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I recently purchased this photo of a "Fort Sill" Cub (1942 L-4B) at Piper in Lock Haven. I only know of two factory related photos of Fort Sill Cubs, this one of #15, and the one of #49 in flight in Peter Bowers book Piper Cubs.
The first 100 L-4B's produced were sent to Fort Sill and they were all silver. Stars, but no bars. No black on the top engine / boot cowl. No air filter. The only other silver Cubs were the very late L-4J's, essentially post war, with the Stars and bars, the blacked out cowling, the LC letters and numbers on the side of the fuselage.
"If" the fuselage number is sequential to the build of the 100 Fort Sill Cubs, then #15 is mil reg # 43-505. If it is 43-505, this is mid-July 1942 (the person in the cockpit is wearing a tank top). The first group of 20 Fort Sill Cubs (including mine, 43-491) departed Lock Haven for Fort Sill on July 20, 1942, flown by civilian pilots under the Ferry Command.
#15 corresponds to the build sheet details for my Cub, with Finish: All Silver, Equipment: Special for Army, and Remarks: Fixed Antenna Installed. You can see in the photo of #15 the fixed antenna at the top of the windshield.
Also interesting that Piper put the fuselage numbers on them.
I hope to find more photo's, if they exist. I've heard it stated that Piper took photo's of every L-4 produced. I have no evidence to prove that is true.
Who knows, my Cub could be one of those in the background of the photo!
Dave
The first 100 L-4B's produced were sent to Fort Sill and they were all silver. Stars, but no bars. No black on the top engine / boot cowl. No air filter. The only other silver Cubs were the very late L-4J's, essentially post war, with the Stars and bars, the blacked out cowling, the LC letters and numbers on the side of the fuselage.
"If" the fuselage number is sequential to the build of the 100 Fort Sill Cubs, then #15 is mil reg # 43-505. If it is 43-505, this is mid-July 1942 (the person in the cockpit is wearing a tank top). The first group of 20 Fort Sill Cubs (including mine, 43-491) departed Lock Haven for Fort Sill on July 20, 1942, flown by civilian pilots under the Ferry Command.
#15 corresponds to the build sheet details for my Cub, with Finish: All Silver, Equipment: Special for Army, and Remarks: Fixed Antenna Installed. You can see in the photo of #15 the fixed antenna at the top of the windshield.
Also interesting that Piper put the fuselage numbers on them.
I hope to find more photo's, if they exist. I've heard it stated that Piper took photo's of every L-4 produced. I have no evidence to prove that is true.
Who knows, my Cub could be one of those in the background of the photo!
Dave
