Piper Cub (oz3453)

About this Plan

PIPER J3C-65 CUB by Jacques Delcroix at 26 in (660mm) span for rubber power.

Quote: "Lightweight high performance scale job for rubber power fans. Choose your wood, pick your Pirelli and enjoy yourself wth this 26 inch span gem. Piper Cub by J Delacroix.

THOSE ELEMENTS which make the Piper J3C-65 Cub such an all-time favourite with aeromodelling enthusiasts are not difficult to pinpoint. Simple lines and sports model proportions, a good sized tailplane helps too and not too many of the compound curves which make lightweight rubber models difficult to construct. 'Cub' fuselage structures can present difficulties, but follow the instructions and you should end up with a true shape. The same can be said for the flying surface outlines and although laminated shapes are shown, you could cheat a little and cut the profiles from sections of sheet balsa.

As with any small rubber model, weight, or lack of it, is a prime requirement for a good flyer and although cyanoacrylate glue looks an expensive proposition, only a tiny amount is used and it sure is light! Choose your wood carefully to keep the model light, construct the airframe true, make a good job of the covering and this little gem is a sure fire flyer.

Fuselage. Lay a sheet of polythene or cling-film over the plan and build the first basic side. Don't put pins through the wood, place them on either side. Note also that the 3/32 x 1/16 in balsa is on edge. Now, either lay cling-film over the first side and construct a second directly on top of it, or remove it from the plan and using the same pin holes, build a second side.

As both sides are completed use a sanding block to sand one surface smooth. This will ease finish sanding of the fuselage. Make up a set of fuselage top frames 3-9 over the plan in the same way as the sides were produced. Cut four spacers to fit between the sides at stations 4 and 5 to length shown on the plan. Assemble the basic sides with spacers at stations 5 and 6, then pull in and glue the rear fuselage together. Add all of the top frames, stringers and wing root facing ribs, windscreen supports and the tailplanes de-thermaliser stop wedge.

Refer to the top view of the fuselage and cut out and shape the upper nose block. Cut out the side cheeks, lower block and the plywood nose former and the lower front spacer shown at Station 2. Pull in the sides at the front and fit the ready shaped top block and the lower cross spacer, followed by side and bottom blocks. Sand the front face flat and glue the ply nose former in place. Laminate a nose block from layers of cross-grain balsa and lightly tack glue in place. The whole nose can now be finish carved and sanded. Complete the basic fuselage by adding cabin window shaping pieces at the rear of the cabin, scrap soft block fairing between the front ends of the wing facing ribs and filling in the undercarriage mounting area in the fuselage bottom... "

Quote: "This really is a delightful model by Jacques and a top performance is claimed. So much so that it has a dethermaliser and you are advised to use it for all flights. As with all such models keeping it light is the prime requirements so use your best wood and no 'beefing up'. Target weight is about 60 grams. The original was lost after a 993 secs OOS flight."

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