Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.
Today’s Top Pick is a 1946 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser.
Several years ago, I spotted one of these classic Pipers for sale and began making a case for owning it. Unlike the tandem two-seat J-3 Cub and PA-18 Super Cub, the PA-12 has three seats—one in front and two in back. I dreamed of strapping my two sons into the back seat and taking them with me on unforgettable airborne adventures. They were 10 and 7 at the time, and didn’t weigh much, so I figured we would be fine even with full fuel.
Fast forward almost a decade, and the boys, one a college sophomore, the other a high school junior and both athletes, are more interested in other adventures and might send the airplane over its maximum takeoff weight. My wife and I fly together all the time, however. I think we would look great stepping out of this vintage gem.
This 1946 PA-12 has 3,500 hours on the airframe and 100 hours on a rebuilt Lycoming O-320 engine with a new Sensenich propeller. The updated panel features a Garmin GTN 650 and two G5s, Lynx 9000 ADS-B transponder, and an engine monitor. The airplane received new paint and interior in 2003.
Pilots looking for an attractive, old-school taildragger with the added practicality of a third and Super Cup-style horsepower should consider building time in this 1946 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, which is available for $139,995 on AircraftForSale.
You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.
- FLYING Magazine: Airworthiness Directive on Vintage Piper Models
- FLYING Magazine: Should Your First Airplane Be A Taildragger?
- FLYING Magazine: Building Time In A Taildragger
- Plane & Pilot: Wake Up To Wake Hazards
- The Aviation Consumer: Used Taildraggers: Demand, Prices Up
