Whats 20

wer Between Cubs? Horsepo

Comparing the Continental- and Jabiru-powered Legend Cubs
By Ed Kolano

Photos by Jim Koepnick

ver meet a pilot who didnt want more power? Me either. Ever fly an airplane that needed more power? Some will say they have, but wanting more power and needing more power is like the difference between deciding which dessert to have and figuring out where your next meal is coming from. American Legend Aircraft Company offers two engines for its special lightsport aircraft (S-LSA) Cub. You can order the Continental O-200-A66B, 100-hp, four-cylinder engine, or you can opt for the Jabiru 3300, 120-hp, six-cylinder engine. So, what does that extra 20 hp get you? American Legend provided an airplane powered by each engine for this informal comparison. The Continental-powered Cub was fresh off the production line and flown at the factory in Sulphur Springs, Texas, in November 2006. The Jabiru-powered Cub was a customers machine with about 90 hours on the tach and flown in Sebring, Florida, in January 2007. As youll read, these tests wont stand up to the rigorous flight-test requirements of FAA certification or pilot operating handbook performance chart development. Its more like comparing oranges to tangerines than apples to apples, but we thought youd still like to know how these stablemates matched up during climb, cruise, and glide tests. The Continental-powered plane had a Sensenich, two-blade, metal, 69inch by 48-inch propeller. The Jabirupowered plane had a Sensenich, two-blade, wood, 68-inch by 38-inch propeller. American Legend classified

both of these as cruise props. Test weight and center of gravity for both airplanes were similar with two pilots and nearly full fuel, putting us at roughly 1,320 pounds for takeoff with the center of gravity about three-quarters back within the allowable range. Rather than spew a few hundred words about the potential inaccuracies caused by our casual comparison, lets just say there are someenough to minimally affect actual performance numbers by a few miles per hour or feet per minute, but not enough to significantly change the relative performance of the two airplanes. Fun With Numbers The average best climb rate in the Continental-powered plane was just under 500 feet per minute (fpm) using the company-recommended VY (best rate of climb) of 57 mph. A subsequent climb flown at an indicated 52 mph netted an average climb rate of slightly higher than

500 fpm. The Jabiru-powered plane delivered an average climb rate of more than 700 feet per minute using the same 57 mph VY. Maximum level flight speed (VH) was measured at 99 mph in the Continental-powered plane, which is 4 mph faster than Legend claims. Considering the optimistic VH and the better climb rate at an airspeed slower than VY, the company surmised the pitot-static calibration of the Continental-powered plane might have been off a bit. The airspeed indicator was probably reading faster than we were actually flying. The Jabiru-powered plane showed 118 mph for its maximum level flight speed. Both engines were turning at their redline limits of 2750 and 3300 rpm, respectively. Fo r n o r m a l c r u i s i n g , t h e Continental Cubs airspeed indicated 90 mph when using a cruise power setting of 2550 rpm. The Jabiru Cubs 2750rpm cruise speed was 95 mph. Now, you wouldnt think engine

"These tests (operated at different times in different conditions) wont stand up to the rigorous flight-test requirements of FAA certification . . . but we thought youd still like to know how these stablemates matched up during climb, cruise, and glide tests."
EAA SPORT PILOT .

22 . MARCH 2007

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and p r o p e l l e r s e l e c t i o n w o u l d have much influence on engineout performance, right? Maybe. It depends on how much drag each windmilling propeller generates. Our glide performance tests were accomplished with both engines at idle. The propeller of an idling engine might produce thrust or merely less drag than a windmilling one. Either way, glide performance is better when the engine is idling. Whether the Jabiru, which idles at a substantially faster rpm than the Continental, caused a significant drag disparity is unknown, but here are the results. The Continental-powered plane averaged 460 fpm during its idle descent flown at the company-recommended indicated VG (best glide speed) of 57 mph. The Jabiru-powered plane, also flown at 57 mph indicated airspeed, descended at 520 fpm. Hmm, I suppose we could take a shot at explaining the discrepancy with that suspect airspeed error in the Continental plane. Although indicting 57 mph, if we were actually flying slower, its likely the descent rate would be lower. Flying this slower actual airspeed would increase the planes endurance, but it would also decrease its gliding range. The casual conclusion here is that you can expect about 500 fpm during an idle descent in either airplane when flown at 57 mph. The descent rate will

probably be greater and the glide range less with a windmilling, failed engine, and vice versa if the propeller is stopped. Us i n g t he Jabiru airplanes numbers, the glide ratio works out to be about 11.4; for every 1,000 feet of altitude, an idling Legend Cub should glide almost 2.2 statute miles.

