Piper 12 Supercruiser vs Piper J-3 Cub

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Piper 12 Supercruiser
35 ft × 23 ft ⭥ 7 ft
1× Piston Conventional Unpressurized
Piper J-3 Cub
35 ft × 22 ft ⭥ 7 ft
1× Piston Conventional Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Piper 12 SupercruiserPiper J-3 Cub
Stall speed 43 kt33 kt
Approach speed 60 kt45 kt
Cruise speed 91 kt65 kt
Range 520 nm191 nm
Service ceiling 12600 ft11500 ft
Rate of climb 600 fpm450 fpm
Fuel burn 5.7 gph3.5 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Piper 12 Supercruiser Avgas
5.7 gph
Baseline
520 nm range 16.0 nm/gal 38 gal usable $37 fuel/hr 6h 39m endurance
Piper 12 Supercruiser: 5.7 gph at cruise, 520 nautical mile published range, 6 hour 39 minute endurance, 16.0 nautical miles per gallon.
Piper J-3 Cub Avgas
3.5 gph
Baseline
191 nm range 18.6 nm/gal 12 gal usable $23 fuel/hr 3h 25m endurance
Piper J-3 Cub: 3.5 gph at cruise, 191 nautical mile published range, 3 hour 25 minute endurance, 18.6 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing over 50 ft obstacle

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Piper 12 Supercruiser Avgas
$78 /hr
Baseline
Piper 12 Supercruiser: $78 per flight hour — fuel $37, maintenance and reserve $41.
Piper J-3 Cub Avgas
$59 /hr
Baseline
Piper J-3 Cub: $59 per flight hour — fuel $23, maintenance and reserve $36.
Piper 12 Supercruiser Piston
$6,993 /yr Baseline
Piper 12 Supercruiser: $6,993 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $5,693, annual inspection $1,300.
Piper J-3 Cub Piston
$6,773 /yr Baseline
Piper J-3 Cub: $6,773 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $5,573, annual inspection $1,200.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

+ cargo
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1
Piper 12 Supercruiser Piston
3 / 3 seats cargo 38 gal / 38 gal fuel 572 lbs wet payload 800 lbs useful 1,750 lbs MTOW
Piper J-3 Cub Piston
2 / 2 seats cargo 12 gal / 12 gal fuel 383 lbs wet payload 455 lbs useful 1,220 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: → · two fingers to move map

+ cargo
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