Four 1940s vintage Piper L4 Grasshopper reconnaissance and liaison aircraft, displaying together at The Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England during 'The Americans' Flying Day 2023.

Aircraft shown are:
1/. 1944 Piper L4H Grasshopper model J3C65D (serial number 12776), GBECN (Formerly FBCPS), wearing United States Army Air Force (USAAF) markings 44E and serial number 480480.
History delivered to USAAF at Lock Haven, PA; transferred to Army Ground Forces;Coulommiers [B58], Brussels, Belgium Jan45; damaged; Headquarters, Artillery Air Section, Ninth US Army 9Jan45; 50th Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron; returned to USAAF; 9th Air Force, Europe; registered FBCPS 31May47, cancelled 9May75 as withdrawn;
registered GBECN July 27, 1976.

2/. Martin Shaw's 1944 Piper L4H Grasshopper model J3C65D (serial number 10998), GBFBY (Formerly FBDTG), wearing USAAF markings 44S and serial number 329707.
History 29707 (MSN 10998) registered FBDTG 27Jun47, cancelled 8Sep77 as sold abroad; registered GBFBY Sep 29, 1977.

3/. 1944 Piper L4H Grasshopper model J3C65D (serial number 12193), GBOXJ (Formerly OOADJ), wearing USAAF markings JD and serial number 479897.
History 79897 (MSN 12193) to A. Martens May 15, 1948 as OOADJ. OOADJ cancelled Jun 30, 1988 and was sold to an English owner and registered GBOXJ Aug 1, 1988.

4/. 1944 Piper J3C65 Cub (serial number 12062), GBKHG (Formerly FBCPT), wearing United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) markings 63D and serial number 479766.
History 79766 (MSN 12062) delivered to USAAF at Lock Haven, PA; transferred to Army Ground Forces; 50th Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron; Headquarters, Artillery Air Section, Ninth US Army 4May45; returned to USAAF; 9th Air Force, Europe; registered NC79807 June 4, 1946; registered FBCPT May 31, 1947, cancelled September 9, 1982 as sold abroad; registered GBKHG September 13, 1982.

The Piper L4 Grasshopper is a military version of the famous 1930’s Piper Cub. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good lowspeed handling properties and shortfield performance. The Grasshopper/Cub is one of the best known light aircraft of all time. The L4 was typically used for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, moving personnel and casualty evacuation.

In 1929 in the United States, as the economic crisis erupted, engineers and manufacturers joined forces to continue production but at lower cost. In the field of aviation, engineer Clarence G. Taylor imagined a light and economic tourism plane, which structure was essentially made out of wood. The first flight of the prototype took place in September 1930. The model was adopted and baptized “Taylor Cub”.

In December 1930, businessman William T. Piper bought the Taylor company, without questioning the production of the small monoplane. Real commercial success, the “Cub” was renamed “Piper J3”. In 1938, while its unit price was just over US$ 1,000, it had already sold 700 copies.

The first to be interested in this light aircraft was not the US Armed Forces, but the Mexican Air Force, for the surveillance of its borders from 1939. However, US Civil Aviation selected the “Piper Cub” as its main training plane. In 1940 (when 3,016 copies were shipped from the factory), it only took twenty minutes to build a Piper J3.
A few months before the United States entered the war against Germany and Japan in 1941, the Piper was selected in June following a call to equip the US Army Air Corps with an aircraft allowing to carry observers to spot and correct artillery fire. Originally designated as O59 (“O” recalling its role as observer), the monoplane then took the name L4 (“L” for liaison) from April 1942.

Nicknamed “Grasshopper”, the Piper L4 was engaged in all theatres of operations of the US Army during the Second World War. On 'DDay' 6 June 1944, it was used to spot and correct the heavy artillery shots from the ships of the Allied Navy. Throughout the battle of Normandy, it continued to inform Allied gunners while participating in the transport of personnel. Particularly lightweight, it was capable of taking off over a very short distance and did not require any prepared landing ground. Used by the British as well, the Piper L4 was also equipped with improvised supports allowing the carrying of antitank rocket launchers (such as Bazookas), allowing for bold ground attacks against enemy troops and vehicles, including tanks.

After the Second World War, the aircraft was used by the Americans during the Korean War. France also used Piper L4s during the Algerian war, until 1953.

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