This Experimental Super Cub is unique and an inexpensive option to own a Super Cub. “The Little Guy” most closely resembles a 1950s Cub Special or L-21A with its O-290-11 engine (civilian designation O-290-D), but with a wooden wing (spars and ribs) and no flaps. Less than 80 hrs TT, 444 SMOH and a Useful Load over 750 lb.. It’s loaded with features; Left and Right clam-shell doors, Seaplane fuselage fitting (lift rings, floats and rigging), Aft Fuselage storage area (10 lb), 4 point Shoulder Harnesses, 36 gal fuel, Swing away engine mount, Skylight, Flight Line 760 radio, Spring Shocks (no shock cords), built in storage areas in the forward right and Left sidewalls, 60 Amp alternator, Sky-Tec Starter, Left E-mag, Nav & Taxi Lights, Fiberglass wingtips, and Odyssey battery. We plan to add transponder, encoder, intercom and ELT before closing sale.

The story behind “The Little Guy” homebuilt, as related by the donor and the builder’s records, indicates that the fuselage frame was built by longtime A&P Del Reiff, for Paul Murray, the FAA 51% builder. I understand the wings were purchased from Wag-Aero. The build log shows the frame build-up and then transported to the builders shop where the systems were installed, engine mounted, cowl and boot cowl fabricated, fabric covering installed and painted. The wings then had the fuel tanks installed, wing tips fabricated, wings covered and painted. The fuselage, control surfaces and wings were assembled at the airport and signed off for flight by Del Reiff. The builder enjoyed the plane for the next six years until he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. His estate sold the plane disassembled to our donor, an A&P. The donor reassembled the plane over the Winter of 2024 and then donated it to us in late 2025.

The engine was originally manufactured for the military to be used in an L-21C. The records we received start with its overhaul in 1953 and then apparently kept in preserved inventory until the engine was sold for surplus and wound up in a PA-12 in 1962. It subsequently wound up on a few more planes, including a Smith Mini-Plane where it had a prop strike incident. The engine was shipped to a shop in Ohio, inspected and some parts replaced, then went into another PA-12 until it was removed and then was purchased for “The Little Guy”.

Please take a look at the Photo Builders Log (about 100 photos), detailed engine history in the logbook summary, logbook scans and current photos.