Piper PA-11 Cub Special

File:PA-11-Landing.jpg

The PA-11 is a high-wing braced cabin monoplane with a tail-wheel landing gear. The enclosed cabin has two tandem seats. Early PA-11s had a Continental A65-8 engine, while the later ones had the option of a Continental C90-8.

The PA-11 was based on the earlier J-3, but with the engine cowling fully enclosed (as on the earlier J-5), the windshield sloped at a shallower angle, and the fuel tank placed in the port wing root.Peperell 1987, p. 55. Both seats were slightly moved back, and solo flying was usually from the front seat.

The prototype and two subsequent pre-production models were built using a modified J-3 fuselage and wings. The prototype first flew in August 1946 followed by the two pre-production aircraft later in 1946.

The first production aircraft was completed at Lock Haven in March 1947 and production continued at Lock Haven until September 1949. A second production line was established at Ponca City between September 1947 and January 1948.

On the early PA-11s, the fuselage was painted with a metallic blue on the lower half the rest being Lock Haven Yellow. The later PA-11s were all yellow with a simple brown stripe.

The PA-11 also formed the basis for the next evolution in the Cub series, the PA-18 Super Cub, which shares many features.

File:Piper PA-11S N4580M Floats Renton 03.11.73 edited-3.jpg

A small number of PA-11s have been modified to use a Tricycle landing gear.

The PA-11 was one of the first aircraft to be used by Piper for experiments with the nose wheel (also known as tricycle gear) configuration. Although its original design is intended to be a tail-dragger, a modification was created to mount a nose wheel. {{fact|date=March 2020}}

The nose wheel is attached to the two rear engine mounts by y-shaped steel tubes attached to a steel tube with a shaft that slides freely with the wheel. Cables run underneath the belly directly from fixtures on the rudder pedals to the nose wheel shaft. This gave the ability to steer by pivoting the nose wheel shaft with the rudder pedals. The shock system consisted of six circular bungee cords, sometimes four for softer landings, located on either side of the nose wheel shaft to ears on the top tube and the bottom shaft connected to the wheel. {{fact|date=March 2020}}

For the aircraft to balance properly with the nose wheel, the main gear was flipped around so that the center of balance would move forward. The pilot would sit in the front seat for added stability.{{fact|date=March 2020}}

A number of Cub Specials have been converted for flight operation using floats.{{fact|date=March 2020}}

File:Piper PA-11 Cub Special F-BFMA Chelles 02.06.67 edited-2.jpg

;PA-11: Two-seat light aircraft, powered by either a {{convert|65|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental A65-8 or a {{convert|95|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental C90-8 piston engine.

;PA-11S: Seaplane variant with twin EDO 1400 floats.

;L-18B: United States Military designation of the PA-11 Cub Special, powered by a {{convert|95|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental C90-8F piston engine, 105 built and delivered to Turkey, under the Military Assistance Program.{{cn|date=April 2020}}

;B.S.3A

:({{langx|th|บ.ส.๓ก}}) Royal Thai Armed Forces designation for the PA-11.{{Cite web |title=Thai Military Aircraft Designations |url=https://designation-systems.net/non-us/thailand.html |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=designation-systems.net}}

File:Sde Avraham.jpg Piper PA-11 Cub Special planes in the Negev in March 1949]]

;{{ISR}}

• Israeli Air Force

;{{TUR}}

{{Aircraft specs

|prime units?=imp

|ref=Piper Aircraft and Their Forerunners Peperell 1987, p. 57.

|crew=1

|capacity=1 passenger and 470 lbs (213 kg) payload

|length ft=22

|length in=4

|length m=6.8

|span ft=35

|span in=2

|span m=10.7

|height ft=6

|height in=8

|height m=2.03

|wing area sqft=178.5

|wing area note={{harvnb|Bridgman|1948|p=310c}}

|empty weight lb=750

|empty weight kg=340

|gross weight lb=1,220

|gross weight kg=553

|fuel capacity={{convert|12|USgal|impgal L|abbr=on}}

|eng1 name=1

|eng1 type=Continental C90-8

|eng1 hp=90

|eng1 kw=67

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=Sensenich fixed-pitch wooden propeller

|prop dia note=

|prop dia ft=6

|prop dia in=0

|max speed mph=112

|max speed kmh= 181

|cruise speed mph=100

|cruise speed kmh= 162

|stall speed mph=40

|stall speed kmh= 65

|range miles=350

|range km= 567

|ceiling ft=16,000

|ceiling m= 4880

}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last=Bridgman |first=Leonard |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1948 |year=1948 |location=London |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd. }}
• Peperell, Roger. Piper Aircraft and Their Forerunners. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1987. {{ISBN|0-85130-149-5}}.
• Simpson, Rod. General Aviation Handbook. Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 2005. {{ISBN|978-1-85780-222-1}}.

{{refend}}

{{commons category-inline|Piper PA-11 Cub Special}}

{{Piper aircraft}}

{{Piper Cub}}

{{USAF liaison aircraft}}

{{Thai liaison aircraft designations}}

PA-11

Category:1940s United States sport aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:High-wing aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1946

Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear

Category:Single-engined piston aircraft