Backcountry Pilot • Tom's Supercub Restoration

Tom's Supercub Restoration

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Tom's Supercub Restoration

When I bought my cub one of the bad things about it was the floorboards were cracked and the brake Channel was busted. I patched that last year, flew for a year. This annual I decided to fix it all. I had been slowly collecting parts over the last year.
I kept it together to go to llano, but we got weathered out and played local.
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Before I did anything I got a real weight.
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Not bad with a lead acid battery and generator
Last edited by Tom on Sat Feb 20, 2016 9:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

1149 was the starting weight.
I ditched the g35 battery and box. Lost 16 lbs
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Kept it in the stock location, most super Cubs have a way nose forward cg. I'm trying to keep it back
I decided to ditch the metal headliner, try it out, I kind of like the look with out it. That lost 5 lbs.

Then it was time to tackle the floorboards.
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I had a few oil leaks I wanted to deal with, Change out to an alternator fix some broken baffles put the 4th valve cover on, I messed up the paint and never got around to it. Image
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

After some trial and error with junk wood, we were able to get the drawing loaded into the cnc water jet at our local machine shop. The floorboards fit prefect. PERFECT! That saves so so much time.
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I figured I would go all in on the diet. Really liked Randy's carbon fiber stuff when I saw it at javron Cubs booth at osh
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The pile of not going back in continues to grow Image
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

Sense I had the rudder pedals out, I blasted and painted all those parts, I figure less to do during the rebuild.
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Did pretty good at my first time painting.

I was like a kid in a candy shop playing with my new cgr-30
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Sense I was re wiring the radios and transponder, and getting rid of the amp meter, I decided to make a new switch panel. And if I'm doing that I might as well put circuit breaker switches in. And if I'm doing that I should re wire down to the panel. I ended up putting an avionics bus down to the panel, so I only have one wire running down.
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Tom's Supercub diet

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This does not do it justice for how damn long this took to do. We refer to this kind of updates as a snowball, as you only plan to do a few things and it snowballs. The corner of the windshield was cracked and broke when I was taking it out. So add a new windshield to the list
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Parts pile is getting smaller. Took some time to hook up all the cgr leads make a new oil pressure line modify the boot cowl and alternator, I used a 30amp internally regulated plane power alternator and with the plug on the back, it would hit the boot cowl. Adapt and overcome. Made my own plug and moved on.

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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

Where did you source the carbon fiber? How thick of material did you use? I looked around and everything was crazy expensive or not a size I could use in my Bearhawk. Carbon fiber floors are awesome and yours look great.
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

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Oh yeah. Got some new spark plugs, I think there may be a little life left in them.
When I was re wiring, I made up some new p leads too. Less stuff to do during the rebuild. I left the mag switch on the left side panel, as I'm used to it there.
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Once I pealed off the plastic, wow. New windshield is freaking great.
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Wiring was never my strong point, and with some help from Steve, I was on my way. I'm using the internal intercom that comes with the trig. So Far so good. I moved the read jacks and ptt up to the wing root panel, who ever put them in originally, had them in the most retarded spot.

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First time with the power on, and I didn't even let out the magic smoke!!
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

And, so.....what did the ultimate weight come out to???

MTV
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

mtv wrote:And, so.....what did the ultimate weight come out to???

MTV


You're going to have to tune in for that part. All I can say is with 5psi in the 31's it's easy to roll around by hand. It's light.
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

Geeeezzzz Mike, you are getting ahead of the story! #-o

Patience "Grasshopper" :wink:

Kurt
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

What do you guys think it weighs?
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

Good read here Tom. Betting you removed a fair amount of weight. I'll play...1093

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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

Me too! I'm gonna say 1063, because mine was there once ... :oops:

I can't tell you how much it warms my heart to see that cub in the hands of someone who is enjoying it as much as Don did :D [-o<
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

+1 on the carbon fiber floor....that is sweet!
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

How much weight does the carbon fiber floorboards save? Or did I miss it in the narrative? They sure look nice!
Keith
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

I'm in - 1099 lbs.
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

Looks great Tom. How do you like flying with the CGR-30?

I'll guess 1087.
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

Nice job. Wish I had your talents. And those floor boards are indeed cool.

I'll guess the new weight at 1104.
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

1079 lbs, hope it's less!
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Re: Tom's Supercub diet

kg wrote:How much weight does the carbon fiber floorboards save? Or did I miss it in the narrative? They sure look nice!
Keith


I have read they are 5lbs less than the standard wood floor boards. I too am curious.
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