There are airplanes you can replace.
And then there are airplanes you may never have the opportunity to own again....and Omaha Aircraft may never have the honor to represent again.
This 1952 Piper PA-18AS-125/160 Super Cub belongs firmly in the latter category.
It left the Piper factory in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania in 1952 as a PA-18A, built for agricultural use. Four years later, in 1956, an “S” was added to its designation, certifying the aircraft for seaplane use and creating something extraordinarily uncommon: the PA-18AS.
Of the thousands of PA-18s produced, only five carry the “AS” designation.
This is one of them.
Its story becomes even more remarkable from there.
The airplane has spent its entire life in Nebraska and recently emerged from a painstaking, more than three-year, nut-and-bolt restoration by Muhle Aviation Works in Columbus, Nebraska. From spinner to tail, the objective wasn't simply to restore a Super Cub. It was to do justice to an aircraft that cannot be replaced.
The original 125-horsepower configuration has been upgraded to 160 horsepower, and with its 2,000-pound gross weight increase, this PA-18AS possesses something unusual for an aircraft of this rarity: genuine working capability.
It could be placed into a collection and preserved as one of the rarest examples of the PA-18 lineage. Or it could go back to work today, supporting commercial operations much like the airplane was originally intended to do more than seven decades ago.
That duality may be what makes this airplane most compelling.
It is historically significant without being relegated to history. Exceptionally restored without becoming merely a showpiece. Rare enough for a serious collection, yet capable enough to earn its keep.
This is not simply a beautifully restored Super Cub. Its pedigree, condition, presentation, and scarcity place it in a category where meaningful comparisons become difficult.
There simply aren't enough of them.
For the collector who has seen exceptional airplanes, owned exceptional airplanes, and understands the difference between “nice” and truly irreplaceable, this PA-18AS deserves attention.
It is the kind of aircraft that becomes the centerpiece of a collection. The one people walk past everything else in the hangar to see. The one whose story begins before the engine ever starts.
Aircraft of this caliber aren't created by writing a check. Rarity cannot be ordered. History cannot be recreated. And another one cannot simply be found when you're ready.
There are five.
And this may very well be the finest of them.
Today's buyer can spend considerably more purchasing a newly manufactured premium utility taildragger. That will buy an exceptional new airplane.
It won't buy this airplane.
This PA-18AS offers something a factory order cannot: more than seven decades of history, extraordinary rarity, a better-than-new restoration, 160 horsepower, a 2,000-pound gross weight, and a designation shared by only four other PA-18s in existence.
You can order another new airplane.
You cannot order another 1952 PA-18AS.
The opportunity isn't simply to buy a Super Cub.
It's to become the next caretaker of one of the rarest and most exceptional PA-18s in existence—and decide whether its next chapter will be spent working, collecting, or perhaps a little of both.
Airframe
Total Time
1,917
Max Takeoff Weight
2,000 lb
Basic Empty Weight
1,183 lb
Useful Load
862 lb
STOL
Yes
Fuel Capacity Volume
48 gal
Airframe Notes
Nut and Bolt-Spinner to Tail Restoration by Muhle Aviation Works 2023
Engine
Engine 1 Make/Model
LYCOMING O-320-A2B
Engine Serial Number
L-9625-27C
Engine Horsepower
160 HP
Engine 1 Time
24.2 SMOH
Engine TBO
2000
Aftermarket Engine STC
Yes
Year Engine Overhauled or Installed as New
2022
Engine Time Remaining To Overhaul
1980
Engine Notes
Overhauled in 2022 by Central Cylinder Service Omaha, NE.
Props
Prop Manufacturer
SENSENICH
Prop Time
24.2 SOH
Number of Blades
2
Blade Composition
Aluminum
Modifications/Conversions
Modifications/Conversions
STC SA7965SW AirTech Coatings Fabric Covering System
STC SA00997CH Wipaire, Inc. 2000 Gross Weight Increase
STC SA1245CE CubCrafters Scott Master Cylinders
STC SA01026SE Steve’s Aircraft Fuel Gascolator Assembly
STC SE1930NY Casper Labs 90o Oil Filter Housing
STC SA01233SE Alaska BushWheels Tailwheel and Fork Assembly
STC SA5925NM Electronics International Oil Pressure/Temperature Gauge
STC SA00415SE CubCrafters Fuel System
STC SA02294AK Dakota Cub Fuselage Boot Cowl Battery Box
STC SA02356AK-D F. Altee Dodge Safari Seat
STC SA4121CH Svenn’s Aviation Lycoming O-320 160 HP Engine
STC SA11RM Univair Cleveland Wheels and Brakes
STC ST01920CH Professional Pilot Modified Exhaust System
STC SA10682SC Hartzell Technologies Alternator and Voltage Regulator
Exterior
Year Painted
2023
Exterior Notes
Restoration 24.2 Hours Ago
Classic Cub Paint Scheme Red over White
New Glass
Stainless Steel Fasteners
LED Lights
Interior
Year Interior
2023
Number of Seats
2
Configuration
Passenger
Interior Notes
New Interior 24.2 Hours Ago
Altee Dodge Safari Seat
New Seatbelts
LED Cockpit Lighting
Removable Aft Stick
New Floorboards with SS Heel Pads
Inspection Status
Inspection Status
Complete Restoration 2023 24.2 Hours Ago Muhle Aviation Works
Annual Completed April 2026
Complete l Concurrent l Original Logbooks
Useful Load 862#
Very Rare PA18AS Designation
Nut and Bolt Spinner to Tail Restoration
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