Piper J-5 Cub Cruiser

Piper Aircraft · United States · first flew 1939 · light aircraft

The Piper J-5 Cub Cruiser was a larger, more powerful version of the basic Piper J-3 Cub, designed to carry three people.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsHigh-mounted, straight
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — FuselageWider fuselage than the J-3 Cub, with the pilot in front and two passengers on a rear bench seat
T — TailConventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

It looks like a Cub with a wider cabin and a bench seat in the back. The front seat holds the pilot and the rear seat two passengers.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It was designed two years after the J-3 and first flew in July 1939. Production ran from 1940 to 1946, and 1,507 were built.

Variants

The J-5 came in three models, the -A, -B and -C. Early aircraft built from 1940 to early 1942 have external bungees, while those built from 1944 to 1946 incorporate changes developed for the US Navy HE-1 flying ambulance.

Where you'll see it

It was a multipurpose light civil aircraft with a 75 hp engine and a cruising speed of 75 mph. The Piper PA-12 was a later variant.

Related aircraft

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