AOPA Sweepstakes: It takes a village

Airforms Inc.: Owner Lee Budde combined his passions for building and aviation, specializing in parts manufacturer approved replacement parts for Super Cubs for about a decade before selling the line in 2008 to what is now Airframes Alaska. He started manufacturing engine baffles after seeing a need in the market. The AOPA Sweepstakes Super Cub’s baffles are from Airforms, which offers baffling for more than 50 airplanes.

Airframes Alaska and Alaskan Bushwheels: Tundra tires serve a practical purpose in Alaska: more height for better propeller clearance on rough fields, increased angle of attack for shorter takeoff distances, and shock absorption, according to the company. The tires also have a lower tire pressure, and the valve stem is built into the tire’s sidewall, so it can’t get sheared off and debris from rough fields won’t catch on it. AOPA’s Sweepstakes Super Cub features the company’s handmade 26-inch Alaskan Bushwheels tundra tires and sturdy front seat (among other parts), fabricated in the company’s two hangars on Birchwood Airport.

Burl’s Aircraft: The Sweepstakes Super Cub lands smoothly thanks to the Alpha-Omega Suspension System invented by Burl Rogers. With ground-adjustable titanium tubing and a “solid, deformable polymer,” the suspension and shock absorbing system “eliminates all the bounce,” Rogers said. The system doesn’t use rubber shock rings or bungee cords, and it has operated successfully in temperatures as cold as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. AOSS is especially effective on aircraft fitted with skis, Rogers said, noting that landing on skis “pounds the daylight out of a plane.”

Carbon Concepts: Randy Apling started refurbishing his Super Cub in 1998 with a goal of modernizing it and making it lighter—about 17 pounds lighter—using carbon fiber. So far, he’s saved 103 pounds. Baker Air Service, the Montana company heading the AOPA Sweepstakes Super Cub’s restoration, had Carbon Concepts’ floor and side panels, headliner, and under-seat storage fire tested and field approved to install them in the PA–18.

F. Atlee Dodge: Now owned by Univar, Anchorage-based F. Atlee Dodge makes a variety of durable Super Cub parts. AOPA snagged the lightweight titanium firewall (every bit of weight savings counts), foldable front seat for easy entrance to the rear, Hot Rod Muffler and shrouds, and huge side baggage door, among other parts—all things that Alaska pilots count on for performance and comfort when operating in the backcountry.

Email alyssa.cobb@aopa.org