The Piper Cub in Photos

Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 12:24 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The Piper Cub, an aviation icon, celebrated its 75th anniversary and is widely regarded as one of aviation's greatest trainer aircraft.
Its legendary handling characteristics, featuring good lift and low-speed performance, are attributed to its USA-35B airfoil wing design.
Signature design elements of the J-3 Cub include the black piston jugs protruding from its yellow cowl (often powered by a Continental A-65 engine) and the unique experience of flying with an open door.
Piper introduced the Super Cub in 1949, building on the original Cub's legacy.

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The Piper Cub, an aviation icon, turns 75.

Piper Cub — Many pilots know the joy, and challenge, of making a perfect three-point landing in the Piper Cub, widely considered one of the greatest trainers ever made.

Taylor E-2 Cub — After 50 years in storage, this rare Taylor E-2 Cub underwent meticulous restoration to flying condition at the Golden Age Air Museum in Bethel, Pennsylvania.

Piper Cub — For the Cub, C.G. Taylor chose a wing shape developed by the Army and wind-tunnel-tested by the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics. Known as the USA-35B airfoil, it produced lots of lift and had good low-speed characteristics, giving the J-3 its legendary handling traits.

Piper Super Cub — Piper introduced the Super Cub in 1949.

Piper Cub — There’s nothing quite like the view out the open door of a Piper Cub. This image was captured in a 1938 J-3 over Maryland’s Fallston Air Park with a GoPro HD camera.

Piper Cub — The black piston jugs protruding from the yellow cowl are a signature design element of the J-3 Cub, which most often flew with the venerable Continental A-65.

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