Super Cub Photo Gallery - Plane & Pilot Magazine

The J-3 Cub is a classic. The PA-18 Super Cub is downright iconic.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 11:44 AM ET

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The Piper PA-18 Super Cub has been around for almost 70 years, and while it's the current darling of a new set of backcountry flyers, it's been a staple of bush flying pretty much since the get got. Photo by Bill Brine - CC by 2.0: Flickr

Key Takeaways:

The Piper PA-18 Super Cub is a long-standing and iconic bush plane, renowned for its exceptional short-field capabilities and rugged versatility in backcountry flying.
Its ability to operate from diverse, challenging terrains is significantly enhanced by adaptable landing gear options, including oversized tires, floats, and skis.
Evolving from earlier Piper designs with increased power and features, the Super Cub continues to inspire and influence modern backcountry aircraft designs.

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Super Cubs weren’t born with big tires. In fact, giant round appendages like these weren’t very popular until recent decades. The tires don’t help with cruise speed at all but they transformed the rough field capabilities from really god to otherworldly. Here the big wheels are used as impromptu floats.

Photo by Bill Brine – CC by 2.0:Flickr