With the on-set of winter evenings, I decided to do a bit of research into the history of the Piper J-3C Cub I share.
I have been fascinated to discover that our Cub G-ATZM, c/n 20868 has been resident in the UK longer than it’s registration would suggest.
It was built in 1946 as NC 2092M, becoming N2092M July 1948, around 1958/9 it was brought to Europe as an US air base club aircraft. In 8/62 it was with the Rhine Main AB Aero Club. It was brought to England in the early sixties for either Lakenheath or Wethersfield but was little used. It was sold in England and US export Cof A no. E68845 was issued 29/7/66, the a/c then became G-ATZM.
I was born and bred close to Wethersfield in the early sixties and it was the activity at Wethersfield which gave me a life long passion for aviation. It fascinates me to think that the aircraft I now operate may have been viewed by me all those years ago.
Any help confirming the aircraft’s use by a USAF Aero Club and especially a photo (!) would definitely be worth a ride for the contributor.
By: ZRX61 - 2nd November 2005 at 03:13
With the on-set of winter evenings..
Was 83deg here today & my roses have just sprouted new buds 🙂
(sorry, that Brit thing about prattling on about the bloody weather etc.)
By: adrian_gray - 1st November 2005 at 11:52
Wow – I bet you were thrilled when you found that!
Unfortunately flying had pretty much stopped at Wethersfield by the time I was old enough to be aware of the place’s existence – I lived at Cornish Hall End – but it’s always good to hear of anything that flew there. Going to Finchingfield School we had at least one visit to the airfield, and I went to a few birthday parties up there. I don’t know if you saw the thread but the F-100 that used to stand one one of the roads (hardly a gate guardian as I’m sure ot was well inside the gate) is now on display in the Netherlands somewhere.
Adrian
By: tcatco - 1st November 2005 at 09:06
The J-3C Cub is a civilian version and does not have the additional glazing which distinguishes the military models. Our Cub has two ‘long wire’ antenna attachment points, a small mast immediately above the cockpit (see photo) and an attachment on the tail. These are only generally seen on military models and I did wonder if it had something to do with its service on USAF bases? Also I wondered if anyone knows what type of radio set was likely to be used since the J-3C Cub has no electrical system of its own.
The picture below shows G-ATZM at another ‘US military base’, this time Boxted for the 2005 fly-in.
By: Rlangham - 31st October 2005 at 22:43
I’m not too good with my light aircraft (unless it’s an Auster), but is this the same sort of Cub used by the USAAF as a spotter in WW2, or a civilian version? Would be interested in any pictures of her.
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October 31, 2005 at 8:49 pm