"With doors on either side, entry is your choice."

Fun Without Numbers Okay, thats enough of the numerical stuff. Now lets talk about the real reason for flying one of these airplanes. Simply, theyre fun. Youd be hard-pressed to eke any more enjoyment out of flying another airplane. Part of the reason is the type of flying the Legend Cub was designed for. It aint a New York-toLos Angeles kind of plane. Hey, wait a minute. Thats exactly the kind of plane this could be. All you need is the luxury of taking the summer off to see the country from 1,500 above ground level. An airplane designed for the journey rather than a means to the destination is my kind of plane. With doors on either side, entry is your choice. I climbed in from the left just because I could. After that, all my entries were through the traditional door. Its not that its better; I just have more experience with the step, sit, leg, scoot, leg procedure through the right door. Still, having the left door gives you cooling options during summer flying and another way out should you have to exit in a hurry. Having a left door meant relocating the throttle, which now r e s i d e s adjacent to the carb heat le v e r f o r ward and lower than its location in the original Cub. I like it better where the Legend folks put it. I would rather see the carb heat knob a different

color and shape than the throttle. Theres one other little annoyance with the current cockpit. The headset jacks are located on the left side of the instrument panel. Particularly in the Jabiru model, the wires drape too close to the throttle for my liking. A simple hook on the windshield frame might solve this. I found the cockpit comfortable. Those extra three inches between the doors makes for a big difference in the feeling of spaciousness. Throw in the nearly unobstructed external view from the left horizontal tail all the way around to the right horizontal tail, and that feeling of spaciousness reaches to the horizon. You can see nearly vertical downward to the side with a slight lean, or you can dip a wing and see well under your plane. Wing dipping is a lot more fun than leaning. The glass roof extends from the windshield leading edge to behind the rear seat, providing a continuous view from about 15 degrees below the horizon over the nose to nearly 45 degrees aft of straight up. The Jabiru-powered plane has a lower instrument panel and upper cowl, which improves the forward/ downward view significantly, in my opinion. The difference is not large when measured in inches and degrees, but like the small increase in cockpit width, it makes you say, Yeah, this is what they should have been doing all along. They, of course, being every Cub-like airplane ever built. Taxiing is through traditional Cub mechanicals, namely tail-wheel steering using the rudder pedals and differential wheel braking using the heel brakes. The tail-wheel steering provided reasonable control, although I thought the springs were a little weak, making predictability an occasional challenge. Differential braking was easier to use in my opinion. For tighter taxi turns, applying the sameside brake after the rudder pedal was fully displaced was awkward for me probably because of my short legs and the nonadjustable seat.

Side by side, heres the profile of the Legend Cub with its engine options. On top, the traditional exposed cylinders of a Continental O-200; below, the closed cowl for the Jabiru 3300.
24 . MARCH 2007

