Great Story About the Piper Cub!

Enjoy.

 

Thank you....did NOT know all that... including the Tuskegee Airmen....

Thought of my late uncle, who flew an L-5 (Stinson) in the Pacific in WW2... similar plane

 

As I have mentioned earlier, I learned to fly in a 1937 Cub with a 55hp Lycoming in it, no brakes, no tail wheel....just a spring leaf skid. later, I flew the modern J-3 with a 65hp Cont. and all the fancy things like brakes and a tail wheel. I flew all the succeeding models ( the Coupe, PA11,etc.) except the fancy big stuff . Flew the L-2, L-3, L-4, and the L-5 (that is a Stinson and incorrectly shown in the video as an L-3) , The L-5 was a much more powerful bird with a 6 cylinder Cont. and different airplane than the L-4 and very nice to fly. The Taylorcraft L-2 was much lighter and more fragile than the other L series. The Aeronca L-3 was the heaviest and more durable. I regretted that I never got to fly an L-19. After the war the Stinson Voyager and Station Wagon were beautiful and plush " rocking chair" airplanes and easy to fly. There was nothing more striking and beautiful , however, than a pre war Stinson Reliant with it's 32 coat hand rubbed nitrate dope finish in which you could see your reflection and the deep cushiony upholstery. Don't see that anymore with the butyrate finishes and naugahide.

 

A Super with a STOL kit and tundra wheels would be a gas to have but would just get me in a lot of trouble.

 

yeah, but it would do it very slowly

 

Correction.The L-5 had a 185 hp Lycoming. Earlier 105 had a 90hp Franklin, I think. The Stinson 108 was and is a beautiful airplane and a joy to fly. Another great one was the Fairchild 24 with either a Ranger or a Warner. So smooth and comfortable! Thinking that far back is almost like looking at a video of someone else doing the flying. Those visions are a helluvalot nicer than what's going on now.