10 fun facts about AOPA's Sweepstakes Super Cub

No key, no problem. It seems as if almost all of you have told us that we can just hand the keys over to you and you’ll happily give the airplane a new home. There is one key to hand over, but it’s not for what you think. The airplane features Electroair’s keyless, push-button start as part of its electronic ignition system. The key you’ll be getting is to lock the photo window if you want.

You won’t find fuel sight gauges in the wing roots. The Super Cub features CiES electronic fuel sending units, so you read the fuel level off the J.P. Instruments EDM 900 all-in-one digital engine monitor in the instrument panel. What's in the wing root? On the left side, you'll find a digital clock and USB ports; on the right, circuit breakers and a map light (also, the magnetic compass is mounted on the windscreen near the right wing root).

When the Super Cub was on its tundra tires, many of you keenly noted what seemed to be a missing element—bungees. The Sweepstakes Super Cub is fitted with Burl’s Aircraft Alpha-Omega Suspension System (when it’s on tires or skis) that uses deformable polymers inside the cylinders to provide shock absorption—no bungees, oil, or hydraulics.

Three-place airplane. The Super Cub comes with an option for a third seat under a supplemental type certificate from Aircraft Innovations. Whether you want to haul up to 180 pounds of baggage in the front baggage compartment or take along a third person, the baggage area can convert to a third seat as long as you adhere to the weight limit.

Speaking of baggage, the Super Cub has plenty of room for that. The rear seat features an under-seat storage area for smaller items that you might want to store out of sight. The bottom of the seat lifts to open the storage area. The Super Cub also has a larger-than-normal baggage door to the main compartment, making it easier to load larger items like a carry-on-size roller bag. An extended baggage area continues back in the fuselage and holds 20 pounds, perfect for long lightweight items (think fishing poles or skis). And finally, a small compartment on the right side of the fuselage can hold lightweight items such as sleeping bags, portable hammocks, or headsets.

The aft exterior baggage area on the fuselage is often mistaken as the battery compartment. We moved the battery compartment just behind the cowling, making it easy to access. Plus, we ran wires from the battery into the cockpit to make it easier to connect to a battery maintainer. Each time you open the battery compartment, you'll get a cute reminder of the Super Cub's gross weight—2,000 pounds thanks to a kit from Wipaire.

Propeller switcheroo. The propeller you’ve seen on the aircraft at aviation events and in our photos (including this one) was on loan from the restorers at Baker Air Service in Montana while we decided what would be the best prop for the airplane whether it was on floats, skis, or tundra tires. We opted for the 82-inch McCauley seaplane propeller that restorer Darin Meggers said pulls hard and “works well on wheels too.”

The seat belts look like they have thick, padded shoulder harnesses for comfort—while they are comfortable, they are installed for added safety. The AmSafe airbag seat belts deploy from the left shoulder harness away from the occupants during an accident to prevent the pilot from hitting the instrument panel and the passenger from hitting the back of the front seat.

The Super Cub is ready for the 2020 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out mandate. The airplane is equipped with the Garmin GTX 345 transponder, which is ADS-B Out compliant. (We’ve pulled multiple performance reports, and it works great whether on floats or conventional gear.) An additional bonus is that it provides ADS-B In traffic and weather information that’s displayed on the Garmin aera 660.

Make room for all the extras that come with the aircraft. In addition to three sets of landing gear (we’ll deliver it on Wipaire’s Wipline 2100 amphibious floats, but Alaskan Bushwheels tundra tires, and Wipline AirGlide hydraulic skis come with it), you’ll also get two Bose A20 headsets, a portable Snap-on toolkit, and SlideDown tiedowns.

The AOPA Super Cub Sweepstakes ends May 31! Visit our official rules page to make sure you are entered for a chance to win and to find out how to increase the number of your entries!

Special thanks to our generous contributors who have helped make this a one-of-a-kind Super Cub.