Piper 18 Super Cub

Single Piston· 2,894 globally registered

The Piper PA-18 Super Cub is arguably the most beloved taildragger in American aviation history, a high-wing tandem-seat workhorse that has been hauling hunters into Alaskan backcountry, towing gliders, training tailwheel pilots, and performing pipeline patrol since 1949. Evolved from the pre-war J-3 Cub, the Super Cub added a more powerful engine (typically 150 hp), flaps, and beefier landing gear, transforming a docile trainer into a genuine STOL utility aircraft capable of operating from sandbars, tundra, and mountain ridges that would ground nearly any other fixed-wing type. Its slow-flight manners are legendary: full-flap stall speed around 38 knots means it can land and take off in distances shorter than many driveways, and its rugged steel-tube fuselage has survived decades of hard use in the bush. Production ran until 1994 at Piper's Lock Haven factory, with over 10,000 built including military L-18 and L-21 variants used for liaison and observation. The type remains in such demand that multiple companies now manufacture new-production clones under experimental and LSA rules, and the used market commands premium prices for well-maintained airframes. Pilots prize the Super Cub for its honest handling, forgiving nature on rough strips, and unmatched visibility from the tandem greenhouse canopy. Maximum cruise is around 100 knots at 75% power, and never-exceed speed is 163 knots, though most Super Cub flying happens far slower, down in the realm where the airplane truly shines. SkyMeter has tracked 1,397 flights across 389 airframes and 308 operators, with AKIMA LOGISTICS SERVICES LLC the largest observed operator.