Flitfire

Flitfire Cub
"Flitfire Wisconsin" Rickenbacker Airport Columbus Ohio, July 1991
Role	Multipurpose light civil aircraft
Manufacturer	Piper Aircraft
First flight	27 April 1941
Produced	10 – 22 April 1941
Number built	49
Unit cost	US$1,560 (1941)

The Flitfire is a special edition of the Piper J-3 Cub that was used to raise funds to support the British war effort in World War II.

In April 1941, prior to the United States' entry into World War II, Piper Aircraft and its distributors donated special edition Piper J-3 Cubs as a publicity event and a fundraiser for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAFBF). These donated Cubs - painted with Royal Air Force insignia - were known as Flitfires.

This fund raising program consisted of 49 Flitfire aircraft, one paid for by Piper Aircraft and 48 by Piper distributors. All were built by Piper. There was a Flitfire named for each of the 48 states in the union at that time. These airplanes were colloquially known as "The Flitfire brigade".

During the Battle of Britain (10 July - 31 October 1940) the Royal Air Force (RAF) suffered heavy casualties, losing 1,420 members: 520 in Fighter Command, 700 in Bomber Command and 200 in Coastal Command. The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, an independent charity established after World War I to support those and their families affected by the war, worked to provide welfare for RAF casualties and their families arising from the new conflict.

Their efforts were supported by a light aircraft manufacturer in the United States, Piper Aircraft Corporation of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. As an expression of encouragement to the RAF, Piper's President William T. Piper decided to donate a single Piper J-3 Cub as a grand national prize, with all proceeds going to the RAFBF. At the start of April 1941, Bill Strohmeier, Piper’s Sales and Promotion Manager, then encouraged Piper dealers across the country to order further ones for their own use. The special silver finish with RAF-style insignia was included at no additional cost to the dealers. Strohmeier requested the 48 U.S. Piper dealers donate one Cub, which would represent the state of their choice. For every donation, Piper set aside 20 minutes of manufacturing time, which was sufficient to build one aircraft. A total of 49 Cubs were donated to support the fund raiser, one named for each of the 48 then states, plus William Piper's initial donation, registered as NC1776. All funds collected went to the RAFBF and none went toward expenses.

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