1947 PIPER PA-12 SUPER CRUISER

Description

Detailed Description This Super Cruiser was built in Lock Haven, PA and left the factory on March 25th 1947. I have owned the airplane for nearly 30 years and have been associated with the airplane for 45 years. I also commissioned the current restoration with Peter Reed (famous in the Stearman world of antique aircraft restorations). The airplane is mostly stock although it has many modern amenities. The paint scheme is actually period correct for 1947, although purists will note that I chose Portland Green instead of Tennessee Red. Univair sealed struts with oversized forks Scott 3200 tail wheel Cleveland Wheels and brakes Wag Aero Aluminum Fuel tanks Airwolf remote oil filter B&C 40 AMP alternator with modern wiring and circuit breakers Slick Magnetos (overhauled at 550 hours) Muffler, Muffler Shroud, and tail pipe were replaced during last year's annual During the restoration I created a time capsule and hid it in a place that only the next restorer will ever find. The Time capsule contains a detailed history of the airplane dating back to March 25th 1947. There is information about every person who ever owned the airplane along with photos of the airplane in many different liveries. I wanted to help the next owner/restorer of this great airplane know more about her. The location of the time capsule is a secret and will only be revealed to the next owner. Ground up restoration in 2008. Every single piece of the airplane was restored or replaced. The paint scheme is period correct other than the choice of Portland Green and Diana Cream versus Tennessee Red and Diana Cream (the only choice in 1947)

Modifications

The engine is the original Lycoming 0-235-C1. During the restoration the engine was overhauled by Penn Yann Aero. It currently has 630 hours SMOH. During the restoration we added an Air Wolf remote oil filter. Also during the restoration the original generator was removed and replaced by a B&C 40 Amp Alternator. At that time circuit breakers were also added to every component. Interestingly, in its original configuration there were no circuit breakers. The entire electrical system was guarded by one 30 amp fuse located in the battery compartment. That's how they manufactured it in 1947.

Avionics

In 2019 I updated the panel to comply with the ADSB requirements. I went a bit crazy, but it was worth it. The GPS/Comm is a Garmin GTN 635. It's the same unit as the GTN 650 minus VOR/LOC. It has a flight stream 510 card installed which allows you to interface with your mobile devices. I mostly use the Flightstream feature to update the GTN 635 data base from my phone, but it fully integrates with ForeFlight or the Garmin Nav App. The transponder is the Garmin GTX 345 ADSB In/Out. Traffic and weather are all displayed on the GTN. The Transponder also transmits it's ADHRS information to mobile devices that can dispIay an attitude indicator. I also installed the Garmin G5. It's fully integrated with the GTN 635. It's essentially 11 different flight instruments in one. The standard flight instruments have essentially become secondary and act as back ups to the G5. The current panel is amazing to fly behind and provides more situational awareness than you could ever imagine. There is a 3 place intercom with two jacks in the rear for times when you may have a third person along for the ride. Yes, the Super Cruiser is a 3 seater!