Piper J-3 Cub

what is it?

The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design, which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is Piper Aircraft's second most-produced model after the PA-28 Cherokee series (>32,000 produced) with over 20,000 built in the United States.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 10.7 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 140 km/htop speed
• range 354 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 1passengers
• size 550 kgmax take-off weight
• built 19,888made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 88 years ago, in 1938.
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.7 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1938

introduced

1937

retired

1948

status

retired

number built

19,888

role

trainer/light aircraft

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Piper Aircraft

engines

1× Continental A-65-8

passengers

1

length

6.8 m

wingspan

10.7 m

height

2 m

max take-off weight

550 kg

top speed

140 km/h

cruise speed

121 km/h

range

354 km

ceiling

3,500 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.