Piper L-21B Super Cub
Piper Aircraft · United States · first flew 1949 · light aircraft
The Piper L-21B Super Cub is the US Army military designation for the PA-18 Super Cub, a high-wing fabric-covered liaison and observation aircraft used for artillery spotting, liaison, and light utility duties. It is the successor to the wartime L-4 Grasshopper.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.88 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Military designation of the Piper PA-18 Super Cub
- Tandem two-seat high-wing liaison and observation aircraft
- Fabric-covered tube-and-fabric construction
Classic high-wing Cub silhouette with tandem seating under a long greenhouse canopy; distinguished from the L-4 by the larger more powerful engine and revised cowling.
Specifications
- The Piper L-21B Super Cub has a length of 6.88 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.74 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 (tandem).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Adopted by the US Army in the early 1950s, the L-21 served alongside the Cessna L-19 Bird Dog in the observation and liaison roles. The Super Cub's excellent slow-flight characteristics and short-field capability made it ideal for front-line liaison duties in Korea and later with various allied armies.
Variants
The L-21A was the initial military variant; the L-21B introduced more powerful engine options. The civil PA-18 Super Cub remained in production until 1994 and continues to be rebuilt and used worldwide.
Where you'll see it
Beyond US Army use, the L-21 was widely supplied under military assistance programmes to NATO and other allied nations, serving with German, Norwegian, Dutch, and other European armies as liaison and observation aircraft.
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- Piper PA-20 Pacer
- Piper PA-15 Vagabond
- Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser
- Piper PA-23 Apache
- Aero Ae 50
- Beechcraft Twin Bonanza
- Boisavia B.60 Mercurey
- Brochet MB.80
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