Piper PA-8 Skycycle
Piper Aircraft · United States · first flew 1945 · light aircraft
The Piper PA-8 Skycycle was a 1940s American single-seat light aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage built around an auxiliary belly fuel tank of the type used on the F4U Corsair |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fabric-covered mid-wing single-seat monoplane
- Tailwheel landing gear
- Fuselage built around an auxiliary belly fuel tank of the type used on the F4U Corsair
A small fabric-covered, mid-wing, single-engined monoplane with a tailwheel undercarriage, about 4.8 m long with a wingspan of 6.1 m.
Specifications
- The Piper PA-8 Skycycle has a length of 4.78 m (16 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.1 m (20 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 190 km/h (118 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
An aerodynamic test aircraft named the Cub Cycle first flew on 27 August 1944 with a small two-cylinder Franklin engine. It was scrapped and a similar new aircraft, the Skycycle, first flew on 29 January 1945 with a Continental A-40-3 engine.
Variants
The Skycycle was later fitted with a 55 hp Lycoming O-145-A2 engine and designated PA-8. A replica, the Carlson Skycycle, was built in 1995 by Ernst W. Carlson.
Where you'll see it
Only two aircraft were built and no further examples followed. The Carlson replica prototype was donated to the Piper Aviation Museum.
Related aircraft
- Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser
- Piper NE-2
- Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser
- Piper NE-1
- Aeronca 11 Chief
- All American 10A Ensign
- Auster J/1 Autocrat
- Beechcraft Bonanza (V35)
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