Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser
 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser. Photo: Ahunt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Piper |
|---|---|
| Model | Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser |
| Type | Personal use aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 29 October 1945 |
| Built | 1946-1948 |
| Status | Production completed |
| Number built | 3,760 |
| Registered in the US | 1,224 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, pilot, two passengers |
| Engine | Lycoming O-235-C, 104 hp |
| Range | 600 mi (PA-12) |
| Service ceiling | 18,000 ft (PA-12) |
| Max weight | 1,750 lb (PA-12) |
| Developed from | Piper J-5 |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser is a three-seat, high-wing, single-engine airplane with a tailwheel, built by Piper Aircraft from 1946 to 1948. It is an upgraded and renamed Piper J-5.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,224 with a valid registration.[2]
History
When Piper dropped its J- model names for PA- numbers, the J-5C became the PA-12 Super Cruiser. The PA-12 first used a 108 hp Lycoming O-235-C, was fully cowled, and had a metal-spar wing with two 19-gallon fuel tanks; a 115 hp version was optional. The prototype, converted from a J-5C, first flew from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, on October 29, 1945, and the first production airplane followed on February 22, 1946.[1]
Many PA-12s have since been fitted with bigger engines, wing flaps or a metal-skinned fuselage.[1]
Around the world in 1947
In 1947 two PA-12s, City of Washington and City of the Angels, flew around the world; the worst mechanical problem on the trip was a cracked tailwheel. City of Washington is at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, and City of the Angels is at the Piper Aviation Museum in Lock Haven.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,224 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| PA-12 | 1,219 |
| PA-12S | 5 |
Specifications (PA-12)
| Item | PA-12 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one, pilot |
| Passengers / capacity | two passengers |
| Length | 22 ft 10 in |
| Wingspan | 35 ft 5+1/2 in |
| Height | 6 ft 10 in |
| Wing area | 179.3 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 950 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,750 lb |
| Fuel | 38 USgal |
| Engine | Lycoming O-235-C, 104 hp (4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine) |
| Propeller | Sensenich fixed-pitch wooden propeller |
| Maximum speed | 105 mph |
| Stall speed | 49 mph |
| Range | 600 mi |
| Service ceiling | 18,000 ft |
| Rate of climb | 510 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser Landing. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Piper PA-12 on floats. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.