Newsletter of American Legend Aircraft Company

FEATURE The Impressive Legend FloatCub

American Legend is once again turning heads with its Legend FloatCub. Equipped with all-new Carbon Fiber Floats in a choice of straight or amphibious, Super Cub or classic J-3 styling, and an array of options, seaplane operators can have their most versatile float flyer ever.

A flight of three Legend FloatCubs strut their carbon fiber undercarriage with retractable wheels.

The Legend FloatCub is standard equipped with dual entry doors and windows, dual wing tanks, a larger cabin, electric start, and more. A further choice of engine is available, including the 100-hp Continental O-200-D and 115-hp Lycoming YO-233, each providing plentiful power for serious seaplane pilots.

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, read below. For immediate assistance, call 903-885-7000 or message us today info@legend.aero.

STORY From There to Here in the Legend FloatCub

Getting from there—the introduction of the all-new Legend Cub and Legend FloatCub, to here—the release of the amazing Carbon Fiber FloatCub, didn't just happen overnight. The Legend FloatCub is advancing on a 12-year run, and today it's as dependable as they come.

First Flight
The FloatCub was conceived with recreational flyers and water flying enthusiasts in mind. American Legend first flew its float-fitted Legend Cub on March 11, 2005. Company test pilot's remarked, "It felt just like the wheel-equipped Legend Cub in flight," essentially saying, "It flew like a Cub."

The first Legend FloatCub was nicknamed 'Daphne' in reverence to the orange-billed flying/swimming character of cartoon fame.

Sun ‘n Fun Fly-in & Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base
In April 2006, the FloatCub made its public debut at Sun ‘n Fun Fly-in, roosting at the world-famous Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base. Demonstration flights and participation at the Splash-In conspired to earn the Legend FloatCub a Best Float Fabric Seaplane award.

Dual Doors and Windows
As a seaplane certified version of the #1 selling American made light-sport Legend Cub, the FloatCub had its advantages. It weighed less than comparable aircraft, cost less, and came with the added advantage of doors and windows on both sides of the cockpit. This single design feature is still today built into every Legend Cub and it's especially appropriate for float-equipped aircraft, offering egress from either side while docking.

And They Wanted Wheels
Customers had been clamoring for an amphibious version of the FloatCub, and in July 2009 American Legend complied. The new aircraft was a completely re-worked design. It was equipped with aluminum floats from Baumann. Engineered to be optimized for land and sea operations, the FloatCub had its first retractable landing gear, also a first in its class.

Cutest and Sprightest
Later in 2009, at the 36th Annual International Seaplane Fly-in in Greenville, Maine, the Legend FloatCub won two more awards. Second take was Cutest Darn Aircraft. The demonstration FloatCub was painted in Texas flag regalia of red, white and blue with a Lone Star on its cowling. Its third award, the FloatCub earned Best Take-Off for its top performance.

The Amphibious Legend FloatCub makes short work of takeoffs.

First Delivery
The first delivery of a Legend AmphibCub came in January 2010, to a customer in Florida. Dick Parsons, a retired commercial airline pilot, was a repeat customer of the Legend Cub. He'd flown over 700 hours in his first. His new aircraft was on display at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring Florida.

Parsons flew his Legend AmphibCub frequently in Florida and further up the Gulf Coast, accessing lakes and streams throughout Louisiana and Texas. The AmphibCub visited Sentimental Journey in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania then further northeast to Maine. “You can’t get there from here,” a common rebuttal among Mainers, was not something Parsons paid much heed to. He enjoys flying point to point, on land and water, throughout the state.

Fun and Safety
The amphibious Legend FloatCub has many advantages over other Cubs and similar seaplanes. The aforementioned doors on both sides of the cockpit are just the beginning. While it removes the need to ‘walk the wire’ between hulls (to change sides), it also increases the amount of fun substantially. The Legend Cub’s electric start eliminates the precarious step of hand propping then maneuvering on a potentially wet pontoon back to the cockpit.

Carbon Fiber Floats
Aiding in trimming weight on the new design, American Legend was the first to offer the lightweight O-200-D engine from Continental; other engine options would follow. All the while, work had been ongoing to develop Carbon Fiber Floats.

In June 2015, American Legend announced its self-made Carbon Fiber Floats. They became immediately available for both the Legend Cub, and now popular Super Legend. Offering superb strength, and optimized for performance with the company’s factory approved Legend Cubs, as well as kit-built aircraft, Legend's Carbon Fiber Floats combine to make the ultimate personal seaplane.

An amphibious Legend FloatCub departs from its waterfront hangar.

The amphibious Legend's Carbon Fiber Floats feature mechanically operated, retractable wheels. The rear wheels sport a trailing link design while the front wheels cantilever forward and castor to assist with ground steering. Constructed of Kevlar and carbon fiber, the Carbon Fiber Floats offer watertight storage compartments and alleviate problems with corrosion and leaks inherent with aluminum designs.

