What Backcountry Super Cubs does

Backcountry Super Cubs is a privately held LLC headquartered in Douglas, Wyoming that designs, manufactures, and sells STOL (Short Take-off and Landing) kit aircraft and completed airplanes derived from the Piper PA-18 Super Cub lineage. The company's flagship product, the Super Cub Rev III, features a redesigned wing with articulating leading-edge slats and double-slot flaps for improved low-speed handling, with a starter kit priced at $95,835. The catalog extends across multiple SKUs including the SQ2 ($219,000 completed), a PA12 Kit ($97,250), an RV8 Kit ($100,050), the Backcountry BOSS variant, and completed aircraft ranging from $97,250 to $329,050.

The technical lineage traces to the 2006 acquisition of Ontario-based Smith Aviation, which transferred the original Super Cub kit designs and tooling to the Wyoming operation, and to a 2008 partnership with designer Wayne Mackey (STOL Quest) who leads product development. The current corporate identity was established through a 2009 rebrand from Turbine Cubs of Wyoming to Backcountry Super Cubs, narrowing strategic focus from turbine conversions to the broader backcountry/STOL kit and completed-aircraft market.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model with no dealer or reseller network, selling kits and completed aircraft out of Douglas, Wyoming to individual private pilots, kit builders, and backcountry aviation enthusiasts. Revenue derives from one-time transactions per aircraft rather than recurring contracts, and unit volumes are constrained by the labor-intensive nature of kit production and the small addressable market of STOL/backcountry pilots. Headcount sits in the 11–50 range, consistent with a small-niche manufacturing operation.

Name

Backcountry Super Cubs

Legal name

Backcountry Super Cubs, LLC

Website

https://supercub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Backcountry Super Cubs is a Douglas, Wyoming-based LLC that designs, manufactures, and sells STOL kit aircraft and completed airplanes derived from the Piper PA-18 Super Cub, selling direct to private pilots, kit builders, and backcountry aviation enthusiasts in the $96K–$329K price range.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STOL Bush Aircraft Manufacturing

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)

SIC

Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Fixed-Wing Aircraft Conversion & Modification (STC/Completions) (IMABAAAI)

Keywords

• Bush aircraft manufacturing
• STOL aircraft kits
• Super Cub modification
• Backcountry aviation
• Kit aircraft sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Douglas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Complete Aircraft Sales: Sale of fully built aircraft including Super Cub Rev III, SQ2 models with various customization options and installed avionics/packages.
2. Aircraft Kit Sales: Sale of disassembled aircraft kits (Super Cub III kit, PA12 kit, RV8 kit) that customers build themselves. Includes all components, fuselage, wings, controls, landing gear, and hardware.
3. Aircraft Options and Upgrades: Additional revenue from optional features and upgrades such as upgraded avionics (Garmin G3X, GTR-20, GTX-45R), Beringer wheels and brakes, TK1 racing shock suspension, custom paint, float fittings, and leather interiors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Backcountry Super Cubs designs, manufactures, and sells modernized STOL (Short Take-off and Landing) bush aircraft based on the Piper PA-18 Super Cub platform. Its core products include the flagship Super Cub Rev III completed aircraft and build-it-yourself kits (Super Cub III Kit, PA12 Kit, RV8 Kit), plus the SQ2 variant, all featuring proprietary articulating leading-edge slats, double-slot flaps, rugged shock-absorbing landing gear, and Lycoming engines for backcountry and bush flying use.

