Is there anybody still building these? If so who and where?

I saw that. I guess I am going to have to home build if I want one.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
I saw that. I guess I am going to have to home build if I want one.

SS - PM sent.

Back in 1974 I flew N234T (a PA-18) from St. Simons Island, GA to Anchorage (and then about Alaska).

I really don't know the history of the airplane, but I believe was military surplus. When I first saw it, it was a pile of junk in the corner of a hanger in Macon, GA (where I was going to law school).

As a joke, I asked the mechanic who had heaped the pieces and parts in the hanger to put it together and I'd fly to Alaska and sell it.

Dang if he didn't believe I was serious and about August 1st, he taxied the plane over to where I was working as a ramp rat and presented the plane (and wanted all of $6K for it).

I went to the bank, borrowed the cash and with an Escort 110, $40 cash in my pocket and a charge card, flew 15 legs to Merrill Field.

On the way, I met all sorts of great folks flying light aircraft to and from AK, some of whom invited me to visit them at their homes and cabins in Alaska (or gave me vicarious invites to their friends and relatives).

What a wonderful adventure. If you have never flown Lake Clark Pass in a light aircraft, you are missing one of the great experiences in life. I saw beached whales on Bristol Bay being eaten by bears and millions of gulls. I glided down glaciers (carb heat on!), popped over mountain ridges and came eye-to-eye with sheep and goats, saw thousands of caribou and more than one 70" bull moose.

Maybe best of all, though, was landing on a sandbar or a bumpy hillside and taking some family (on a surprise visit at the bequest of someone in Kenai or Bird or Northway) some fresh vegatables, several bags of flour, a newspaper or two, a few pounds of sugar and maybe a bottle of hooch??? and sitting down with them for coffee and blueberry pie, cooked just for me.

Hooked on the experience, I later flew up a Luscombe 8E, a Citabria on floats, a Cessna 140 and a Teal Amphibian in subsequent years.

But.... the Super Cub was the best of them all. It is one of the few aircraft that you feel is actually a part of you. You don't fly it, you wear it. I believe they actually figure out where you want to go and how to do it before you even move the throtle, stick and rudder petals.

Judge,

Thanks for sharing that. I've been up the ALCAN,and the up the seaward side multiple times in light singles and twins.

I also worked 5 seasons as a bush pilot flying 180's, 185's, 207's and CASA 212's. You are right it's some of the best GA flying in the world.

Now if we could only buy PA-18's for 6K now days we'd be in business.

agreed lake clark pass is pritty cool done it about 100 times,
As far as a producer I've never heard of anyone who made them to sell I think they have all been built from scratch out of old pa 20/22's or from a kit to add to the pacer.

I, along with many others, have always loved the Cub! Some have even said endearing things about Cubs, to wit:
"The Piper Cub is the safest air plane in the world; it can just barely kill you."
- Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)

I have had a Producer for about 12-15 years and love it. They are still built by Steve Bryant in Alaska as he owns all the STC's to convert the PA-20 and 22's. Basically they are Pacers with a two foot extension of the fuselage with a PA-18 tail, PA-14 wings and a PA-18 style gear that is hell for stout.
All you need is to give Steve your PA-22 and he will convert it to a Producer.
I use mine for just about everything you can do with a Supercub, except it holds four and is easier to load with the large Pacer passenger door in the rear.

I had the great experience of riding in Phils Producer (below). It will haul quite a load and still was responsive.