Country of origin:

Canada

Description:

Two-seat light bush monoplane

Power Plant:

One 134 kw (180 hp) Lycoming O-360 four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The Company Backcountry Super Cubs has produced what is basically a re-designed Super Cub and in kit form for amateur builders at its facility in Douglas, Wyoming, USA. The Super Cub was a strut-braced high-wing monoplane seating two in an enclosed cockpit in tandem. The aircraft fuselage was of welded steel tube, the wings being constructed of aluminium sheet, with the aircraft covered overall with fabric. Standard power plant was the Lycoming O-360 driving a two-blade constant speed propeller.

Backcountry Super Cubs LLC commenced manufacturing kits in about 2000 under the name Smith Aviation, operations initially taking place in London, Ontario. In 1999 the Company sub-contracted production of the wing to Wayne & Sharon Axelson of Southwold, Ontario. In 2006 Smith Aviation changed hands and became Turbine Cubs of Wyoming, its headquarters moving to that State. About 100 kits were produced under the new name but this name was changed in due course as turbine engines were not offered in the series.

In 2008 in conjunction with Wayne Mackey of Miles City, Montana, a new model, the Mackey SQ-2 was designed. This aircraft had a larger entrance door, more room for the pilot and passenger, a larger open access baggage area, better visibility and a stronger airframe. It had a leading-edge self-castoring slat and an extended wing chord which meant the aircraft did not stall like a conventional aeroplane and had a descent rate with a stable attitude which made the aircraft unable to spin.

In 2009 the name was changed to Backcountry Super Cubs LLC and two models were produced, the classic Super Cub and the Mackey SQ-2, described as the next generation Super Cub.

Subsequently further development took place, extensive use being made of CNC Machines. The Company became a pioneer in computer cutting of 4130 chrome alloy steel tubing. In the wings extruded spars were made of 6061-T6 aluminium. Further changes were made to the design which became known as the Alaska mods</em. The SQ-2 series then became known as the new “Outlaw” line, this becoming known as the Backcountry Boss, which was an Outlaw Super Cub split down the middle lengthwise with 30.4 cm (12 inch) inserted producing a four-seat Super Cub. Independent flight adjustable front seat frames were built, and with the larger airframe, a single-piece removable bench rear-seat permitted large baggage carrying. Left and right swing-up doors with swing-up windows were installed.

First example of the series seen in this region became ZK-BPL (c/n GC1007) to its builder at Wanaka in New Zealand in late 2014.