If you want to feel better about the costs of restoring your project car or truck, talk to a vintage aircraft owner. This 1946 Piper J-3 Cub has seen minimal use over the years, and is a “tail dragger” in airplane speak for its tail-down design with its nose predominantly in the air. It has needs that keep it from flying, so check it out here on craigslist for $25K if you’re looking for a new plane project.
Whenever I see a plane like this, I can’t help but think of Cary Grant being chased by the fertilizer plane in the classic Hitchcock thriller, North by Northwest. Diving into the dirt, trying to avoid an aeronautical take-down, all for a crime you didn’t commit! Hopefully, this Piper Cub has led a much less drama-filled life, and its straight cosmetics would seem to suggest so.
Despite this, the seller maintains that it requires a complete recovering. Mechanically, the engine was last rebuilt in 1988, which seems past the point of “winging it” and hoping the rebuild holds together. However, the seller says the engine still runs, and that at least gives hope to the next owner that the Continental A65-8 engine won’t need to be replaced.
This is the second plane we’ve featured in five days, and I always wonder how many aircraft hangars across the U.S. are still hiding vintage aircraft like this. They’re not cheap to restore, so I wouldn’t imagine a potential windfall is the endgame, and this one looks like it was simply discovered and put up for sale. Once we run out of finding cars and trucks in barns, perhaps we’ll be peering through dusty hangars for forgotten treasure like this.
I got my first airplane ride when I was 4. Dad’s friend had recently scored his Piper Cub and was proud as a peacock. He didn’t need much coaxing. I might add that every Christmas he flew Sant Claus down from the north pole in that exact same plane which he landed right on Main Street. Even though Dad and his friend are gone, the old Cub still exists and although it doesn’t get much air time anymore, it’s still a part of our history. I do recall the current owner telling a story that is–well, you read it and tell me…
I also had my first flight in of these. I was around 4 also.
Oops, somehow the link wouldn’t paste.
http://gearheadsncoffeestains.blogspot.com/2014/10/engine-failure.html
Like your picture and story geomechs. One of my favorite stores concerning my dads Cub was upon engine tear down he discovered paper check blanks used as shims under the rod bearing inserts.This after flying it home from a west Texas dirt strip in 1963. He tells of it only running on three cylinders upon arrival, the seller instructing him to start pulling plugs out of his junkers till he found a good one.Then informing him the price had gone up 50 bucks above the agreed 2000,dad insisting he did not have another 50.Borrowed the extra from the guy who flew him down and headed north.Dads desire to own a Cub was strong. I could write pages of stories about his plane. It’s completely restored today and owned by my nephew.
It’s amazing what people got away with and were still able to keep those planes in the sky. I’m a mechanic by trade and I’ve seen a lot of things but using check blanks as bearing shims is a new one. One of my favorites was an oil filler tube run through the firewall into the cockpit so the pilot could pour an extra quart of oil into the engine every hour to keep the oil level up. But I guess there were times you made due with what you had. I remember an aircraft mechanic who served with the USAAF, talked about making ring compressors out of tomato cans.
Running on three cylinders. That’s got to be a shaky ride in a Cub; that stick must have felt like a beer can. That’s a great picture of your Dad’s cub.
Dad’s Cub
I think I had the last of the US Army’s L-4A military version shot out from under me in Viet Nam 1966 after that I flew the L19’s. More power and faster than the L-4A but I liked the old war horse anyway.
have 46 cub, c-85, me flyin since 61, 85 tailwheel types…be blessed, grateful, prepaed…
Not entirely relevant, but the first car seen in the movie you mention is a Skoda – yes a “Commie crap car” in the streets of NYC! Have often wondered what message Hitch was trying to send during those McCarthy days. And yes, I can call it a crap car because I’m one of the few Americans who has owned one.
Blame the Soviets, not the British
My dad had one also that he used to commute back and forth to college in the 1950’s. He said he always used IFH navigation (I Follow Highways)
Wouldn’t it have been easier and cheaper to drive the Nash?
I asked him that, he had some reasoning I don’t remember. I’m not sure if he still had the Nash then. Who is this that you know about the Nash?
Here’s my “barn find” from a hangar in Phoenix AZ. Had not flown since 99 so we took it apart and trailered it home to Okc, OK. Have the records to it going back to it’s military training career in 1943…..
On the way home…..
Looks like the crop duster I used to fly in Texas.
They did make crop dusters out of these. Several companies (Funk & also Weatherly Aviation Company) would take a PT-19 or preferably a PT-23 with the radial, install a new metal wing(the original was wood), put a hopper in it and make a sprayer out of it. There are still a couple of the old Funk F-23’s out there but they have installed a PT-26 canopy, painted it up in jungle camo with Jap markings, installed a cowling, and made it look like a Mitsubishi Ki-51. I think there are two in Texas….
I have a twin engine Aztec now that I really enjoy! Have a great evening!
nothing wrong with going low and slow
Peter Egan has more than a few really great stories about Piper Cubs, I’m told, but I’ve yet to see any recent postings by of the Midwest pilot flying BACKWARDS..
