NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
The Piper J-3 Cub is one of the most recognized airplanes in the world, and one of the favorites of radio control airplane modelers.
The aircraft became the mainstay trainer of civilian pilots, preparing them to enter air corps service prior to World War II. As a trainer, the Cub is simple in design. It has extensive wing area to help make up for the lack of power of its engine. It is also a sturdy
aircraft, and simple to fix. These ingredients made it able to survive the type of abuse it endured while under the control of novice pilots.
The Piper Cub was eventually used by the military as a utility and observation aircraft during the war. Some were put to service in the Korean War as well.
If you have a fondness for slow fliers from the earlier days of civil aviation, the Piper Cub will not disappoint. With its exposed cylinders, wing bracing, and tandem cockpit design, it exudes an aura of quaintness that has been misplaced among today's
more utilitarian aircraft.
Flying the Piper J-3 Cub is a pleasure, especially if you leave the doors and windows open on a spring day, and like to fly low and slow.
Flying solo in the Cub does have its challenges. You must occupy the rear seat in order to offset the weight of the fuel in its tank up front. That means that the nose of the aircraft can interfere with your forward view on take off.
The trick to achieving better over the nose visibility during take off is, after the tail comes up, to keep just enough forward stick to keep the nose down until sufficient speed is reached to rotate. Before the tail comes up the best view is out the side window. Also, pilots used to flying other, more modern, single engine civil aircraft, will find that a bit of anticipated extra rudder will help coordinate turns and prevent side slip.
Given the low wing loading, stalling the Piper J-3 Cub is usually done purposefully. Spins are performed in slow motion. If you do force the aircraft into a stall or spin, and have sufficient altitude, just centering the controls and applying a little forward stick to pick up flying speed will get you back in control.
Landings in a cross wind can get interesting. The light aircraft can be blown side ways fairly easily. Being ready to apply some rudder and throttle while landing is a good idea. And, if the aircraft gets going too far sideways, it is always prudent to go around for another try.
Over 19,000 Piper J-3 Cub aircraft of all types were produced through 1947, when production ended. It is estimated that some 5,000 are still flying today.
trainer, recreation
one pilot
Continental A-65-8
65 hp flat 4
22' 5"
35' 3"
680 lbs.
1,220 lbs.
one
455 lbs.
12 gallons
4 - 5 gph
75 mph
87 mph
450 fpm
11,500 feet
220 miles
2/14/38
1938
Radio Control Airplane
A rc Piper Cub for sale by Nitro Planes.
Radio Control Airplanes
The picture above is of the rc Piper Cub for sale by Nitro Planes. It has a 91" wing span, a 59" length, and weighs 10 1/2 lbs. You will need a .90 to 1.08 two stroke or 1.10 to 1.20 four stroke engine for power.
Pictured first below is the rc Piper Cub ad from Hobbyzone for their 47 3/4" wingspan ready to fly model.
The next ad is for the BH Models rc Piper Cub ARF with a wingspan of 72".
The third picture down is an ad of a Great Planes ARF rc Piper Cub for sale. It has a wingspan of 81".
After that is the smaller rc Piper Cub ARF for sale from Hangar 9. Its wingspan is 80".
The last picture on this page is of the 1/4 giant scale rc Piper Cub ARF from Hangar 9.
Nitro Planes has a rc Piper Cub for sale with a wing span of 49 1/2" and fuselage length of 32". A .15 to .25 two cycle engine or 480 type motor will power the 36 oz. rc airplane.
SIG Mfg. has a kit of the rc Piper Cub for sale made primarily from balsa and ply. It has a 71" wingspan and needs a .25 to .40 two cycle or .40 to .45 four cycle engine.
If you are looking for a larger rc Piper Cub from SIG, you should check out their giant scale 105" wing span kit for sale. It has a fuselage length of 67" with recommended power
.60 to .90 two cycle or .90 to 1.60 four cycle engines. Upon completion, all up weight should be from 14 to 16 lbs.
If you are looking for a giant scale rc airplane, you may want to check out the 1/3 scale Piper Cub rc model from Balsa USA. Wing span is 141", length is 88", and all up weight goes
from 30 to 35 lbs. Recommended motors are 2.0 to 4.0 or 50 cc.
Great Planes has a rc Piper Cub kit with a wingspan of 61" and a length of 39". It weighs about 4 1/2 lbs. and needs .15 to .25 two cycle or .20 to .26 four cycle engines.