From a pilot's perspective, a Legend Cub equipped with Carbon Fiber Floats still feels just like the wheel-equipped Legend Cub in flight. The floats are aerodynamically smooth, providing some lift and negating any drag or weight concerns.

With useful load maximized on lightweight Legend Cub designs, Carbon Fiber Floats are available for all current models, including the open cowled AL3 and the Lycoming or Titan-equipped Super Legend AL18. Net weight gain on a Legend Cub with Carbon Fiber Floats is minimal due to a 75 lb. reduction from removing the wheeled landing gear.

A Legend FloatCub equipped with Carbon Fiber Floats.

Customer Approved
“I have been flying a Legend AmphibCub for several years now. It has been by far, one of the best purchases I have made in my 40 years of flying. I have flown several of the flying boats and few other floatplanes, and this one is a keeper. Not that there was anything wrong with the flying boats, it’s all what you are looking for and its application.

"The Super Legend on carbon fiber floats can be purchased for around the same comparative price as the flying boats. Just try to find a used Legend on floats and that will show you how coveted they are. They takeoff, fly and land very nicely, are easy to maintain, are built well and customer service is exceptional. My Legend FloatCub will remain with me for as long as I fly.” - Bill Fosdick

The award winning FloatCub designs of the Legend Cub and Super Legend are optimized for their highest performance, and maximum enjoyment, with the new Carbon Fiber LF1500A Floats. The Legend FloatCub simply outperforms and hauls a respectable load. It's safe, offers comfort, operates affordably, and most of all delivers fun.

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, visit www.legend.aero or call 903-885-7000.

RECREATION The Legend Cub as Fish Spotter

So you’re enthusiastic about flying the Legend Cub? "Oh well yeah," says Ron Bishop, "I was born and raised in Florida. I have a 93-year-old father that goes fishing with me in my Legend FloatCub. It opens horizons to fishing that you normally wouldn’t find anywhere...

A Legend FloatCub equipped with trolling motor.

"You can go into these uninhabited lakes and catch crappie," Bishop continued. "But the main thing I use it for is cobia fishing. There’s a situation on the east coast of Florida where the big manta rays with 25-foot wingspans migrate, literally thousands of them, and a fish called a cobia hides underneath them...

A Legend FloatCub with portable fishing accessories, including battery pack and depth finder.

"So in the morning I get in the FloatCub and I fly out. I take the 'sea card' and put it in my Garmin navigator, and every time I see a fish I mark a waypoint. Then I go back, land at the marina where I keep my boat, tie the FloatCub to the dock, jump in the boat, put the sea card in the boat, and go straight to the fish." I ask Bishop: "So you are using your airplane as a spotter? "I use it as a spotter to spot for myself, and I use it as a spotter because a lot of friends of mine are fishermen."

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, visit www.legend.aero or call 903-885-7000.

ASPIRING It's a Bird. It's a Plane... No, it's a Water Ski Cub.

Dreaming about flying a FloatCub, these three legends skim the water's surface.

A flight of three Cubs demonstrates the principle of hydrostatics.

Note: No ducks or flamingos were fooled while taking these photos.

More on YouTube: Water wheelie touch-n-go in the Super Legend

ACQUATIC Robb Report: The Legend Cub Takes to Water

The pretty yellow two-seat Cubs built by American Legend Aircraft Co. expertly blend the classic and the cutting-edge, combining old-time fun flying with the latest in technological wizardry. Their latest model combines two other opposites, land and water, now both accessible for takeoffs and landings thanks to amphibious landing gear.

The AmphibCub sports a set of floats with a simple crank that brings the wheels down for landing on ordinary runways.

Story by Mary Grady originally printed in Robb Report, June 2010, www.robbreport.com.

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, visit www.legend.aero or call 903-885-7000.

APLOMB Plane & Pilot: The Best Of All Possible Worlds

Imagine this: You make a two-point landing... or a four-point! Then you back-taxi, take off and fly over to a lake. You land on the smooth-as-glass, sparkling water and beach the amphib next to your friend's beach party. After lunch, you and your buddy pile in to lake-skim the local waterways at 20 feet. Welcome to amphibious flying, where your landing sites and possibilities for fun increase exponentially with the simple addition of water.

Aerodynamically and aesthetically, the Legend AmphibCub is a distinctive creature. No longer a taildragger, the plane anchors to wheeled floats with rigid struts.

Presenting yourself to the airplane on land, you look up at the cockpit—and I mean up; it's a tall bird. The feeling of newness grows once you climb into that lofty cockpit. Your head is nine feet above ground. Looking out over the nose to an open, commanding view is a kick... and we haven't even fired up yet!

Flying the AmphibCub is pretty much like flying a Cub. The control inputs require firmness, and response in pitch and roll are smooth and steady.

