Stickman Aerosports
MEMBER
My goal is to use this thread to detail the process of revamping my Experimental PA18-95. I look forward to all the valuable input I can gain from this well seasoned group. Hopefully someone can find my thread helpful too in the future! I have learned so much already from lurking in the shadows watching other projects here. This is my first Super Cub refurb, but I am no stranger to tools and wrenching. I still have a ton to learn, and I am looking forward to the challenge!
Forgive the length of this first post, once I get the back story out and the current state of the project in this initial post, I plan to just do update/question posts with pictures.
A little back story on the bird...In 2005 somewhere near Colorado Springs, Gregory Vandeputte birthed this plane from a section of J3 top longerons down. The fuse was put in a jig, from the door forward PA18-95 front was added, 18 birdcage, 18 controls, 18 baggage, some replacement sections of longerons and diagonals, and finally an 18 tail was added.
In 2007 the wings were built, 13 rib, aluminum spar, PA-18 struts, completely new from Univair parts. Superflte 102 covering was added and from what I can best tell only a light layer of yellow topcoat on the fabric. The plane was fitted with a donor firewall forward O-200-A from a1972 150L and by September of 2008, the plane was issued it's airworthiness certificate and it began flying. Phase testing was completed in mid 2010. Gross weight was set at 1320 lbs and the W&B reports 885 lbs empty weight with 435 useful. The plane has a stock PA-18, 18 gallon tank in the right wing and a 9 gallon aux tank in the left wing.
Since, the plane was only flown about 80 hrs from completion until the builder sold it to a local A&P in Colorado before the builder passed away in mid 2021. The A&P flew it very little, desired something bigger, then sold it to a gentleman in Omaha, NE who also flew it very little, basically from Colorado to Omaha after the purchase in the fall of 2021.
January 2022 is when I first came across the bird listed on Facebook Marketplace. Below is what I saw when I got there. I drove to Omaha with my A&P and brother in law to check it out. It had it's fair share of quirks (funky cowling was the biggest one), fit and finish left a bunch to be desired, but overall the bones and documentation seemed in order and the price/location was right. I saw great potential with the bird, left a deposit with the seller and my wife drove me back to Omaha a week later and I flew the bird home to central Iowa. To date, that was the one and only flight I logged in this bird since I bought it. It currently sits with 98 hrs since completion by the builder.
I will start a new post now with what has changed since I got the bird and the next planned steps, stay tuned!
Forgive the length of this first post, once I get the back story out and the current state of the project in this initial post, I plan to just do update/question posts with pictures.
A little back story on the bird...In 2005 somewhere near Colorado Springs, Gregory Vandeputte birthed this plane from a section of J3 top longerons down. The fuse was put in a jig, from the door forward PA18-95 front was added, 18 birdcage, 18 controls, 18 baggage, some replacement sections of longerons and diagonals, and finally an 18 tail was added.
In 2007 the wings were built, 13 rib, aluminum spar, PA-18 struts, completely new from Univair parts. Superflte 102 covering was added and from what I can best tell only a light layer of yellow topcoat on the fabric. The plane was fitted with a donor firewall forward O-200-A from a1972 150L and by September of 2008, the plane was issued it's airworthiness certificate and it began flying. Phase testing was completed in mid 2010. Gross weight was set at 1320 lbs and the W&B reports 885 lbs empty weight with 435 useful. The plane has a stock PA-18, 18 gallon tank in the right wing and a 9 gallon aux tank in the left wing.
Since, the plane was only flown about 80 hrs from completion until the builder sold it to a local A&P in Colorado before the builder passed away in mid 2021. The A&P flew it very little, desired something bigger, then sold it to a gentleman in Omaha, NE who also flew it very little, basically from Colorado to Omaha after the purchase in the fall of 2021.
January 2022 is when I first came across the bird listed on Facebook Marketplace. Below is what I saw when I got there. I drove to Omaha with my A&P and brother in law to check it out. It had it's fair share of quirks (funky cowling was the biggest one), fit and finish left a bunch to be desired, but overall the bones and documentation seemed in order and the price/location was right. I saw great potential with the bird, left a deposit with the seller and my wife drove me back to Omaha a week later and I flew the bird home to central Iowa. To date, that was the one and only flight I logged in this bird since I bought it. It currently sits with 98 hrs since completion by the builder.
I will start a new post now with what has changed since I got the bird and the next planned steps, stay tuned!
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