Backcountry Super Cubs Supercruiser

{{Short description|American light airplane}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}

{{Infobox aircraft begin

| name=Supercruiser

| image=

| caption=

}}{{Infobox aircraft type

| type=Amateur-built aircraft

| national origin=United States

| manufacturer=Backcountry Super Cubs

| designer=

| first flight=

| introduced=

| retired=

| status=In production (2012)

| primary user=

| more users=

| produced=

| number built=140

| developed from= Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser

| variants with their own articles=

}}

The Backcountry Super Cubs Supercruiser is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed and produced by Backcountry Super Cubs of Douglas, Wyoming. The aircraft is based upon the design of the Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser and is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 44. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851

Design and development

The Supercruiser features a strut-braced high wing, a three-seat {{convert|36|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} wide enclosed cockpit, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration. The aircraft seats the pilot in front and two passengers in the rear on a bench seat.

The aircraft fuselage is made from welded steel tubing, with the wings constructed of aluminum sheet, all covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its {{convert|38.1|ft|m|1|abbr=on}} span wing has an area of {{convert|170|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}, is supported by "V" struts with jury struts and mounts flaps. The aircraft's recommended engine power range is {{convert|180|to|240|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} and standard engines used include the {{convert|180|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Lycoming O-360 four-stroke powerplant. Construction time from the supplied kit is 1200 hours.

Operational history

By December 2011, 140 examples had been reported as completed and flown.

Specifications (Supercruiser)

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Kitplanes

|prime units?=imp

|genhide=

|crew=one

|capacity=two passengers

|length m=

|length ft=21

|length in=

|length note=

|span m=

|span ft=38.1

|span in=

|span note=

|height m=

|height ft=

|height in=

|height note=

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=170

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=1200

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=2400

|gross weight note=

|fuel capacity={{convert|48|u.s.gal}}

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Lycoming O-360

|eng1 type=four cylinder, air-cooled, four stroke aircraft engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=180

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=constant speed propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=115

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=28

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km=

|range miles=580

|range nmi=

|range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=1000

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|sink rate ms=

|sink rate ftmin=

|sink rate note=

|lift to drag=

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=14.1

|wing loading note=

|power/mass=

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|avionics=

}}

References

{{reflist}}