Hendrick-Sullivan 4-Place Supercub

[Gunny]

Well – it’s true I’m scheming up a project. Yes it’s true, I haven’t been around much and I have been working way too much but I guess in the long run it will have its benefits. I decided to pull the trigger on a 4 place Supercub. I do have a wife and two kids who occasionally would like to fly out with me for a $100 burger. Sure the Sedan or a C-180 would be a good choice but I just don’t have the juice to pull the trigger on one of those right now. Sure I could sell Miss D but I am emotionally attached to that airplane and just can’t bear the thought of selling her.

The benefits of this project to me are the fact that I can use Miss D’s engine, wings (slots of course), and tail feathers on the 4-place helping to keep costs down. Everything’s a situation. It will give me Cub performance with the option of 4 pax when desired and a huge load carrying capacity compared to a stock (or even widebody) fuselage. Anyway, here are the basic facts of the project so far.

Mike Butterfield ran down some info on an old STC that has been around since 1980 (SA1588CE) that modifies the Supercub fuselage widening it and increasing the gross weight. The fuselage is widened to 41 inches making it possible to have 4 seats or two up front, and a bench in the back, and the gross weight is increased to 1950 on wheels (as long as the wings are legal for that).

The STC is held by Dave Hendrick and Ron Sullivan. Kirk Ellis recently built one up for use in his guide service. Kirk calls his the “Hulk”. The STC calls for one stick in the center (you fly with the stick in your right hand – just not between your legs). Kirk and another pilot who are flying this configuration report that it is completely natural although is doesn’t seem that it would be when you first think about it. It also has the option of installing Cessna style yokes. You can go with Supercub heel brakes or Cessna style toe brakes.

The STC uses gingerbread formers on the fuselage top deck aft of the cabin. I have elected to go the experimental route using tubing on the aft top deck to allow for a large baggage door on the right side. The STC does not have a baggage door on the right side. An amendment to the STC is in the works. Both cabin doors are swing ups.

The powerplant will be an O-360 and we are considering turbo normalizing it to give her some juice when working the high strips. The guys at Yakima Aerosport turbo normalized a Supercub (experimental category) last year and it is working well for its owner whose home strip is at 7K MSL in New Mexico.

I consider it a privilege to be able to own a fuselage welded up by Kirk. I think that this is going to be a fun project and hopefully it will generate some more aviation interest from my son. I am also looking forward to doing a bunch of the work under supervision. The fuselage should be at Northern Airframes in Anchorage to get landing gear, struts and tail feathers some time this month. I’ve posted a few teaser photos here and a bunch more in my gallery. We will keep you posted on progress.

Kirk Ellis' "Hulk"

Where the adult size baggage door will go

A good shot of the fuselage

Side by side in a Supercub!

The Hendrick-Sullivan square tail

Adult baggage - cause sometimes Cajun Joe wants to take his water bed to the flyins ....

There are more photos in my gallery. I will keep updating this thread as we make progress.

 

[Lasater]

4 place cub

How will the size compare to a PA-14 or a PA-20?

The Hulk looks great.

 

[180Marty]

I have an old GA Flyer that has a picture of Dave Hendrick's four place Supercub. It was called Tundra Bird in that article and a guy named Jim Baum owned it. I met Dave at a spray strip in Missouri about 20 years ago---he was a character.

 

[Cub junkie]

The upper rear longerons and trim jackscrew sure look interesting.

 

[FdxLou]

Very impressive Gunny. Can't wait to see it up close and personal.

When do you hope to have her flying?

All the best,
Lou

 

[J5Ron]

Gunny,
Were you here in Copper River Country? If you were, you should have called me...Nabesna is just out the back door...
My first teaching job was in Slana... The hulk is a very good looking bird...Kirk and Cole are Top notch guys...

Ron

 

[alaskadrifter]

My girlfriend's dad flies one just like that for a guide. 'Cept I think its a brownish color. The thing is a beast, and swallows cargo like its nothing. It is also real easy to load. I wonder if you could use CCs 2300lb STC on it...

