Piper AE-1

In 1998 on a trip to the States, I had some pleasure flights (PT-17, T-34, Champ, J-3, Citabria and Taylorcraft) at Waynesville in Ohio and from what I can remember they were re-building there another L-14. I believe this airframe is now in the Museum at nearby Wright Patterson.

Martin

David,
Here are some of my shots from Quatro Vientos showing L-14 EC-AAP. You will see that it is a liaison machine with a pronounced greenhouse for the observer and differs considerably in most respects from the HE-1 – such as : high lift devices, STOL capable u/c, with, different tail, rear fuselage and glazing etc etc. It’s a far rarer machine as only 8 were built out of 850 originally intended. It was the first Piper to have flaps and also had slots. This meant that it’s stalling speed was reduced to 20mph under power.

The HE-1 is a variant of the J-5 Cruiser (100 modified for ambulance work, converted from J-5s). They were powered by 100hp Lycoming,

The u/c of the different marque that’s with the FIO in Spain is quite different and configured with struts and shocks to cope with rough terrain, the rear fuselage also differs considerably re the glazing / fuselage line. I’ll post some of my shots of the Spanish machine when I get time to track them down.

Thank you all for your comments – much appreciated. My driver was an experienced Super Cub pilot and said that the AE-1 was virtually the same in handling, but as you say things might be a little different with a body in the back. Thankfully I’m too tall for that position.

The aeroplane should look good parked next to the Chrislea SkyJeep which has the same opening at the rear and that lives in the next hangar!!

Martin

The joy of the net ! Piper L-14 Army Cruiser EC-AAP based at Burgos in Spain and a very close relation to the British machine .

I think you are correct there David. I remember seeing pictures of it flying. It was bought as a basket case in the US and restored in Spain, if the old sells are working properly. It is maybe not more than a year since it first flew.

I could have sworn that there was another in Spain which was only rebuilt to fly in the last couple of years.

I hit the books and found the following from the book Piper Cubs by Peter M. Bowers.

The NE-1 was the Navy designation of J3-C-65 Cubs, N was for trainer and E was for Piper. Taken from existing Piper stocks at the outbreak of war. 230 delivered.

The HE-1 was the first naval designation of the Civilan J-5C converted for ambulance duties . H stood for Hospital and E for Piper. In 1943, the designation was changed to AE-1, as the new helecopters got the prefix H. A stood for Ambulance. According to this book, the aircraft could carry one standard navy stretcher and one pilot. (No mention of an attendant/Nurse for the patient) The patient was oriented head forward in the cabin, and slid forward into the original cabin. So, according to that, there should not have been a significant aft movement of the C/G, with basically only the legs of the patient sticking aft of the normal cabin area.

Move it aft? :rolleyes:

Well yeah, I thought of that! :rolleyes:

I should have said what the altered CG would do to the handling, but wasn’t thinking properly at the time. Oh well.

I do wonder, though, what the extra weight in the rear fuselage would do to the CofG.

Move it aft? :rolleyes:

Wow! Interesting aircraft. Wasn’t aware there was one in the UK.

I do wonder, though, what the extra weight in the rear fuselage would do to the CofG.