A Virtual History of the Piper Cub

Today in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020), I’m going to be flying and telling the story of one of the most important airplanes in the history of aviation: the Piper J-3 Cub.

Patrick Chovanec

Friday, October 20, 2023 at 08:56 PM ET

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[Courtesy: Patrick Chovanec]

Key Takeaways:

The Piper J-3 Cub was originally designed to be a simple, affordable aircraft, enabling widespread access to flight training and making William T. Piper known as the "Henry Ford of Aviation."
It played a critical role in the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) during WWII, where it trained 75% of all new pilots and 80% of military pilots, including members of the Tuskegee Airmen and WASPs.
Deployed as the L-4 Grasshopper during WWII, it served effectively as an artillery spotter and reconnaissance plane, notably modified with bazookas by "Bazooka Charlie" for light attack missions.
After the war, thousands of Piper Cubs were sold to private owners, solidifying its legacy as "the airplane that taught America to fly" and remaining a foundational design for private aviation for decades.

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Today in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020), I’m going to be flying and telling the story of one of the most important airplanes in the history of aviation: the Piper J-3 Cub.

The Piper Cub was designed in 1930 by Clarence G. Taylor. He and his brother Gordon formed Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corp. with the financial backing of local Pennsylvania industrialist William T. Piper. Taylor’s idea was to build a simple, affordable airplane that would encourage more people to learn to fly.