The Piper Cub in Photos

The Piper Cub, an aviation icon, turns 75.

Many pilots know the joy, and challenge, of making a perfect three-point landing in the Piper Cub, widely considered one of the greatest trainers ever made.

After 50 years in storage, this rare Taylor E-2 Cub underwent meticulous restoration to flying condition at the Golden Age Air Museum in Bethel, Pennsylvania.

For the Cub, C.G. Taylor chose a wing shape developed by the Army and wind-tunnel-tested by the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics. Known as the USA-35B airfoil, it produced lots of lift and had good low-speed characteristics, giving the J-3 its legendary handling traits.

Piper introduced the Super Cub in 1949.

There’s nothing quite like the view out the open door of a Piper Cub. This image was captured in a 1938 J-3 over Maryland’s Fallston Air Park with a GoPro HD camera.

The black piston jugs protruding from the yellow cowl are a signature design element of the J-3 Cub, which most often flew with the venerable Continental A-65.