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project. In more palpable terms, thisworks out to be every minute of yourspare time for two years, perhaps atthe cost of your marriage.If you do not have this much timeto spare, then you can order a preweldedfuselage for several thousanddollars more than the standard fuselagekit. (Wag-Aero could not quoteus a price for the pre-welded fuselage,but it should cost about $3,600). Theunassembled fuselage kit is $997.50,but requires that you build a jig anddo a lot of time-consuming welding.The entire kit, sans engine and propeller,costs $8,900.At the other end of the homebuilderspectrum is the purist. He canbuy an $89 set of plans for the ChubyCuby, then have at it with the materialshe buys, trades or otherwisescrounges on his own.Whichever route you take, you endup with what at first glance looks likea replica of Piper's late-1940s classic,the PA-14 Family Cruiser. True, thefuselage is similar; but as with the restof the airplane, there are many featuresthat make the Chuby Cuby animprovement over the Piper original.The Chuby Cuby has twelve and ahalf square feet more wing area thanthe PA-14. It also has Clevelandwheels and brakes, 8.00 X six-inchtires (larger, "tundra" tires are availableas an option), gull-wing doors,an optional turtledeck hatch that allowsaccess to the aircraft's large baggagecompartment, and spoilers.None of these features is found onthe Family Cruiser.The hatchback cargo area can befound, however, in the U.s. Navy'sversions of the wartime J-5 Cub-theHE-l and the AE-l. They were used ashospital airplanes; the elongatedcargo area was meant for transportinginjured sailors.The Chuby Cuby can accommodateany of the four-cylinder Lycomingscurrently on the market, from the
continued118-hp 0-235-L2C to the 180-hp 0360-AIA. The engine mount for the150- and 180-hp engines can be disconnectedand swung out, permittingeasy access to the magnetos and accessorycomponents.The airplane photographed for thisarticle, Wag-Aero's factory demonstrationairplane, is equipped with a 150hp Lycoming 0-320 engine. DickWagner, president of Wag-Aero, hasbeen showing N65WA off ever sincethe Chuby Cuby made its debut earlyin the summer of 1982.Wagner is quick to point out thatthis airplane is a prototype. Lately hehas been experimenting with a numberof details, such as the shape andplacement of the airplane's spoiler andelevator trim controls, and the designof the control stick. As Wagner seesthe opportunity to make improvements,he will incorporate changes tothe Chuby Cuby kits and plans.As of October 1982, III sets ofplans and 14 kits had been sold. Notsurprisingly, the first kit out the doorwent to a customer in Alaska, wherelightplanes often must serve as aerialpickup trucks.Wagner, a captain with RepublicAirlines, has seen Wag-Aero throughtwo other Piper-inspired kit offerings-the CUBy, a replica of the J-3 Cub(December 1980 Pilot, p. 35); and theWag-A-Bond, a variation of the PiperPA-17 Vagabond (September 1981 Pilot,p. 87). The Chuby Cuby, with fourseats and an 1,120-pound useful load,promises more utility than its predecessors.It is Wagner's response to thecurrent dilemma plaguing Wichita."Cessna, Beech and Piper have allgot themselves convinced that theonly. airplanes the public wants arethose that they have been offering forthe past 15 years or so," said Wagner."These airplanes perform fairly well,but they cost too much. But mainly,they are no fun to fly. The ChubyCuby is fun to fly. It's like it's alwayssaying 'let's go flying.' Wichita hasnothing like this, so they wonderwhy sales are down."Well, so much for claims. How dot'sthe Chuby Cuby fly?Wag-Aero's private strip is jokinglycalled "Wag-Aero International." It isa narrow (about 50 feet wide) strip,2,000 feet long at most, and its grasscovers portions of the runway thatfeel like a washboard surface.The day I was to meet Wagner andthe Chuby, I circled WAI in myCessna 182RG. I thought about settingdown, but a low pass revealed toomany variables for my limited experiencein and out of boondocks airstrips.So I landed at nearby BurlingtonMunicipal Airport. The wind wasblowing as it only can in the Midwest,so I used Burlington's Runway19, a grass strip that was situated wellinto the 25-mph breeze. At an approachspeed of 63 knots and fullflaps, the RG used up about 1,800 feetof the 2,600-foot strip. No brakes wereused because it had just rained andthe ground was soft.Then the Chuby Cuby arrived.Wagner landed it within the first 800feet or so. The Chuby's landing speedis a tad under 35 knots.After I climbed into the Chuby, Ifound the takeoff roll short, the controlslight and responsive (thanks to36 • DECEMBER 1982
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