This 1972 Piper PA-18 Super Cub Is a Go-Anywhere ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick

1972 Piper PA-18 Super Cub [Courtesy: Traci Forsey]

Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1972 Piper PA-18 Super Cub.

After years of flying in high-performance airplanes with spacious, well-insulated cabins, upgraded panels, and electronic aids, such as GPS, autopilots, engine monitors, and traffic alerts, you might feel the need to return to your aviation roots, or beyond, depending how old you are and when you started flying.

Those of us who got our wings in aircraft with round gauges and no magenta line to follow—not even an Apollo—occasionally have fits of nostalgia that make a bare-bones Super Cub especially attractive.

Of course, age and hours logged have little to do with this airplane’s effect on aviation enthusiasts. Pilots reared on glass panels can be just as susceptible to the PA-18’s rag-and-tube charms. This machine’s tactile stick-and-rudder interface is the ideal medicine for those of us who often feel more like the “pilot monitoring” as we contemplate automation and swipe our way through ForeFlight screens on our tablets.

In contrast, the Super Cub seems to tell you to sit up straight and pay attention. It provides continuous reminders that you are flying a “real airplane.” The reward, or a big part of it, is that without so many screens, we are more likely to look outside.

This Super Cub has 1,997 hours on the airframe and its 150 hp Lycoming O-320 engine since overhaul. The engine underwent a top overhaul 764 hours ago. The aircraft also is equipped with an aluminum Sensenich M74DM propeller. The VFR panel features traditional, basic analog instruments that would be ideal accompaniment for a sectional chart unfolded on the pilot’s lap.

Aviators who believe there is only one real Cub, and it comes from Piper with at least 150 hp, should consider this 1972 PA-18 Super Cub, which is available for $109,000 on AircraftForSale.

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