The Mother of All Cubs takes flight

SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS — American Legend Aircraft Company has unveiled its MOAC, the Mother Of All Cubs, a backcountry edition of the Legend Cub.

While rooted in the legendary Super Cub, MOAC is a thorough remake and all new construction, according to American Legend officials.

MOAC incorporates numerous performance enhancing features and is purposely built for backcountry operations, officials add.

Since the debut of the Legend Cub in 2005, the company’s models have continuously evolved — and that includes MOAC, officials note.

Horsepower on the Legend Cub has more than doubled with the current availability of Titan engines from Continental. Up to 208 horsepower (187–195 continuous) “results in remarkable takeoff and landing performance on its already strengthened airframe,” company officials report.

A Cato fixed pitch, Whirlwind ground adjustable, and Hartzell constant speed are among the many propeller options.

Flaps comprise 20° and 40° full-span from wing root to aileron. Leading edge slats and aerodynamic square wing tips with optimized wing tip vortices also contribute to MOAC’s performance, according to company officials.

“MOAC can take off in its own length and behind all that thrust are balanced ailerons, highly effective with a light touch on the control stick,” officials said in a press release. “The tail surfaces on MOAC are sized to appropriately balance the aircraft’s higher power-to-weight ratio.”

“To appreciate these improvements alone, the aircraft must be flown, as simply watching in amazement does not complete the sensation,” said John Wisdom, CFI and Legend demo pilot.

Perhaps the most critical component for backcountry pilots is landing gear performance. MOAC includes modern landing gear from TK1 Racing with its Shock Monster front suspension. Shock Monster is a nitrogen charged air/oil shock assembly. Designed for the harshest of bush flying zones, the oil dampened system eats up all the landing aircraft’s stored energy on compression, company officials explained.

The cockpit on the MOAC includes a glass panel from Garmin, as well as iPad mounts.

Engine monitoring brings great awareness to what’s happening up front and an autopilot does the same outside, giving the pilot more time to scan displays of traffic, terrain and weather, company officials said. USB power ports and panel-powered headset jacks are available at all seats.

MOAC can be certified to a gross weight up to 2,000 pounds. As much as 180 pounds can be placed in the third seat of MOAC as passenger or cargo.