1944 PIPER L-4H GRASSHOPPER For Sale in Duxford, England United Kingdom

• 1944 Piper L-4H Grasshopper

The Piper L-4 Grasshopper is a military version of the famous 1930’s Piper Cub. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. Ideal as a trainer, the Grasshopper/Cub is one of the best known light aircraft of all time.

This L-4H Grasshopper rolled off the production line at Piper on 5th June 1944 in Lock Haven, PA, USA and was accepted by the USAAF on 8th August 1944.

She was allocated to General Simpson’s Ninth US Army (NUSA) based in France at the time. She was typically used for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and moving personnel behind the lines. 

Following the Ninth US Army Eastward, 44-79766 was attached to Headquarters as NUSA participated in the Battle Of The Bulge in December 1944 followed by the crossings of the Roer and Rhine Rivers, until the final capitulation ofGermany on VE Day, 8 May, 1945.

Since then, 44-79766 has remained in Europe, and was operated by a French flying school immediately after the war. She was based in France until 1982 when she was purchased by the late Ken Wakefield, the World’s leading expert on liaison aircraft and their use during WWII. The author of many key books Ken lovingly and faithfully restored 44-79766 to her original markings as they would have been during the war.

The L-4H is based at IWM Duxford and available for Inspection strictly by appointment only via the Broker.

• 8,634 Hrs as of September 2024

• Trigg TY91 VHF
• TT22 Transponder

• Authentic period

• Authentic WWII 1944
• 9th Air Force as 63*D

• In Annual and Airworthy
• Annual due date: September 2025