stock cub on 850's. Besides the small tires theres a bunch of wing covers, engine covers, preheaters, and various winter items that need to be stowed and an extended baggage comes in handy. Taxiing around in brush necessitates more prop clearance so you're not mowing the lawn everywhere so you get extended gear and big tires keep you from getting stuck in a hole somewhere and going over on your nose.

On the other hand I sell big tires every day to people down in the states who don't need them except to look like "the real deal" bush pilot.

Nothing wrong with either way to go. Its your plane, build it however you want or need it to be.
 
I fly a pretty much stock PA-11. The only mods to it are safety cables, 8.50's, and vg's. As soon as I can afford them, I'll have a set of airstreaks on it. Do I need them? Maybe not, my off airport landings consist of rough pastures mostly, and I've got by with 8.50's, but I figure if I can save wear and tear on the airframe, it'll be money well spent. So even though I might not NEED bushwheels to land those places, it'd sure be nice to have them!
 
100%

There's not very many places off-airport in Alaska where you can take a stock cub on 850's

I agree bigger tires are better for up there, and we would have had them if all todays options were available, but in the 70’s and 80’s we flew Cubs all over Alaska on 8:50’s. No, not to some of the places you guys go today but we did some stuff. Our 180’s and 185’s were on 8:50’s, so was our 206. Did lots of gravel bars and beaches with those planes every day. God, I sound old..........
 
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