1943 L4H Grasshopper / Cub
This L-4 was taken on charge from the Piper Aircraft Corporation at Lock Haven in January 1944 and first issued to the Eighth Air Force.
She served the U.S Ground Forces in Europe possibly with Pattons 3rd Army. In 1947 she was struck of charge and sold as surplus and acquired by a French aero club. She was acquired by a British owner and arrived in the U.K. In 2011 she moved to The Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar Ltd, Biggin Hill, Kent. 43-29854 is a genuine warbird and currently wears the WWII colour scheme with red triangle markings of the USAAC 381st Bomb Group (B17) from RAF Ridgewell, Essex.
- Built Lock Haven 1943.
- Delivered to USAAF 7th January 1944.
- Newark NJ 14th January 1944.
- Arrived England 22nd January 1944.
- Assigned to 8th Air Force 12th February 1944.
- US Army Ground Forces 3rd March 1944.
- Ninth Air force 20th December 1945.
- To Switzerland 23rd October 1946.
- Struck off charge from US control 13th June 1947.
- F-BFBA based Falaise, France.
- Property of the ‘Aeroclub de Falaise’ in Normandy, 8th November 1950.
- G-BMKC based in Buckinghamshire 1986.
- Crashed on takeoff from Exeter, devon. Still had original A-65 engine installed 1987.
- Based Cornwall 1988.
- Based Northern Ireland 2001.
- Based Derby 2007.
- Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar Kent 2011.