Piper Cub 40 (oz13332)

About this Plan

Piper Cub 40. Radio control scale model. Wingspan 75 in.

Discontinued kit from Great Planes.

Note the plan shows a choice of wing layout, with full span wing at 76 in, optional clipped wing at 62 in.

Quote: "Introduction: Thank you for purchasing the Great Planes Piper J-3 Cub! This J-3 Cub kit is a 1/5.5 (18%) scale model of a full-size J-3 Cub and retains the real plane’s great flying characteristics.

You will find the J-3 Cub easy to build and fly, very predictable and fairly aerobatic, yet it has no bad habits. Although the model is sufficiently close to scale that it can place well in sport-scale competition, traditional Great Planes interlocking construction makes it simple to build a great-looking and straight airplane that is sturdy enough to take along every time you go to the flying field.

If you have chosen this kit as your first R/C model, it is important that you find an experienced modeler to help you throughout the building and flying of this plane. He should thoroughly check the plane over before flying it and help you with the first flights. The J-3 Cub is a big airplane and lacks the self-recovery characteristics of a good basic trainer such as the Great Planes PT Series airplanes. On the other hand, if you have already learned the basics of R/C flying and you are able to safely handle a trainer airplane, the J- 3 Cub is an excellent choice.

Scale Model Research has photo sets and drawings of full scale Piper Cubs available. These can help provide good documentation for scale detailing and contests. Their address is 3114 Yukon Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 and their phone number is (714) 979-8058.

For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the Piper J-3 Cub .40, visit the web site listed below and select the Great Planes Piper J-3 Cub .40. If there is new technical information or changes to this kit a 'tech notice' box will appear in the upper left corner of the page: http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/index.html

Decisions you must make:

The engine you select will determine where the throttle pushrod is routed and also how the cowl is cut out, so it is important that you have the engine close at hand while building. The recommended engine size range is as follows:
.40 - .61 cubic inch displacement 2-cycle
.48 - .80 cubic inch displacement 4-cycle

Engine Selection: For the best scale effect, an OS .48 Surpass 4-cycle is ideal. For maximum aerobatics, an OS .70 Surpass 4-cycle is all the power you will need. This kit includes a Great Planes EM4070 engine mount that fits most .40 - .60 2-cycle engines and most 40 - .70 4-cycle engines.

Wing configuration: This kit includes everything you need to build either the standard or the clipped wing for your Cub. Both versions fly extremely well and are equally easy to construct. The standard wing makes the Cub a real 'floater' giving you plenty of time to think about your maneuvers. The clipped wing allows things to happen a bit quicker. Snaps, rolls and spins can be performed faster and more precisely. Either way, the model flies much like the real plane.

Muffler selection: If you install a 2-cycle engine, we recommend using a muffler that can be partially enclosed inside the cowl. The muffler shown in the instruction book photos is a Slimline #3217 Pitts Style Muffler for OS MAX .61SF and .60FP engines. If you use a OS .40SF or .46SF use a Slimline #3218 Pitts Style Muffler or similar. Most standard mufflers will require an extension to clear the fuselage sides..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 2/5/2024: Added kit review from Model Builder, July 1995, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Products In Use. By Bill Clendenon: Great Planes' Piper Cub. Every modeler should build at least one Cub sometime in his or her modeling career. Great Planes offers this particularly nice and quite accurate replica in 1/5.5 scale, which is just the right size - large enough to perform realistically, yet not so big as to be a nuisance to transport and store.

Great Planes Model Manufacturing has added yet another gem to their crop of scale airplane treasures, in the form of the classic Piper J-3 Cub. There's no need to take up space here with the history and lineage of the Cub; suffice to say that it's probably the most beloved and recognizable of any airplane ever built.

Great Planes' rendition is 18 percent (1/5.5) scale. Since the design work and drawings have been done on CAD, the scale outline is right on the money. Only the airfoil itself has been modified slightly from scale. Scale details are easy to make and Great Planes has thoughtfully provided the harder stuff in the form of vacuum-formed plastic accessories. The standard wingspan is 76-1/2 inches, or 61-1/2 inches for the clipped-wing version. I chose to model the standard version.

Great Planes really excels in their kit presentation and packaging. The Cub features all-balsa construction with some plywood at key points. The cowling, front windscreen and side windows are vacuum formed plastic, and the fit is superb. There are two full-size plan sheets and two sheets of pressure-sensitive markings for the standard "yellow" Cub, as well as a 52-page instruction manual that has a key for all the die-cut parts, a bill of materials for everything included, and also what you will need to complete the model.

The construction starts with the vertical and horizontal stabilizers, which are die-cut from 1/4-inch sheet balsa. Most of my model was assembled with Bob Smith Industries' Insta-Cure, Insta-Cure Plus and Insta-Set accelerator. This CA glue is great! Combine this with the kit's excellent die-cutting and you will be going on to the wing in a matter of minutes.

The wing is a one-piece design featur-ing die-cut balsa ribs, basswood spars and plywood dihedral braces. It's a D-tube structure (leading edge sheeting top and bottom) with rib capstrips on the top only. The trailing edge is pre-shaped solid balsa, and the barndoor ailerons are built-up. The structure goes together quite easily, but the key thing here is to follow the sequence given in the instruction book. Great Planes furnishes some excellent hardware for the aileron hook-up, ust install it as directed in the book. Both ailerons are actuated by a single servo in the center section. Use one of your better servos here for reliability.

The fuselage is made up of die-cut 1/8-inch balsa sides and 3/32-inch balsa doublers; the bulkheads are die-cut lite-ply. There are areas here where a careless builder could get into trouble, because there is side and downthrust built into the fuselage. Mark the tank area components top and bottom and also the left and right side parts. This will ensure that you don't go haywire.

A nifty feature here is the use of jigs to position the various bulkheads at the correct angle prior to joining the fuselage sides. I found it necessary to dampen the front of the fuselage sides in order to pull them together..."

Supplementary file notes

Manual (48 pages).
Review.

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