$ 80.000
Raleigh, NC
single-enginePrice on Request
Anchorage
single-enginePrice on Request
Innisfail airport
single-enginePrice on Request
Louisburg
single-engine$ 65.000
Hawkesbury
single-enginePrice on Request
Independence - 7S5
single-engine$ 154.500
Port Townsend
single-enginePlaneFox tracks 7 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser aircraft for sale and re-reads every one of them from the broker and dealer sites it watches, so the figures below move when the market moves. Every number on this page is measured from those live listings, not taken from a published price guide.
A Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser flies about 521 nm, roughly 965 km, which is about 5 h 44 min in still air at typical cruise.
A Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser costs about EUR 1,672 a month to run, or about EUR 173 for every flight hour when it is flown 150 hours a year.
The Piper Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser is a postwar, fabric-covered, high-wing tailwheel aircraft built by Piper Aircraft from 1946 to 1948. Developed from the earlier J-5 Cruiser line, it retained Piper’s simple tube-and-fabric construction but used a roomier three-seat layout and more power than the prewar Cub family. Its role is best understood as a personal touring, utility, and light backcountry aircraft rather than a trainer in the modern tricycle-gear sense.
The PA-12 matters because it became one of Piper’s practical bridge models between the classic Cubs and later utility aircraft such as the PA-18 Super Cub. Many examples remain active, often modified for short-field, float, ski, or recreational flying.
Factory PA-12 aircraft were typically powered by a Lycoming O-235 series four-cylinder engine rated at about 108 hp. Typical cruise performance is around 85-90 knots, with range commonly cited at roughly 390 nautical miles in standard configuration, depending on fuel, propeller, engine condition, and operating weight.
The PA-12 cabin uses a distinctive three-seat arrangement: one front seat for the pilot and a rear bench for two passengers. Access, visibility, and load flexibility are central to its appeal, though the cabin is narrow by modern standards and baggage capacity must be evaluated carefully against weight and balance limits.
Avionics are aircraft-specific. Original PA-12s were delivered with minimal instrumentation, and many used examples now carry basic VFR panels with analog flight instruments, a modern comm radio, transponder, ADS-B equipment, GPS, or engine monitor. Integrated glass systems such as Garmin Perspective or G1000 are not typical for this model.
Buyers should focus on airframe condition, fabric age and documentation, corrosion in the steel-tube fuselage, landing-gear attachment areas, tailwheel condition, control cables, fuel system condition, and completeness of logs. Engine history matters, especially on aircraft with conversions.
Common upgrades include Lycoming O-290 or O-320 engine installations under STC, electrical system improvements, shoulder harnesses, tundra tires, seaplane fittings, skis, extended baggage, and PA-18-style components. In the used market, the Piper Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser generally sits above basic vintage Cubs in utility and seating flexibility, while remaining less specialized and often less expensive than highly modified Super Cub-class aircraft.