The 63 members of the Lakeland Aero Club — the largest teen flying club in the world — set a goal to build the first kit version of the PA-18R Recruit Cub during the week of the 2021 SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo.
Building a kit plane in a week seems a daunting task for any flying club, but for these teens, it’s just a slightly faster process of work they do regularly.
Club members have completed more than 12,500 hands-on hours in the club’s hangar, including restoring a Piper L-18C and then flying it to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.
Manufactured by Patriot Aircraft of Bessemer, Alabama, the Recruit Cub kit is a PA-18R Cub with a 118-hp engine. With help from the James C. Ray Foundation, the Lakeland Aero Club bought the first Recruit Cub PA-18R kit made by Patriot Aircraft. The first production manufactured version of this plane will be given away in the Experimental Aircraft Association‘s 2021 Sweepstakes.

On Monday, April 12, Ron Wade, co-owner of Patriot Aircraft, brought the kit by trailer to the club’s hangar on the SUN ‘n FUN campus at Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL). Members of the Lakeland Aero Club unloaded the skeleton fuselage and wings, crates, cowling, and other assorted boxes of parts into the hangar. The kids quickly sorted the items into work areas and performed an inventory.

Wade’s brother, Don, also advised students during the build. Don co-owns Patriot Aircraft, and he has worked with the students on other aircraft.

Tuesday, April 13, the first day of SUN ‘n FUN, the students strung the aileron cables in the wings and bolted the fuel tank in the wings.
On Wednesday, club members assembled the tail section, prepared the engine for assembly, and built the firewall and boot cowl.

On Thursday, Robbie Staton, owner of Airtech Coatings of Lonoke, Arkansas, donated the glue and polyurethane paint to cover the fabric and the metal exterior of the plane.
During that day, club members assembled the engine, assembled the gear and attached it to the fuselage, and built the seat frame.

On Friday, the students installed the engine and wings, mounted the prop to the engine, and placed the completed build on display.
Saturday, they loaded the fuselage and wings into a truck for the trip to Patriot Aircraft in Alabama. Once there, the fabric and painting will be done.
Club member Nathan Turbeville is filming the time-lapse recording of the build and many of the step-by-step videos and interviews for the club’s website at LakelandAeroClub.org and social media.
When the teens fly to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture 2021, they will stop at Patriot Aircraft to add the kit plane to their flight group.
To add even more excitement to the week, Lakeland Aero Club President Mike Zidziunas made a bet with Don Wade.
“Don has a tendency to make heavy planes, so we made a bet. If the plane weighs more than 870 pounds, then I win. First the bet was going to be $1,000, but we wanted to make it more painful. The loser has to wear a pink polka dot dress and fly the Cub at Oshkosh and land in the dress.”
Don eyed Mike and said, “I’m thinking you’re a size 12, right?”
Mike shot back, “I’m talking to National Tents for your dress.”
So, if you’re going to Oshkosh, please, oh, please take a photo and submit it for General Aviation New’s Picture of the Day or share it on social media with the hashtag #TheLakelandAeroClub. Let’s make it viral and answer the burning question: Who will wear the pink polka dot dress?
Thank you for covering SNF so well!
Thanks, Kat Schenato! It was my pleasure.