Wag-Aero CUBy

Last updated
Wag-Aero CUBy
Wag-Aero Sport Trainer 'F-PJBS' (49842690607).jpg
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
ManufacturerWag-Aero
DesignerDick Wagner
First flight12 March 1975 [1]
Introduction1975
Developed from Piper J-3

The Wag-Aero CUBy is a replica of the Piper J-3, designed by Dick Wagner and marketed by Wag-Aero of Lyons, Wisconsin as plans or in kit form. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The aircraft is currently marketed under the name Wag-Aero Sport Trainer. [5]

Design and development

Wag-Aero started with a line of inspection covers, then eventually a comprehensive line of aircraft parts, including a full line of parts for the Piper Cub. After several attempts to purchase the rights to the Piper Cub for new production, Wag-Aero owner Jack Wagner designed a homebuilt kit that would allow homebuilders to construct new aircraft similar to the Cub. [6]

While the CUBy was initially offered with wooden wing ribs and spars like the Piper Cub, aluminum ribs and spars were later added as an option, also like later Cubs. The aircraft does differ from the original Piper design in several ways including having its fuselage fabricated from 4130 steel instead of the Cub's original 1025 carbon steel and utilizing a conventional elevator-mounted trim tab in place of the Cub's jack screw trimming system that adjusts the Cub's elevator angle of incidence. [2] [6]

The CUBy drawings were drafted by Bill Blake. [7]

The prototype first flew on March 12, 1975 fitted with skis. [8]

Operational history

The introductory model was displayed with a contrasting paint scheme, one half painted green with a yellow stripe, and the other half painted yellow with a green stripe. This unusual "court jester" paint scheme was used to differentiate the prototype from the standard yellow scheme used on the Piper Cub, for marketing purposes. [9] Paul Poberezny became the first customer to build a CUBy. [6] Poberezny's aircraft became part of the EAA AirVenture Museum Foundation [10] and was used to demonstrate the use of automotive fuel in aircraft engines for the Experimental Aircraft Association. [11] The designer of the aircraft Dick Wagner flew the unpressurized aircraft as high as 20,000 ft (6,096 m) to demonstrate that auto fuel would not cause vapor lock. [12]

Variants

Wag-Aero Super Sport (front) with a Piper PA-12. Wag Aero Super Sport C-GETV and Piper PA-12 C-FBNZ.JPG
Wag-Aero Super Sport (front) with a Piper PA-12.
CUBy
Base model, powered by a recommended standard Continental C-85 engine of 85 hp (63 kW) [2]
CUBy Acro Trainer
Developed in 1977, the aircraft was fitted with a 135 hp (101 kW) Lycoming and clipped wings. The prototype featured the unique split-down the middle paint scheme employed by Wag-Aero. [8]
Observer
Sport Trainer with modifications to alter the window installation to resemble the Piper L-4 [4]
Sport Trainer
Original CUBy renamed, powered by engines in the recommended range of 65 to 100 hp (48 to 75 kW). By December 2011 250 examples had been completed and flown. [3] [13]
Super Sport
Sport trainer with modifications to accept engines of up to 150 hp (112 kW) [4]
2005 Wag Aero Super Sport 150 HP with 8.5-6 Dresser Maine Tires 2005 Wag Aero Super Sport for Wiki.jpg
2005 Wag Aero Super Sport 150 HP with 8.5-6 Dresser Maine Tires

Specifications (Wag-Aero CUBy)

Wag-Aero CUBy Wagaero Cuby C-FEHQ amateur-built 01.JPG
Wag-Aero CUBy

Data from Sport Aviation, Plane & Pilot [2] and Purdy [3]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sequoia Falco</span> Type of aircraft

The Sequoia Falco is an Italian-designed lightweight 2-seater aerobatic aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser</span> Four-seat 1947 US light aircraft

The Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser is an American-built small touring aircraft of the late 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace Baby Ace</span> Homebuilt aircraft design by Orland Corben

The Ace Baby Ace, a single-seat, single-engine, parasol wing, fixed-gear light airplane, was marketed as a homebuilt aircraft when its plans were first offered for sale in 1929 — one of the first homebuilt aircraft plans available in the United States. Plans are still available and Baby Aces are still being built. Orland Corben designed a series of aircraft for the Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company, the Baby Ace, Junior Ace, and Super Ace. Corben's name was associated with the aircraft, and it is commonly known as the Corben Baby Ace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acro Sport I</span> Type of aircraft

The Acro Sport is a single-seat aerobatic sportsplane designed by US aviation enthusiast Paul Poberezny in the early 1970s for homebuilding. Plans are marketed by Acro Sport Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acro Sport II</span> Type of aircraft

The Acro II is a two-seat aerobatic sportsplane designed by US aviation enthusiast Paul Poberezny in the 1970s for amateur construction. It is an enlarged version of his previous Acro Sport I, sized up to carry two persons. Plans are available through Acro Sport in Wisconsin and material kits are supplied by Aircraft Spruce and Specialty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitts Special</span> Family of American aerobatic biplanes

The Pitts Special is a series of light aerobatic biplanes designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts biplanes dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and, even today, remain potent competition aircraft in the lower categories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piper PA-15 Vagabond</span> 1940s American light aircraft

The Piper PA-15 Vagabond and PA-17 Vagabond are both two-seat, high-wing, conventional gear light aircraft that were designed for personal use and for flight training and built by Piper Aircraft starting in 1948.