Great Planes has a rc 1/4 scale Piper Cub kit for sale with a wingspan of 76 1/2". Its length is 49" and weight around 7 1/2 lbs. Engines can be from .40 to .60 two cycle or .48 to .70 four cycle.
The largest kit from Great Planes for a rc Piper Cub builds to a wingspan of 90" with a length of 56 1/2" and a weight of about 12 lbs. Engine sizes range from .60 to .90 two cycle and .70 to .91 four cycle.
Balsa USA has a rc 1/4 scale Piper Cub. It has a 108" wingspan with a 68" long fuselage. Engines suggested are from .60 to 1.08 two cycle or .90 to 1.20 four cycle. Ready to fly weight is from 12 to 14 lbs.
Parkzone has a rc Piper Cub RTF for sale with a 37" wingspan, and a 27" length. A 370 size brushless motor is included.
SDM has a rc Piper Cub RTF for sale with a wingspan of 37 1/2" and length of 29". It includes a 380 brushed motor.
Goldberg has a rc Piper Cub kit for sale. Wingspan is 76 1/2" and length is 48". You will need a .40 engine for power. Weight is about 7 1/2 lbs.
Goldberg also sells a ARF rc Piper Cub with a wingspan of 76 1/2" and length of 50". Engine choices are from .40 to .62 two cycle or .40 to .90 four cycle. Ready to fly weight should be around 7 1/2 lbs.
Electrifly has a rc Piper Cub kit for sale. It has a wingspan of 59" with a length of 37" and weighs around 3 1/2 lbs. A Speed 600 motor is included.
E-flite sells a rc Piper Cub ARF with a 62" wingspan. Their Power 25 motor is recommended for the 4 1/4 lb. model.
A larger rc Piper Club ARF from E-flite has a 80" wingspan and weighs about 7 1/2 lbs. Engines can be from .36 to .46 two cycle or .56 to .82 four cycle.
Kyosho has a rc ARF Piper J-3 Cub for sale. It has a wingspan of 71" and a length of 47". It is made entirely from wood and weighs about 5 3/4 lbs. To power it you will
need .40 2C or from .48 to .53 4C engines.
E-flite has a rc Piper Cub park flyer ARF with a wingspan of 38". It is made entirely from balsa and weighs about 10 oz. It needs a 250 brushless motor for power.
The House of Balsa has a rc Piper Cub kit for sale. Wingspan is 52 1/2", length is 27 1/2" and weight is about 30 oz. You will need a geared Speed 400 motor for power.
Thunder Tiger sells a ARF rc Piper Cub. It is made from balsawood and plywood and has a wingspan of 83", a length of 78" and a weight of about 7 1/2 lbs.
Kit Cutters has kits and plans for sale of the rc Piper Cub with wingspans of 40", giant scale 83", 106", 108", 127" and 141".
World Models has a rc 1/4 scale Piper Cub kit for sale. It has a 104" wingspan and is 65" long. It weighs around 16 lbs. all up.
Cleveland Models has rc Piper Cub plans for sale with wingspans of 13", 18", 26 1/2", 35 1/2", 53", 71" and a giant scale 106".
The AMA Plans service has Piper Cub rc scale model airplane plans for sale from the 1/04 issue of Model Airplane News, # 17048.
From AMA are Headley Plans for the rc Piper J-3 Cub with a 52" wingspan. Plan # 30082.
There are Hollinger Plans of the rc Piper Cub for sale from the AMA. Wingspan is 50" with plan # 29385.
For a small rc Piper Cub there are plans from the AMA from Flyline Models. Wingspan builds to 33" # 28534.
There are Drake Plans for a 71" wingspan Piper J-3 Cub for sale by the AMA. Plan # 30934.
Sterling Model Plans are available at the AMA that build to a 54" wingspan rc Piper Cub, # 23908.
The AMA Plans Service has plans from Hollinger for sale that produce a 70" wingspan rc Piper J3 Cub, #25868.
If you like building from Berkeley Plans you can find those at the AMA Plans Service for a rc Piper Cub with a 71" wingspan. Plan no. is 25867.
Hobby Helpers plans for a 70" wingspan Piper Cub are available for sale at the AMA Plans Service under # 13422.
