Cuby ('Grasshopper') N8104V was built from WagAero Cuby (J-3 Replica) Sport Trainer plans, by George "Andy" Andersen of Oceano, CA. He's a wonderful craftsman and did a beautiful job on her. She flies stable and steady, straight as an arrow. During her annual inspections[Condition Inspections for Experimentals], my A&P's have had nothing but praise for the workmanship that Andy had done on the full wood wing, with wood leading edges, spars and rib assemblies. Cuby received her Airworthiness Certificate in 1990, following a 10-year build-time.
The leading edges on Cuby are not covered with aluminum skins as is the norm for the Cub. Instead, Andy used maticulously selected and finely assembled and finished aircraft-grade mahogany for the leading edge skins. This application made for an ultra-smooth full-length, very strong leading edge that will not dent and has no rivets to come loose or spoil the profile of the wing airfoil. Everyone that has seen the inside of her wings at the field (CCB, Upland, CA) where I have her hangered, has expressed cudos for Andy's workmanship.
The second owner of Cuby, Mr. David Lehman (FSDO Supervisor) at Fresno-Chandler Field, Fresno, CA, installed CCI vortex-generators to the wing leading edges, which allows for a power-ON stall speed in the mid-to-upper 20's (mph) for Cuby; great for the bush and low-speed control. I will adding VG's to the underside to Cuby's horizontal stabilizer shortly to improve slow-speed approaches.
The fuselage is standard gauge, welded 4130 tubing from the firewall back to the rear of the birdcage. Firewall forward and the tail boom is heavier walled 4130 similar in configuration and design to that used in the PA-18, Super Cub with the heavier-duty engine mount and beefed-up fuselage tail section.
She has an extended baggage boot with 60 pound capacity and reasonable storage for light camping trips. Crew capacity is 400 pounds with a 30-gallon useable fuel load (13.5 gallons in each wing and a 3-gallon header behind the instrument panel - gravity fed). Cuby is STC'd for MOGAS, but I'm running her on 100LL.
I am the third owner of this bird and proud to be a part of her history. In about four(4) years, hopefully, I will be taking her to British Columbia where I plan to retire and to use her as a main mode of transportation and recreation. She is outfitted for floats and snow skis and as you can see, is well suited to the bush with Cessna heavy-duty 1.5-inch axles and 6-inch, 3-bolt split-wheels, F. Dodge-Atlee main gear safety cables, McCreary/Air-Trac 8.50 x 6 tundra-type tires, Cleveland disc brakes and a Scott 3450 heavy-duty tailwheel with 10-inch pneumatic tube and tire assembly.
I need to get some bush-piloting training to learn how to handle her on short, off-field runways properly. Wheel landings are great, but stall landings are inconsistent for now.
Cuby has a low time (580TTSN) Lycoming 0235-C1, 115hp, 2400-hour TBO engine, factory-new in 1979 out of the box and in my life time, barring any complications, she should not need an overhaul. Recent compression check showed 1-76, 2-77, 3-78, 4-78. She is equipped with an external oil filter, alternator and light-weight starter (I'm too old to prop airplanes). The original 2-pass oil cooler has been removed and replaced by a Perma-Cool, lightweight racing engine 4-pass, 300-degree (F) oil cooler with AN fittings and teflon-core, stainless steel braided jacket, high-pressure oil lines. This added another quart of oil capacity to the engine to ensure cooling (necessary when on floats). Oil pressure is a steady 65 PSIG at cruise.
Cuby's prop has been changed to a Sensenich W76RM44 wood prop to increase performance and shorten take-off rolls. The exhaust system has been replaced with a custom, larger tube diameter, 321SS, dual-crossover system that increases horsepower by 10hp. Some wiring changes have been made to the full electrical system that I installed according to the original plans done by Andy and not in Cuby when I took delivery of her. I have replaced the old Prestolite alternator with a light-weight high-performance, self-regulating and internally voltage protected, Plane-Power 60amp alternator. These changes have removed over 12 pounds from Cuby's nose and helps greatly in increasing the trim adjustments for landing and for slow-speed control.
I still can't get used to the military paint scheme which will be changed to standard Cub yellow when Cuby is recovered and repainted in about 5 years.
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