The J-3 CUB is a great-looking scale airplane and a great-flying
sport airplane that, true to its full-size counterpart, is highly
aerobatic. It does not have the self-recovery characteristics of a
primary trainer, therefore you must either have mastered the
basics of R/C flying or seek the assistance of a competent R/C
pilot to help you with your first flights.
TAKEOFF
Do a low speed taxi test before your first takeoff. If the plane
does not track straight when the rudder is in neutral, check
the alignment of the main gear and the tailgear. If
neccessary adjust the wires with pliers. Don't adjust the
ground steering with the rudder trim or the rudder trim will
be off in flight! Although the J-3 CUB has good low speed
characteristics, you should always build up as much speed
as your runway will permit before lifting off, as this will give
you a safety margin in case of a "flame-out". The tail will
come up off the ground very quickly, but allow the plane to
remain on the ground until it gains plenty of airspeed. Climb
out gradually and let it gain some airspeed before hunting
for the clouds. For safety's sake, always remember to make
your first turn away from the pit area.
FLIGHT
We recommend that you take it easy with your J-3 CUB for
the first several flights and gradually "get acquainted" with
its flying characteristics as your engine gets fully broken-in.
Work on trimming the airplane for straight and level flight
with the transmitter trims at neutral, adjusting the nylon
clevises after each flight, as necessary. Also, take note of
the responsiveness of the elevator, ailerons and rudder, and
adjust their throws to your preference. Add and practice one
maneuver at a time, learning how it behaves in each one.
You may notice some "sluggishness" in the way your J-3
Cub handles at low speeds with the regular wing. This is
normal and should be taken into consideration when flying
"low and slow". Your Cub is capable of performing most any
manuever, however, you can expect some roll coupling with
rudder when attempting knife edge maneuvers. Full-throttle
snaps are not recommended, due to the extremely high
stresses they place on the structure.
Sometime well before it's time to land, you should climb your
Piper Cub to a safe altitude, cut the throttle to an idle and
check out the model's low speed characteristics. Do this a
few times so you know what to expect upon landing and how
the Piper Cub handles stalls.
LANDING
Because the J-3 Cub has a light wing loading and a high lift
airfoil, it really floats when the throttle is reduced. You will
usually find it hard to get the plane down on the ground
without pulling the throttle to a complete idle. A little practice
is all it takes to make 1 or 3-point landings look easy.
Have a ball! But always remember to think about your next
move and plan each maneuver before you do it. Impulsively
“jamming the sticks” without any thought is what gets most
fliers in trouble rather than lack of flying skill.
Happy Landings!
Caution:
(THIS APPLIES TO ALL R/C AIRPLANES): If, while
flying, you notice any unusual sounds, such as a low-pitched
“buzz,” this may indicate control surface “flutter.” Because flutter
can quickly destroy components or your airplane, any time you
detect flutter you must immediately cut the throttle and land the
airplane! Check all servo grommets for deterioration (this may
indicate which surface fluttered) and make sure all pushrod
linkages are slop-free. If it fluttered once, it will probably flutter
again under similar circumstances unless you can eliminate the
slop or flexing in the linkages. Here are some things which can
result in flutter: Excessive hinge gap; Not mounting control horns
solidly; Sloppy fit of clevis pin in horn; elasticity present in flexible
plastic pushrods; Side-play of pushrod in guide tube caused by
tight bends; Sloppy fit of control rods in servo horns; Insufficient
glue used when gluing in torque rods; Excessive flexing of
aileron, caused by using too soft balsa; Excessive “play” or
“backlash” in servo gears; and insecure servo mounting.
FLYING
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