Senye International Trading Co., China, has a J-3 Cub ARF for sale. It has a wingspan of 50" with a 31 1/2" length and a weight of about 37 oz. It has a
glass fuse and b/u balsa wings. You will need from .15 to .25 two stroke engine power.
There is a 71" wingspan J-3 Cub ARF available for sale from Senye. Length is 46 1/2", weight is about 6 lbs. Engines can be from .46 to .52 two cycle.
Zhonghan Guanli Model Factory, China, has a rc J3 Piper Cub RTF for sale. Its wingspan is 37" and length is 29". Included is a Speed 380 type motor. Weight is about 1 lb.
Foshan Jun Feng Model Shop, China, is selling a Piper J3 Cub ARF. It is made from fiberglass and plastic with a 57 1/2" wingspan and a 44" length. You will
need from .40 to .56 two stroke or from .52 to .56 four stroke engines to power the approximately 5 1/4 lb. scale rc model airplane.
Shenzhen SDS Electric Co., China produces a J3 Piper Cub ARF for sale with a 37 1/2" wingspan, 25" length, and about 15.9 oz. all up weight. It needs Speed 400 type motor power.
E-Supply International Hong Kong has a Piper J-3 Cub rc scale model airplane for sale. It is a ARF that has a 49 1/2" wingspan with a 32" length and weighs about 41 oz. A .15 two stroke engine can power it.
Yongkang Fly Model Factory, China, has a ARF Piper J-3 Cub for sale. It has a 70" wingspan and needs from .46 to .52 two stroke engine power.
Jogja RC Hobby, Indonesia would like to sell their J3 Cub ARF. Unfortunately no information is provided for wingspan, length, weight, or engine requirements.
Black Horse, South Africa, has a rc Piper Cub ARF for sale. Its wingspan is 72 1/2".
Hobby Hut RC Planes, Thailand, wants to sell their rc Piper J-3 Cub. The only information that they provide is that is made from balsawood and ply. No wingspan, length, type of power, or weight is provided.
Cyclone Technology, China has a J3 Piper Cub ARF for sale with a 37 1/2" wingspan, a 25" length and a weight of about 1 lb. It needs a 1600 kV motor for power.
Vinny Solorzano from Los Angeles, CA wrote to tell us about his Great Planes rc Piper Cub. He reports that it is maneuverable without being twitchy. In fact, he
told us that at high cruise speed, the rc J-3 Cub is as good a performer as some of the war birds in his collection. Vinny equipped his cub with a OS 70 four stroke engine.
"You should see it climb!", he remarks. Vinny says that he is also impressed by the sound of the engine as the rc Cub flies the pattern at his club airfield. He concludes that his
Great Planes rc Piper Cub is a top quality model, suitable for a lazy circuit of the air field, or as a basic aerobatic model.
Richard Carls from Atascadero, CA writes: "Building my Goldberg rc Piper Cub was simple. It went together in three nights from the time I opened the box until its first flight. Once lined up at the end of the runway I checked
the control throws and advanced the throttle all the way. The rc Cub scooted out with authority and lifted off smoothly. The climb rate is not like a fighter, but it is fast enough for
most rc pilots. The OS 90 four cycle engine delivers lots of power. Once airborne, I adjusted the trim and the model flew nice and steady. The controls are smooth and the airplane is easy
to fly. I did not have to change any of the controls from their original settings. The rc Cub does require some rudder in its turns to offset the adverse yaw of its large ailerons. However,
its easy to couple the rudder to the ailerons for smooth turns. I did a large loop and it looked very scale-like. The Cub does slow a bit as it comes over the top of the loop, but still is
capable of making a very round, large loop. The rc Cub even flies well inverted. If you want to impress your fellow club members, it is very capable of doing a slow, inverted fly-by, just feet
over the runway, with total confidence. The rc Piper Cub from Goldberg will soon gain the confidence of its rc pilot, and I highly recommend it".
ARF rc Piper Cub from Hangar 9.
It has a 80" wingspan and a 51" length. Construction is wood throughout. Engines should be from .36 to .46 two cycle or .56 to .82 four cycle. Weight is around 7 1/2 lbs.
Radio Control Airplane
25% Giant Scale rc Piper Cub ARF from Hangar 9.
Wingspan is 106", length is 68", and weight is around 16 1/2 lbs. You have your choice of power from 1.0 to 1.6 two cycle, 1.8 four cycle, 20 to 26 cc gas engines or a Power 110 motor.
Piper J-3 Cub