The Piper PA-8 Skycycle was a 1940s American single-seat light aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft at their Lock Haven, Pennsylvania plant. Towards the end of 1944 Piper announced a number of aircraft it intended to build after the war. One of these was the PWA-8. An aerodynamic test aircraft was built with the name Cub Cycle and it first flew on 27 August 1944 with a small two–cylinder Franklin engine. The Franklin engine was replaced by a four–cylinder Continental A-40-3 of 37 hp (28 kW); the aircraft first flew with the Continental engine on 12 September 1944. The Skycycle was a fabric-covered mid-wing single-engined single-seat monoplane with a tailwheel landing gear. The fuselage was produced using an auxiliary belly fuel tank as used on the F4U Corsair. The Cub Cycle was scrapped and a similar but new aircraft was built with the name Skycycle, which first flew on 29 January 1945 using the same Continental engine as the Cub Cycle. The aircraft was further modified in 1945 with a four-cylinder 55 hp (41 kW) Lycoming O-145-A2 engine and designated the PA-8 Skycycle. No further examples were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher FP-202 Koala</span> Canadian ultralight aircraft

The Fisher FP-202 Koala is a Canadian single-seat high wing, conventional landing gear, single engined light kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders. The aircraft was inspired by the design of the Piper J-3 Cub and strongly resembles that design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steen Skybolt</span> American homebuilt aircraft

The Steen Skybolt is an American homebuilt aerobatic biplane. Designed by teacher Lamar Steen as a high school engineering project, the prototype first flew in October 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Legend AL11C-100</span> Type of aircraft

The American Legend AL3C-100 and American Legend AL11C-100 are new design American light-sport aircraft inspired by the Piper J-3 Cub and Super Cub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W.A.R. FW-190</span> American homebuilt warbird replica

The W.A.R. FW-190 is a half-scale homebuilt replica of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter. In July 1973, War Aircraft Replicas International of Santa Paula, California began design of an approximately half-scale replica of the Fw 190, the first of a series of replicas of World War II aircraft using similar constructional techniques. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 21 August 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wag-Aero Wag-a-Bond</span> Type of aircraft

The Wag-Aero Wag-a-Bond is a high-wing two-seat side-by-side homebuilt aircraft of tube-and-fabric construction. It is replica of the Piper Vagabond taildragger and produced by Wag-Aero in kit form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wag-Aero CHUBy CUBy</span> Type of aircraft

The Wag-Aero CHUBy CUBy is a high-wing four-seat homebuilt cabin monoplane of tube-and-fabric construction, it is a modern representation of the Piper PA-14 taildragger with elements from other Piper family members. The plane is currently marketed as the Wag-Aero Sportsman 2+2 by Wag-Aero in kit form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CubCrafters CC11-100 Sport Cub S2</span> Type of aircraft

The Cub Crafters CC11-100 Sport Cub S2 is a high-wing, tandem-seat, conventional landing gear–equipped, tube-and-fabric light-sport aircraft built by Cub Crafters. The aircraft certified to ATSM standards for the FAA's Light Sport Category and is in production as of 2010. The S2 was introduced in 2007 as an improvement to the Sport Cub of 2005.

The RagWing RW11 Rag-A-Bond is a two-seat, high wing, strut-braced, conventional landing gear, single engine homebuilt aircraft designed by Roger Mann and sold as plans by RagWing Aircraft Designs for amateur construction.

The Carlson Skycycle is an American, single-seat, low-wing, single-engine, homebuilt aircraft that was originally designed by A. Hanford Eckman in 1945 and re-designed as a replica by Ernst W. Carlson and produced by Carlson Aircraft of East Palestine, Ohio in kit form. The prototype was completed in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polen Special</span> Type of aircraft

The Polen Special, is a homebuilt racing aircraft built to become the fastest four cylinder aircraft in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Custom Flight North Star</span> Canadian homebuilt light aircraft

The Custom Flight North Star is a Canadian amateur-built aircraft, designed by Morgan Williams and produced by Custom Flight of Tiny, Ontario. The aircraft is based on the Piper PA-18 Super Cub and is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wag-Aero</span> American aircraft parts supplier

The Wag-Aero Group is an American aircraft manufacturer that was founded by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the 1960s and is based in Lyons, Wisconsin. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of kit aircraft and aircraft parts for amateur construction.

References

  1. Sport Aviation: 9. April 1975.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 159. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. ISBN   0-918312-00-0
  3. 1 2 3 Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 289. BAI Communications. ISBN   0-9636409-4-1
  4. 1 2 3 Wag-Aero (n.d.). "The Sport Trainer" . Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  5. The Wag-Aero Group - Kitplanes
  6. 1 2 3 Jack Cox (May 1975). "Wag-Aero Cuby...The Rebirth of a Legend". Sport Aviation.
  7. "Hot Line from Headquarters". Sport Aviation. August 1975.
  8. 1 2 Jack Cox (May 1977). "The CUBy Acro Trainer". Sport Aviation.
  9. Jack Cox (August 1978). "The Wagabond Traveler". Sport Aviation.
  10. Paul Poberezney (October 1976). "Homebuilder's Corner". Sport Aviation.
  11. Paul Poberezney (July 1976). "Homebuilder's Corner". Sport Aviation.
  12. "Oshkosh 76". Sport Aviation. October 1976.
  13. Vandermeullen, Richard: 2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 76. Belvoir Publications. ISSN   0891-1851