 

[Bugs66]

Hey Gunny,
Looks cool! Since you are experimental, I would modify to have stick(s) between the legs. Take a look how the Bearhawk is setup and I would consider doing that. Here is a good site to see what it looks like: http://www.mybearhawk.com/fuselage/sticks1.html

 

[StewartB]

I've heard Northern Airframes is planning to produce and market this fuselage.

Stewart

 

[behindpropellers]

Gunny-

I'm curious, why didn't you just find a 180 HP PA-14?

Tim

 

[hottshot]

So Gunny,

Will you call this one Miss Double D...... Or D2 ... or ...

 

[gdrean]

Gunny,

Where does the Lagavulin rack go? Seems that the two bottles you brought to Sullivan Lake went pretty fast. Hopefully you can build something to carry half a case easily.

Congrats on the new project. I am sure Mike Butterfield will make this one as nice as your current one. Can't wait to see it. Will it be ready for Johnson Creek?

Gary

 

[DW]

Hey Carey did ya make it home the other night before daybreak without losing anything on the freeway????? Got them on yet?

Dennis

 

[Carey Gray]

Don't have them on yet. I have some wheel issues to work out. We did beat daybreak, and they were all still in there. Must not have been driving fast enough.

 

[DW]

You might need to use some of those spacers off the gear.

Dennis

 

[Wayne Mackey]

tundra bird

Hi Gunny,
Good to see your new project, you'll like it. I put the first sixty or so
hours on the original one when it was first built and another hundred
or so a few years later. It was a good flying plane and very docile. The
stick in the middle was fine, never noticed the difference. I do think
the 180hp will be better. Wayne

 

[bob turner]

I have never flown a right-side stick, but I have almost a thousand hours in an aircraft with a left-hand stick. Like Wayne says, it is natural. It's the darn steering wheels I don't like. Always in the way . . .

 

[Gunny]

Hey Everybody - thanks for the kind words and for noticing. I'm still battling to keep up with the important things - like posts on SC.org - and not just work so forgive my tardiness in replying. The fuselage should make it to Northern Airframes in Birchwood by the end of this month for a little checky checky by Ron Sullivan and to get fitted with landing gear, struts and tail feathers. The she comes south to Yakima Aerosport. Completion - well I think a year is reasonable - sure I'd like it tomorrow but things always take longer than you expect.

Lasater - I don't know the inside width of a PA-14 or PA-20/22 but the inside of this fuselage is 41 inches - somebody have the measurements for the 14 and 20/22?

180 Marty - that is the Dave Hendrick who is a holder of the STC for this fuse. Dave is in MO and is battling cancer but I hear from Mike Butterfield that this project has really got Dave pumped up. Let's all be having a good thought for Dave in his battle.

FdxLou - thanks - probably be a year at least (I am trying to be conservative). Good news is I've got Miss D to fly in the meantime.

J5 Ron - honest injun as I was driving through the area I was thinking of you. I was up in ANC on business and Mike B flew up to meet me Friday night. Zero dark early Sat am we started driving to Nebesna. About 4.5 hours up - visited with Kirk for about 2.5 hours and then drove right back. I was back in my office Sun night. It was late January and a balmy -25 at Nebesna. I will get up your way buddy.

alaskadrifter - I have seen the pictures of that bird on the web. She looks like a good old work horse. I am hoping to end up with the same kind of bird.

Bugs66 - sorry I missed you at the show. Thanks for the suggestion I will keep it in mind.

Stewart B - that is a very real possibility.

behindpropellers - I just don't have the cash to pop that nut all at once. The little by little program works for me right now. Plus there is a certain thrill with a new - relatively one of a kind project.

hotshot - Miss Double D - I LOVE IT!! I am going to have a nose art contest for Miss Double D right here on SC.org (no flying dog poop serious) - I already have my N# reserved - more on that when I get the paperwork from the Feds.

gdrean - I am thinking oiled walnut for the rack with a safety net of course.

Carey Gray - Jeeze you gotta tell the whole world about the one beer I drank.... I thought we were buds - besides all you fellers had was that Carnadian whiskey - what was up with that anyway...

