Airframe question?

[armaurer]

Who can tell me the actual difference in the airframe construction between the Top Cub and
the Carbon Cub?
thanks
Alan Maurer

[randylervold]

Alan,

There is a significant difference in the airframe, especially the fuselage, too long a story to go through here. When you are in Yakima we'll take you on a tour and show/explain in person, that is the best way to understand it.

[Clay Hammond]

Who can tell me the actual difference in the airframe construction between the Top Cub and
the Carbon Cub?

1938 vs 2008

Piper was never known to stray too far from their original designs and to stay with what they knew. A Supercub built in 1994 (and ergo the CC Supercubs and TopCub) has the same basic airframe structure and layout as a -18 built in '49. (albeit on the TopCub's part with many improvements and upgrades) And the Supercub was nothing more than a strengthening and enlarging of the J-3/J-2 frame which dates back to '37. A 2011 Archer directly traces its lineage back to the first Cherokee in 1960, to the point that there is still some original tooling used in the current manufacturing process. 2011 Meridian still shares a few parts with the Malibu from 1983. The apples never fell far from the tree in Lock Haven or Vero.

CC upended that Cub design and flipped over a clean sheet to bring together the SPORT CUB and Carbon Cub that followed. Randy's right, you have to see bare airframes side by side (which you will at the factory) to appreciate the differences. There are lots and lots.

[Ndill]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A2VSg0pFcE

Kitplanes Cubcrafters factory tour, Go to about 4.00 has a good shot of the difference between the airframes.