Water operations are deceptively easy, though training in all aspects of water operations is not only legally required but important. Flare is smooth and easy, and it's back with the stick, back more, and settles like a seabird. Haul the stick all the way back to avoid nosing over into the water. We decelerate, come off the step, and we're water-taxiing.

Boating along at higher, on-the-step speeds over roughish chop feels completely secure, though we're only steering with the main rudder. Customers who fly the heavy iron rediscover the simple joys of flying in a Cub. It's more fun than anybody should be allowed to have.

Story by James Lawrence originally published by Plane & Pilot magazine, September 2011. Read the article in its entirety here: www.planeandpilotmag.com.

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, visit www.legend.aero or call 903-885-7000.

ACCESSIBLE Water Flying: Finally, an amphibious LSA Cub

Weight. We're obsessed with shedding it, but it's not easily done. Most of us turn to diets and devices to get rid of excess pounds, a strategy that often ends in frustration. Frustration over the inability to lose weight also describes the mood of seaplane pilots who have longed to fly a Light-Sport Aircraft on amphibious floats. It's not been possible because the 1430-pound maximum gross weight limitation. Amphibious floats are just too doggone heavy. Until now, that is.

It's been great news for seaplane pilots. American Legend has demonstrated with the AmphibCub, it's not at all impossible.

Story and photos by Mark Twombly originally printed in Water Flying, July-August 2010.

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, visit www.legend.aero or call 903-885-7000.

APPEALING Aviation Consumer: Fun-to-Fly Eye-catcher

If you park a Cub on a ramp, you'll soon draw a crowd. If the Cub is on floats, you'll need crowd control, and that, in a nutshell, describes American Legend's AmphibCub.

Today's Legend AmphibCub is a Super Cub on amphibious carbon fiber floats.

Since the Legend is essentially a Super Cub airframe, its cabin is a bit more commodious than a J-3 and, indeed, some of the other LSAs. Ingress and egress with the floats is actually reasonable because there's more stuff to perch on and grab hold of. We think it's a fair value given the airplane's exceptional build quality and attention to detail.

Story by Paul Bertorelli originally printed in Aviation Consumer, April 2010.

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, visit www.legend.aero or call 903-885-7000.

AMAZING General Aviation News: AmphibCub Takes Off

Amphibious aircraft are nothing new, but making an amphibious LSA was a challenge. The target weight for the floats was 240 pounds or less. The weight of the floats came in at 235 pounds.

The Legend AmphibCub was an incredible feat in weight savings and strength.

"The floats have to support at least 90% of the aircraft's weight to be certified by the FAA. We went beyond that. The aircraft weighs 1,430 pounds. We stress tested the floats to a 1,600 pound load."

Meanwhile engineers and designers of the Legend Cub were also at the drawing board trying to figure out a way to lighten a Cub so that it could go on floats. This aircraft was specially built lighter so that it could go on amphibious floats. It was a challenge to reduce the weight and still maintain good structural integrity. "We knew the airplane could not weigh any more than 1,000 pounds. We came in at 998."

Story by Meg Godlewski originally printed in General Aviation News, March 9, 2010.

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, visit www.legend.aero or call 903-885-7000.

MISSION Amphibious FloatCub or Triphibious Legend Cub

A Legend Cub equipped with amphibious floats by definition qualifies as a triphibious vehicle—with the ability to operate on land, sea or air. U.S. patent no. 3,261,572 (1966) identifies a triphibious vehicle as one capable of operating as a car, boat, and aircraft. Meanwhile, the Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military defines triphibious as capable of assaulting a hostile shore using air, naval, and landing (ground) forces. Churchill deemed this function “triphibious warfare” because it involved all three services.

A pair of mission ready Legend FloatCubs.

Triphibious or amphibious, no matter what you call it, the Legend FloatCub is highly capable as well as delightfully fun to fly.

For more information on the Legend FloatCub, visit www.legend.aero or call 903-885-7000.

SPOTLIGHT As Seen at Tavares and Oshkosh

The Legend FloatCub participated in Sun 'n Fun Seabirds Splash-In held at "America's Seaplane City" in Tavares on April 27, 2017.

The Legend FloatCub participates annually at AirVenture, seen here at the Seaplane Base in 2015. Photo by Emily Wiley, Water Flying Magazine, Sep-Oct 2015.

ADVENTURE Legend Cubs Have More Fun

Whether your destination is remote terrain, snow or water, Legend Cubs were designed to have more fun.

EVENTS Plan to Visit Legend Today

At the factory... Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport - KSLR, Sulphur Springs, Texas

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin - July 24–30, 2017

AOPA Fly-In in Norman, Oklahoma - September 8–9, 2017

Texas STOL Roundup in Hondo, Texas - September 29 - October 1, 2017

See the Legend Cub and Super Legend at these and other great events in 2017. Call 903-885-7000 to confirm an appointment or to arrange a demo flight.