Product overview

Backcountry Super Cubs is an aircraft manufacturer producing modified and modernized versions of the Piper PA-18 Super Cub. The product portfolio centers on the Super Cub Rev III as the flagship aircraft, alongside the SQ2 (STOL Quest variant), and kit products including the PA12 Kit and RV8 Kit. The company also offers aircraft for sale including completed builds. All aircraft feature STOL (Short Take-off and Landing) capabilities with innovations including articulated leading-edge slats, heavy-duty landing gear, and Lycoming engines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Super Cub Rev III The flagship modernized STOL bush aircraft, based on the Piper PA-18 Super Cub platform, featuring articulated leading-edge slats, massive deep-chord double-slotted flaps, Lycoming IO-390 engine, Pilatus Porter style shock absorption landing gear, and a roomy 93.5 cubic foot cabin. Sold as both completed aircraft and build-it-yourself kit starting at $95,835; designed for experienced backcountry pilots.
• SQ2 (STOL Quest Super Cub) STOL Quest SQ-2 variant of the Super Cub featuring Mackey-style articulating leading-edge slats, extended chord wing, larger entry door, strengthened airframe, and Lycoming O-360 engine. Sold as completed aircraft; an example (N360WY) was listed at $219,000 with 300 hours TTAF, Garmin 696 GPS, Trig radios, and 31-inch Alaska Bush Tires.
• PA12 Kit Complete wing and tail kit for self-build, including wings with flaps, slats, ailerons, 24-gallon fuel tanks, tail feathers, a newly rebuilt IO-320 180HP engine, and a Whirlwind propeller. Listed at $97,250; targeted at experimental aircraft builders.
• RV8 Kit Two-seat aircraft kit for self-build, including fuselage, tail feathers, wings, controls, Grove landing gear wheels and brakes, fuel pump, cowling, blueprints, and a newly rebuilt IO-360 engine with Whirlwind constant-speed prop. Listed at $100,050; targeted at homebuilders.
• Backcountry BOSS Featured product highlight from Backcountry Super Cubs presented as the Outstanding aircraft from the company on the homepage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Takeoff distance: 47 feet
• +7 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and foundational.

• Wayne Mackey / STOL QuestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008In 2008, Backcountry joined forces with Wayne Mackey of Miles City Montana to produce his impressive STOL Quest SQ-2 version of the Super Cub. Mackey's design featured brilliantly innovative articulating leading-edge slats and an extended chord wing that gave the Cub unsurpassed low speed maneuvering. This partnership resulted in the SQ-2 design which became foundational to the company's Rev II and Rev III aircraft.
• Smith AviationfoundationalOthers · 1 January 2006Backcountry Super Cubs purchased Ontario based Smith Aviation in 2006. The company moved to Wyoming and initially operated as Turbine Cubs of Wyoming, LLC before transitioning to focus on STOL aircraft development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• American Legend Aircraft: Produces the AL3 Legend Cub and Super Legend, direct Cub-clone competitors in the backcountry and kit aircraft segments.
• Just Aircraft: Produces the Highlander and SuperSTOL XL kit aircraft aimed at the same backcountry STOL enthusiast segment, with a kit-focused go-to-market approach overlapping Backcountry's kit line.
• Aviat Aircraft: Manufactures the Husky and Husky A-1C, factory-built STOL bush planes directly competing with Backcountry's Rev III for backcountry and short-field operators; similar customer profile and Wyoming/American manufacturing footprint.
• Zenith Aircraft: Kit manufacturer of the STOL CH 750 and other light aircraft, addressing overlapping kit-builder and short-field pilots; competes for the experimental-builder wallet.
• CubCrafters: Closest direct competitor: designs and manufactures Carbon Cub, Top Cub, and FX-3 modernized STOL bush planes and kits built around the PA-18 heritage, serving the same backcountry/private pilot market at comparable price points.
• Legend Aircraft: Manufactures Cub-clone aircraft and kits targeting the same Piper Super Cub-derived backcountry market, competing on price and STOL performance.
• Maule Aircraft: Long-established maker of STOL taildraggers (M-7, MX-7 series) used extensively in backcountry operations; comparable customer use case and airframe philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• Daher: Owner of the TBM and Kodiak product lines, including the Kodiak 100 — a factory-built STOL utility aircraft serving a higher-end version of the same backcountry/short-field operator segment.
• Piper Aircraft: Original manufacturer of the PA-18 Super Cub that Backcountry modernizes; serves as the design progenitor and a broader full-line general aviation manufacturer whose used and new Super Cubs compete in the same end market.

Emerging players

• RANS Aircraft: Designs and sells kit aircraft including the S-21 Outbound, a high-wing STOL model targeting backcountry operators; partial overlap with Backcountry's kit and STOL positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Wix
• Facebookfacebook.com/backcountrysupercub
• Instagraminstagram.com/backcountrysupercubs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/backcountry-super-cubs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Backcountry Super Cubs