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The Taylor E-2 'Cub' was originally designed by C. Gilbert Taylor as a small, light and simple utility aircraft. It is the forefather of one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time, the Piper J-3.

Contents 1 History 2 Specifications (Taylor E-2 Cub) 3 Taylor F-2 4 Taylor G-2 5 Taylor H-2 6 References 7 External links 8 Related content

In 1930, C. G. Taylor and the Taylor Aircraft Company embarked on the production of a two-seat tandem low-powered aircraft, designated the Taylor E-2 (E for the fifth model designed by Taylor, and 2 for the number of seats). The E-2 featured a design with wings mounted high on the fuselage, an open cockpit, fabric-covered tubular steel fuselage and wooden wings which used the USA-35B airfoil. It was originally powered by a 20 horsepower (15 kilowatt) Brownback "Tiger Kitten" engine. Since the young offspring of the tiger is called a cub, Taylor's accountant, Gilbert Hadrel, was inspired to name the little airplane "The Cub".

The "Tiger Kitten" engine roared but was not strong enough to power the E-2. On September 12, 1930, a test flight of the Taylor E-2 ended abruptly when the aircraft ran out of runway; the underpowered engine was unable to lift the monoplane higher than five feet (1.5 meters) above the ground. In October, a Salmson AD-9 radial engine produced in France was fitted to the E-2. It gave the Cub good performance, but it was expensive to maintain.

Finally in February 1931, Taylor introduced an improved E-2 airframe, powered by the newly developed Continental Motors Corporation 37 horsepower (28 kilowatt) A-40 engine. The new Taylor E-2 was awarded Category 2 or "Memo" certificate 2-358 on June 15, 1931 and licensed by the U.S. Department of Commerce for manufacture (it was later awarded full Approved Type Certificate A-455 on November 7). Twenty-two Taylor E-2 Cubs were sold during 1931, retailing for $1,325; by 1935, cost had increased to $1475 and by the end of production in February 1936, 320 E-2 Cubs had been built.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 1 passenger
• Length: 22 ft 3 in (6.78 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 3 in (10.74 m)
• Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.9812 m)
• Wing area: 184 ft² (17.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 556 lb (252 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 970 lb (440 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Continental A-40-2 , 37 hp @ 2550 RPM (28 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 61 kt (70 mph, 113 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 54 kt (62 mph, 100 km/h)
• Range: 156 nm (180 mi, 290 km)
• Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
• Rate of climb: 400 ft/min (2.0 m/s)
• Wing loading: 5.03 lb/ft² (24.6 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 25 lb/hp (16 kg/kW)

Image:US FAA ATC525.pdf

Persistent troubles with the early A-40 engines on the E-2 led to a search for other suitable powerplants. First choice was the Aeromarine AR-340, a three-cylinder air-cooled radial engine which produced 40 horsepower at 2050 RPM. Due to Bureau of Air Commerce policy at the time, a different engine in the same airframe required a new airplane model designation. The Aeromarine-powered Cub was given the next letter, F, and became the F-2.

Approved Type Certificate A-525 was awarded on February 16, 1934, and the F-2 had an initial price of $1495. Approximately 33 were made before a factory fire in 1937 ended production of the F-2.

In another search for a replacement for the A-40, Taylor went to the extreme of designing and building his own 35-40 horsepower engine. This was fitted to serial number 149, registration X14756. Due to Bureau of Air Commerce policy at the time, a different engine in the same airframe required a new airplane model designation. The Taylor-powered Cub was given the next letter, G, and became the G-2.

No information was published about the one-off engine, and no details are known today. With a new engine, this aircraft would become the Taylor H-2.

The G-2 Cub was re-engined with a 35 horsepower Szekely (pronounced Say-Kai) SR-3-35, another three-cylinder air-cooled radial engine which produced 35 hp at 1750 RPM. Again, due to Bureau of Air Commerce policy at the time, a different engine in the same airframe required a new airplane model designation. The Szekely-powered Cub was given the next letter, H, and became the H-2.

Approved Type Certificate A-572 was awarded on May 28, 1935. Three F-2's were converted to this engine (serial numbers 40, 66 and 74), for a total of four H-2's.

In 1937, Beverly Dodge and a passenger set the women's altitude record (16,800 feet) in a Szekely powered Taylor H-2.

• Bowers, Peter M. (1993). Piper Cubs. McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-8306-2170-9. 
• "The Piper Cub" by Roger Guillemette, US Centennial of Flight Commission, retrieved December 6, 2005
• "Szekely SR-3 L" Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, retrieved December 6, 2005

• Taylor E-2 Cub - Holcomb's Aerodrome
• Taylor Cub - A version of the original E-2 Cub manufactured by the Taylorcraft Company

Related development

• Taylorcraft Taylor Cub

Comparable aircraft

• Aeronca C-2

Designation sequence