The Caterham Seven. The Ford 8N. The BMW R69. Some of history’s most iconic machines embraced mechanical simplicity, and achieved continued success by sticking to the original plan. By resisting the urge to add features and increase complexity, manufacturers discovered that sometimes less is more.
Such was the case with the Piper J-3 Cub. Devoid of an electrical system, flaps, radios, and just about anything that can be considered a creature comfort, it provided only the bare minimum necessary to function as an airplane. Fortunately, such simplicity translates to light weight and increased reliability, so when Piper presented the Cub as an ideal trainer, the formula worked very well.