None of my taxi frustration occurred during takeoff. The rudder comes alive with power application, and directional control in the threepoint condition is easy. With the stick about halfway between neutral and the forward stop, the tail comes up about five seconds after brake release with the needle pointing somewhere around 30 mph. Just a couple of potatoeslater, an easy pull gets the plane airborne at 40 to 45 mph. I timed seven to eight seconds with the Jabiru and eight to nine seconds with the Continental. Despite the low rudder pedal forces, I didnt notice any tendency to over-control the airplane when raising the tail. American Legend has done a good job with the flight control system. Control stick forces are ideal for this type of airplane. Theyre low enough for full-stick applications when needed but high enough to discourage overcontrolling the plane in pitch and roll. The increase in control stick force at progressively larger displacements is also well-matched to the airplane, making subtle changes in control inputs while maneuvering easy. Add the spot-on airplane response to these control inputs, its likely youll feel comfortably at home after only a few minutes at the controls. The directional control system (rudder) is powerful, and the airplane responds to pedal displacements obediently and predictably. Pedal forces, however, are a little low for my liking. I never over-controlled the airplane in yaw, but the pedal forces could be doubled or even tripled to provide better feedback to the pilot. There isnt a lot of call for rudder coordination when cruising, but you will be using rudder at landing pattern speeds and on the runway whether you have a crosswind to deal with or not. This is not to say the airplane is difficult to control. On the contrary, it is as well-behaved a taildragger as youre likely to find. I guess it comes down to that finesse thing again. So, what do you do with an airplane with such a terrific field of view, well-tuned control forces, and confidence-inspiring responses to control inputs? Whatever you like, I suppose. Theres always that NY-toLA idea. But whether youre cruising to that Saturday burger, working on

Keeping an engine cool is an important component of every successful engine installation. The Jabiru engine is no different, and American Legend has developed an efficient baffling system to do just that.

The four-stroke, six-cylinder Jabiru 3300 delivers 120 hp. At its cruise rpm of 2750, the Legend Cub will cruise at 95 mph as compared to a cruise speed of 90 mph (at 2550 rpm) for a Cub powered with a Continental O-200. The Jabiru 3300 weighs 178 pounds all up, including starter, carburetor, exhaust and muffler, cooling ducts, alternator, ignition system, and mounting accessory pack. The Continental O-200 has an all up weight of 210 pounds. The Jabiru 3300 has a TBO of 2,000 hours as compared to the Continentals TBO of 1,800 hours.
your wheel landings, or seeing the country from 1,000 feet, itll be fun. The Legend folks like to say the warranty runs out at 2,500 feet. Its their way of telling you the airplane will fly just fine in the thinner air, but youd be giving up a bunch of grassroot enjoyment up there. Its the journey, remember? Go read the graffiti on the small-town water towers. Practice your turns around a cow. Follow that river. Or climb a bit and do a few stalls. About Those Stalls Theres good news and okay news about the Legen d C u b s s t a l l characteristics. The good news is idle-power stalls are benign events. Depending on whether youre flying EAA SPORT PILOT . 25

solo or two-up and how quickly you decelerate, youll either reach full aft stick or the plane will provide a pitch break of about 5 degrees at 42 to 45 mph prior to reaching the aft stop. Holding the stick all the way back results in a non-threatening stall/recover pitch oscillation. The ailerons and rudder remain effective throughout, although I wouldnt advise kicking in a lot of pedal at this point. Increasing power, even after stabilizing at full aft stick, flies the airplane away immediately. That is, the altimeter reverses direction with no observable additional altitude loss. If you approach the stall with the slip/skid ball not centered, youll likely see a wing drop of up to 20 degrees. Relax the stick, and youre back to stall-free flight. Keep the stick in your lap, and the airplane might add alternating wing drops of 10 to 15 degrees every four seconds or so to the pitch oscillation. Still non-threatening, and a little forward stick is all it takes to stop rockin and rollin. Turning stalls behave the same way, including the wing-drop sensitivity to unbalanced flight. The okay news is there is no significant stall warning in the Legend Cub. There are secondary cues like

the pull force youre applying to the stick (assuming you didnt trim into the stall), higher pitch attitude, more sluggish control response, and slight percussion you can feel in the airframe and stick, but theres no airframe buffet or artificial warning like a buzzer. Considering the ho-hum character

