Overview

The Piper PA-11 Cub Special is a two-seat tandem taildragger built from 1947 to 1949, a factory refinement of the J-3 Cub that carried the same welded steel-tube-and-fabric airframe forward with the everyday improvements owners had long wanted. Piper built about 1,541 of them. The standard engine is the Continental C-90, a 90-horsepower flat-four fully enclosed under a “pressure cowl” rather than left open in the J-3 fashion (a 65-horsepower A-65 was an early lower-cost option). Two changes define the airplane against its predecessor: the pilot flies solo from the front seat instead of the rear, which clears the forward sightline the J-3 lacks, and fuel moved from the J-3’s small fuselage tank to a 17-gallon tank in the left wing.

The PA-11 sits between two better-known Cubs, carrying the J-3’s light footprint forward with the enclosed cowl, wing fuel, and front-seat solo position the Super Cub later standardized, all on the same FAA Aircraft Specification (A-691, one type-certificate family). At a 1,220-pound gross weight it is Light Sport eligible, which draws buyers who want a certificated vintage taildragger rather than a homebuilt. It is rarer than either the J-3 or the Super Cub, and the cabin is the narrow Cub cabin: snug, with modest payload and the slow cruise that comes with the genre. Direct operating cost is about $64 an hour. Set against the J-3 it refines, the PA-11 is the Cub for a buyer who wants the same light tandem airframe with the rough edges smoothed: solo from the front seat for a clearer forward view, a 17-gallon wing tank in place of the J-3’s fuselage cell, and a closed cowl over a 90-horsepower Continental that cruises a little faster than the 65 hp original. It earns the step up from the J-3 when those refinements outweigh the icon’s lower price and deeper parts pool.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Front-seat solo position. Unlike the J-3, which is soloed from the rear, the PA-11 puts the lone pilot up front, opening the forward and downward sightline that matters on approach and on the ground.
• Continental C-90 power. The 90-horsepower C-90 gives the PA-11 more climb and useful-load margin than the 65-horsepower J-3 while keeping the same simple flat-four character.
• Wing fuel tank. A 17-gallon tank in the left wing replaces the J-3’s small fuselage tank, adding endurance and moving the fuel out of the cockpit.
• Fully enclosed pressure cowl. The cowl encloses the engine completely, replacing the open-cylinder arrangement of the J-3 and reducing heat loss at the firewall.
• Light Sport eligibility at 1,220 lb gross. The low gross weight keeps the PA-11 flyable on a sport-pilot certificate, uncommon among certificated tandem taildraggers.

Trade-offs

• Narrow Cub cabin. The PA-11 shares the J-3’s slim tandem cabin: tight shoulder room, limited baggage, and a modest useful load.
• Slow. Cruise near 76 knots makes the PA-11 a local and short-hop airplane rather than a cross-country tourer.
• Rarity drives price and parts. With about 1,541 built, clean examples command a premium and some parts take longer to source than for the mass-produced Cubs.
• Vintage fabric upkeep. The airframe needs fabric inspection and eventual recovering, and a 1940s taildragger demands tailwheel proficiency and conventional-gear insurance.

See Also

• Piper J-3 Cub – the 65 hp Cub icon the PA-11 directly refines, its immediate predecessor and step-down. Compare
• Piper PA-18 Super Cub – the 150 hp bush workhorse the PA-11 previews, the natural step-up for backcountry power. Compare
• Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser – the three-seat touring sibling for buyers who need a back seat and range. Compare
• Aeronca 7AC Champion – a period two-seat tandem taildragger cross-shop, also flown from the front and sport-pilot eligible. Compare
• Taylorcraft BC-12D – a contemporary light two-seat taildragger and sport-pilot-eligible alternative from the same era. Compare