Wayne - I am convinced that everybody is right about the stick in the middle. First free minute I'd love to talk some more about the airplane with you. Sure did enjoy hunting with you this past fall and watching you fly that new airplane.

 

[Marty57]

I'm building a Pa14/Wag 2+2. The inside of my fuselage is 39", it looks to be the same as the Piper drawings for the '14.

www.xanga.com/martyfeehan

 

[don d]

Friend of mine has Pa-14. Great airplane and works wonderfully for average size people. I have a converted PA-22 (bushmaster or producer). My other friend and I both are 300 lber's and are comfortable in my bushmaster. We can throw in another couple of 200 lber's, 100 lbs. of baggage and 4 hour fuel. You can't fit that much in a Pa-14 and breath at the same time.

Don

 

[Lasater]

4 place supercub

My PA-14 has the original door/seat configuration. With my 6'3" 230 lb father in the right seat, and me at 5'10" 215 lb flying, it is a tight dude. In the event of a crash, there is no way for me to get out. Gunny's cub looks like it has a much better configuration for access, and those couple of extra inches will make a big difference.

 

[Marty57]

Lasater,
I am going to use sliding seats in my 2+2/PA14 with the gull doors. The seats also have folding backs (seats are from a Piper Aphace, narrowed 2" each). I think that will make things a lot more comfortable up front and easier to get in and out.
Marty57

 

[Lasater]

4 place supercub

Marty57,

No doubt your airplane will be far more comfortable than mine. If I ever do a rebuild, a left side door and gull wing doors are at the top of my list. I do have split sliding seats (they were original during the last year of manufacture) and they help. My only other gripe is no brakes on the co-pilots side. Otherwise it would make a great airplane for my kids to learn to fly in.

Ed

 

[Marty57]

Ed,
I am putting breaks on both sides for exactly that reason. Both my son and son-in-law want to learn so the extra effort is well worth it.

Marty57

 

[StewartB]

Gunny,

Is the plan to scavenge everything from Daisy for use in Doozy? Like master cylinders, torque tube, instruments, pulleys, headers, etc? How far do you expect to go in the stripping of one for the other? I've been playing with the total cost of your project in my head. If you did sell the old fuselage to offset the new expense your transition should be pretty reasonable. If you really gut Daisy I wonder what the chance of ever going back to the original is. So many options. The planning is half the fun. I miss the construction phase.

Stewart

 

[S2D]

Re: 4 place supercub

Marty57,

My only other gripe is no brakes on the co-pilots side. Otherwise it would make a great airplane for my kids to learn to fly in.

Ed

People learned how to fly in Chiefs and Vagabonds set up that way. Make them fly from the right side without brakes until you are brave enough to ride in the right side without brakes.

 

[Dave Calkins]

Any wild guesses on bare frame weight for the double-18??

If you could stick to a 'diet plan', and build her up adding less than a hundred pounds to a 'stock' -18 weight, that'd be a heckuva bird.

I love the PA-14 for the ease of loading and room in it, but a double-18 with big wings and a big motor and a very light interior (fabric and carbon fiber) would be impressive.

Way to go Gunny!


Frame weight?

 

[alaskadrifter]

Re: 4 place supercub

Marty57,

My only other gripe is no brakes on the co-pilots side. Otherwise it would make a great airplane for my kids to learn to fly in.

Ed

People learned how to fly in Chiefs and Vagabonds set up that way. Make them fly from the right side without brakes until you are brave enough to ride in the right side without brakes.

Its the same in our Taylorcraft, 'cept those brakes are worthless to begin with so it didn't matter much.

 

[Steve N]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3W-dcYcowc
found this on utube.

 

[Cub junkie]

I think this is an airplane others will want in the future. The versatility is just so much better if you don't need that "ultimate" narrow body cub for the bush. With fuel going up a guy has to get the most out of his money and this is another way of doing it. Only a few people have deep enough pockets for more than one airplane. It's going to be fun watching this go together. Thanks for sharing it with us Gunny.