"Now, lets talk about the real reason for flying one of these airplanes. Simply, theyre fun. Youd be hardpressed to eke any more enjoyment out of flying another airplane."
of the stall and the immediacy of the recovery and the ability to instantly arrest the descent rate, this lack of warning is not the safety issue it could be in other airplanes. No pilot gets total impunity when flying an airplane, but the Legend Cubs responsive and forgiving nature encourages anything but straight-line flying. You can comfortably fly such

tight turns you might swear you can see the tail wheel. It wont take two hands on the stick, and holding your altitude within 50 feet during those steep turns is surprisingly easy. No Cub will snap your neck with eye-watering rolling performance. The Legend Cub is no different, but the roll rate suits its mission. Slapping the stick all the way over while cruising at 90 to 95 mph, the average roll rate is around 45 degrees/second. Do that at the 55 mph final approach speed, and the rate drops to the 30-degree/second range, which was more than enough for the light winds I encountered during pattern work. Ah, the landing pattern. The airplane really shines here. Although we were tossed around a little in light chop on downwind, I had no trouble keeping the airspeed right where I wanted. High on final? Not for long. Slipping the airplane more than doubles the descent rate to just over 1,200 fpm compared with 520 fpm during a straight-flight, idlepower descent. That well-designed flight control system lets you smoothly and accurately make small adjustments on final whether in a slip or balanced flight. Crossing the numbers with idle power at 60 mph, I was a couple of

mph faster than the traditional 1.3 VSO approach speed. This margin provided plenty of time to complete the round-out and execute a wheel landing or hold it off for a threepoint touchdown. It only takes a slight forward stick nudge to stick the wheel landing, and holding the stick where you have it allows the tail to come down softly when its ready. Three-point landings are just as much fun and not nearly the challenge they are in some taildraggers. Directional control during the rollout is plentiful, and small pedal displacements are all thats necessary in non-gusty wind conditions. Operating from grass is the same, only better. Having installed a few new lowspeed holes in the sky and having been around the patch a few times with the Continental- and Jabirupowered airplanes, I guess its time to answer the question. The Jabiru Legend Cub will get you a better climb rate and a few more mph on the top end, but the Continental version is every bit as much fun to fly. So, if youre looking for my recommendation as to whether to go with the Continental or the Jabiru, my answer is an emphaticyes.

The Legend Cubs cockpit is three inches wider than the standard Piper Cub, and those extra three inches creates a big difference in the feeling of spaciousness of the cockpit. Throw in the nearly unobstructed external view from the left horizontal tail all the way around to the right horizontal tail, and that feeling of spaciousness reaches to the horizon. You can see nearly vertical downward to the side with a slight lean, or you can dip a wing and see well under your plane. American Legend offers its Cubs with traditional steam gauges or an optional Dynon electronic flight information system (EFIS) and/or electronic engine monitoring system (EIS).

American Legend offers its Cub with doors on both sides of the aircraft. Having a door on the left required relocating the throttle, which now resides adjacent to the carb heat lever forward and lower than its location in the original Cub. Dual doors are especially handy on float-equipped Cubs. Yes, American Legend offers that option, with straight or amphibious floats available.

Legend Cub Specifications

Dimensions: Wingspan 35 feet, 6 inches Length 22 feet, 5 inches Height 9 feet, 3/4 inches Empty weight (Continental powered) 875 pounds Empty weight (Jabiru-powered) 850 pounds Useful load (Continental powered) 445 pounds Useful load (Jabiru powered) 470 pounds Performance:* Specification Top speed Cruise (at cruise rpm) Stall speed** Rate of climb (at VH) Rate of descent (at VG)*** Continental O-200 99 mph 90 mph 34 mph 500 fpm 460 fpm Jabiru 3300 118 mph 95 mph 34 mph 700 fpm 520 fpm

*These figures are as recorded during our evaluation flights, which occurred at separate times in separate locations as noted in this article. We flew the opencowled, Continental-powered Legend AL3, which performs slightly differently than the closed cowl AL-11 model. **Factory reported stall speed. ***See article for full explanation.

So, what do you do with an airplane with such a terrific field of view, well-tuned control forces, and confidence-inspiring responses to control inputs? Whatever you like, I suppose. Go read the graffiti on the small-town water towers. Practice your turns around a cow. Follow that river. Or climb a bit and do a few stalls.