My dad was a “glider” pilot during WWII and stayed in; he came home one afternoon in amazement of an article in his daily briefing (1968?) about a pilot having taken off westbound in a Piper Cub (Nebraska?) and encountered a strong headwind about 45 minutes into his 1 hour hop only to find he was passing the airfield he’d originally taken off from-even though he was still facing the west!!
I suppose Piper Cubs are Kinda like my ‘61 Midget I had in high school-not known for being a powerhouse but an absolute hoot when you do go for a ride, and great for what the engineer designed it..
I have flown over 50 types of aircraft from Stardusters (small) to a B-17. My J3 was the only one that always kept me smiling. They are a hoot. Anyone can fly a Cub, bur few can fly one well.
Steve, your plane looks very much like
the one Harrison Ford crashed a few
years back. Is it the same make and
model? As for the Cub, I’ll bet I could
fly it even with my vision problem. I
told Mom that I could teach her to fly
such a plane very easily. Mom said
“Hell no!” in no uncertain terms and asked me if I had taken out life
insurance out on her. If this keeps up,
they’ll have to rename the site Anything
Finds!
Harrison’s was a Ryan PT-22, somewhat smaller and lower power with a 5 cyl engine. Same basic planform, fixed gear, open cockpit, Army Air Corps trainer.
This is a Fairchild PT-23 with a 7 cyl 220 hp Continental.
We would be surprised how many classic cars are store in hangers.
Go down to the War Eagles Museum north of El Paso. They’ve got lots of cars in there with the planes.
These are some great stories. I know nothing about planes, but love reading about them.
My respect for BarnFinders just went up a couple a’ notches! Great stories you guys!
My dad was an engineer for Piper Aircraft in Lock Haven, PA, where Piper Cub planes were produced. Mr. Piper had purchased Taylor craft (aircraft company), which had had a fire and moved the business to Lock Haven. The town fathers gave Mr. Piper an old silk mill and agreed to built an airport if Mr. Piper would move there, which he did. My dad said Piper was so broke at the time he started that they would drive a pickup truck to the train depot and would need to pay cash for the engines. Piper had no credit. I spent many hours growing up floating around the sky n Piper Cubs. I always liked low and slow, just floating along over the mountains. My dads claim to fame was the single engine Piper Commanche. He was the head project engineer on that one. Unfortunately Piper is no longer in Pa. In the 60’s Chris Craft, yes the boat company, bought up enough stock to vote the Piper family off of the board and out of the business. The Piper museum is still in Lock Haven but manufacturing is now in Florida. Lock Haven lost 2500+ jobs back in the late 60’s and the area has never fully recovered. Lots of other stories, but this site is about cars!
Got my first ride in a 1946 J-3 that my boss eventually owned. Very underpowered and he told stories of bucking winds and not getting anywhere. The old guy I flew with used it to scout beaver dams – he’d fly over it to figure out how to get to the dam by land – and to figure out the weak spot in the dam. Then he’d go out and blow it up. They called him “Short-Fuse Henry” as he didn’t like to use more fuse than absolutely necessary. He’d light the fuse and run like hell. Sadly I never got to go with him on any of those excursions when he blew up the dam.
With all the discussion of the J-3 Cub, I have to put in my 2 cents. This picture I’m posting is my other plane, a Citabria with me flying it. It is based on the J-3’s rival, the Aeronca Champ. The Champ was every bit the plane the J-3 was and some say more. Bill Piper was a great promoter and tirelessly promoted the J-3 into a household name, every small taildragger seemed to be called a Cub. There were a few disadvantages with the design though. It had to be soloed from the back for Center of Gravity reasons, it was really narrow, had close weight limitations and it was a bit underpowered with 65 hp.
My Citabria was built on the same jigs the Champs were but has 150 hp which really breathes life into the airframe. Has more room and soloed from the front for better visibility. Being fully aerobatic(Citabria is Airbatic spelled backwards), she is a real joy to fly and a perfect trainer. Loves the grass strips too.
Got my airobatic training in a Citabria and you are right about cub, champ and Citabria comparison. Grew up in J3s and taylorcraft. Dad got an Ercoupe dealership in late 40s my “ seat” was the suitcase holder behind the pilot/passenger seats. Great memories
The airstrip is still there unused on our ranch, a decade ago this Cub would be in the hangar. I had a Cub for most of my early flying years. A very enjoyable flying experience most notably written about by the late Gordon Baxter. There was a time where 15 or more of us would all get together as a gaggle on a weekend and fly an hour or so to some breakfast joint at an airport. It was an innocent time.
Sure enjoy these occasional airplane posts, they take me ( and apparently a lot of others too!) down memory lane as vividly as an old car. Keep it up.
Judging by aviation-related comments received, you stuck a nerve by including hangar barn finds! As a former pilot, I found hangars are fertile spaces to check out for interesting cars. I hope you continue peeking into them!
I agree with the comments on cars located in hangers. I worked as a race car mechanic for several years that was located in a hangar of the local airport. The runway made for some great late night 1/4 mile test runs.