By Jerry Sheppard, EAA 693025
One of the many aviation aspirations I have had for several decades — building a Piper Super Cub (PA-18) replica — has finally come true. My dream started to become a reality more than two years ago, in June 2017. This particular builder-assisted adventure began for me just south of Daytona Beach, Florida, at Massey Ranch Airpark (X50). My goal was to build the most complete experimental Super Cub that incorporated all the latest technology available. No expense was spared. From nose to tail, this experimental Super Cub is the true description of all that can be applied when imagination is your only limitation. “Powerfully simple” was my focus in everything accomplished during this build, and all the hard work paid off when the final product received an Outstanding Workmanship award at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019.
The best possible experimental Super Cub kit selected to meet my needs was the Javron product developed by Jay DeRosier of Javron Aviation. I consider the Javron PA-18 wide-body to be the best total performance and most complete experimental Super Cub in today’s market. Jay’s airframes take the best of the 1950s Piper design and fast-forward 60-plus years with the latest in materials offered. The end product flies straight and true as an arrow. No roll or yaw trim tabs were required or attached.
To successfully build any kit aircraft in less than eight months, the builder has to program in a lot of lead time by preordering to forecast parts arriving at the right period during the assembly process. That said, I set out to build a plug-and-play flying machine.
One of the key areas in which I used this plug-and-play approach was in ordering a complete and bench-tested Garmin panel and wiring harness from David Buckwalter at Avionics Systems. This is the same panel company that previously built the Patey brothers’ Draco and Turbulence panels. The Garmin 10-inch G3X Touch (GDU 460) panel is one powerful tool. It is incredibly intuitive in its operational functions. The touch panel removes the typical search time normally experienced in aircraft loaded with surface-mounted panel components. Power comes from a Vertical Power electrical system “red box.”
Additional panel features, all remotely mounted, include a Garmin ADAHRS (GSU 25), Magnetometer (GMU 11), OAT (GTP 59), engine sensor package (GEA 24), ADS-B In (GDL 52R), 2020 compliant ADS-B Out (GDL 82), remote comm/3D stereo intercom (GTR 20), autonomous wired transponder (GTX 32), Sirius XM weather/music, traffic alert, two-axis autopilot (GSA 28), and an angle of attack pitot (GAP 26). Another plug-and-play item is the Oregon Aero seats. From years of experience, this is an absolute must if you plan to sit in the saddle for several hours.
The Cub is pulled by a Catto fixed-pitch 84-by-45 propeller connected to a factory-new 200-hp Continental Motors Titan OX370. This gives me amazing performance. At 8,000 feet MSL and 2550 rpm, the true airspeed is 117 mph. Normal cruise is 110 mph true airspeed at 2450 rpm while burning 8 gph. The main reason I went with 200 hp was because of the extremely challenging environmental conditions that the southwest region of America can provide. I operate from the west Texas town of El Paso, and a density altitude of 8,000 feet is not uncommon in the summer months. Horsepower is everything.
Off-airport operations in remote desert areas are the norm in flying bushplanes in the southwest. My Javron is supported by state-of-the-art 3-inch extended heavy-duty 1.5-inch axle gear legs, Acme Aero’s Black Ops suspension, 31-inch Alaskan Bushwheel tires, Grove 6-inch wheels with double puck brakes, Airframes Alaska T3 Twin Shock Tail Suspension, and an Airframes Alaska 8-inch Bent Steering Arm Tail Wheel. I have found this setup to be extremely beneficial in off-airport operations.
Other systems include:
- Reiff engine oil preheater
- Anti Splat Aero LLC oil-air separator
- Extended fuel tanks (48 gallons total)
- Dakota Cub certified fuel selector valve
- ACK 406 ELT
- Tosten stick grips
- Rear seat remote push-to-talk
- Aluminum headset hangers
- Front and rear seat USB power supply
- Crow Kam Lock five-point padded seat harness
- Rear under-seat storage box
- Tinted windscreen/skylight
- Three-color-tone Superflite covering system
- Whelen LED lighting
- Float fitting attachments
- Main body lifting points
- Extended baggage compartment with oversized entry door
I would like to send out a big thank-you. First, thank you to my close aviation friends across the country. Second, thanks to www.SuperCub.org for providing endless examples of how to approach the building process and answering my seamlessly countless questions. Finally, thank you to Dana Brekakova for her quality photographic support during this process.
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