SteveR3750

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Well, now that the cold weather has moved back in, I decided to dig the Great Planes Piper Cub back out of my attic and try to actually finish this thing. This is only my second attempt at building a Kit. The first was a Top Flite P-40 which has been hanging from my garage ceiling for the last 2 years.. No Engine, No Electronics, etc... I doubt very seriously that it will ever get finished and attempt to fly.

Anyhow, I dont want the same to happen with the Piper Cub, so I am without doubt going to finish this thing and make it fly... I have the Engine, In Cowl Exhaust, Fuel Tank, Fuel Lines, Installed... I finished covering the Wing and the Control Surfaces Yesterday. Now I need to finish covering the Fuselage, Install the Windows, Paint the engine Cowling, Install the Radio Gear, Mount the Main Tires, and Hook up all of the Control Surfaces, etc... It seems never ending..

I once heard someone on here say they were 90% done with 90% of the work left... I now know exactly what that means!!!!!! I do good until I get to that point and then its hard for me to finish. I would rather just go buy an ARF... Please dont bash me, I do enjoy the kit building, but I dont really think its my cup of tea... I enjoy seeing what you other more experienced kit builders can accomplish. I find myself driven to try and do the same, but have come to the harsh reality... I just dont have those skills..

Just to be sure that I do finish and fly this plane, I am going to post this with a current picture, and continue to update periodically with my progress, However slow it might be up until the time that this thing takes to the skies....

Scar

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You're doing great. Who cares how long it takes, just means you had more fun.

Were the engine forms part of the cowl, or did you buy them separately? I've been flying my BUSA cub for a few years with no engine forms sticking out of the cowl, probably should buy some or make some. Maybe I'll fabricate them out of balsa, when I get a little time. (No, wait, that's why it doesn't have 'em!)

Keep up the good work, and don't forget to go flying too!
Dave Olson

SteveR3750

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Thanks Dave... I have left it out in the Breakfast Nook of the Kitchen, so that helps me to keep at it a little every night... I dont really have a place to build and this thing has started to become quite cumbersome.. I figure as long as it sits out in the way, I will stay that much more motivated to finish it!!.. Now that I dug it back out, seeing the latest progress has really been somewhat rewarding.

Those Engine Forms were actually purchased separately. The Great Planes Kit came with some Forms, but I messed them up when trying to cut them out. I couldnt see the scribe lines on the mold and trying to peice them together was just not going to happen, so I bought some new ones from SIG MFG. The forms that are on the cowl now, are actually what comes with the SIG 1/5 scale Piper Cub Kit...

karolh

You are doing great, just keep at it and before you know it that other 90% will be complete. And by the way, those building skills that you mentioned others have, they acquired in many instances by constant practice, which is exactly what you are now doing, getting practice.

Karol

exsailor62

Steve, What are you using to cover the Cub?  I have noticed that "Cub Yellow" comes in many shades as I try to match up covering with paint put on my cowl and landing gear on the GP Cub J-3 I am building.  I am about the same stage you are, except that I don't have any covering done as I am trying to decide on fabric or film for covering and hence the matching colors issue.  ;-)

I am powering my Cub with an O.S. .91, 4 stroke that I bought sometime in the 1990's and never completed the Mustang I was going to put it in.  Sounds like we exhibit some of the same symptoms of buildus interruptus when it comes to plane projects.  ;-)

foodstick

heck it really looks like you know what you are doing to me.

And I am no stranger to building kits.. I think you are a natural...and lots of people have spent a decade on one kit

SteveR3750

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I am using the Solartex Fabric Covering. I dont have that much experience with covering, but I can tell you that of all the Shrink type coverings that I have played around with that this Solartex Covering is by far the easiest I have ever worked with. It seems to have a lot of elasticity, even before adding heat. Maybe I'm crazy, but it just seems much easier to stretch around curved surfaces and pull out the wrinkles. The glue backing seems superb, and any wrinkles that I did encounter practically vanished with a few hits from the iron, or the heat gun. This covering makes me look like I halfway know what I am doing. If I had been using Monokote, (which I love the looks of) I more than likely would have wasted an entire roll trying to get it right.....As far as color matching goes, I think I read on here that others were having a difficult time trying to match the Solartex Cub Yellow. Maybe someone else can chime in and give us some leads towards some close matching paint.

I definitely suffer from "buildus interruptus".. LOL..... Like I mentioned before, I do well with building the Airframe portion.... I just struggle with all of the fine tuning, time consuming finish work.

And Thank You Foodstick..... I appreciate that, but natural, I am not. I do nothing extra. I think I am okay with reading, comprehending, and following directions. I can get it done, and make it airworthy. Its just not going to win any ribbons for best looking plane.. thats for sure.. .LOL.... Depending on how this one actually turns out, Maybe, just Maybe, I will try my hand at another Kit one day.

Gray Beard

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First off for only a second kit you have done a great job. When I pulled up the photos the framing looked as well done as any I have seen even from long time builders.
As for the time involved, you aren't alone. Many builders ge burnt out and hang them up for long periods of time. I can do a frame up in days but then I have been known to lag. Not for real long but I walk away from the build and catch my breath.
One thing I do is to install all my gear and have the controls all made up and working before I ever start to cover, engine mounted and cowl on. It's a lot easier to get in the plane with your hands and slather glue and epoxy. Then I remove anything that will get in the way and start covering.
I enjoy covering so that seems to go very smoothly and it only takes a few days to get it finished.
I'm so glad you mentioned the TEX coverings ease. I have told people for years that the TEX makes everyone look good and it's easy to use. I do most of my work in the heat of the summer and when I finish covering a plane I set it out in the sun for an hour then take it into my shop and shrink it up again then set it back out in the sun and keep doing that until it no longer sags or wrinkles. I can leave a plane out in our hot desert sun for days on end without ever having it loosen up.
I built a Cub for a friend and he covered it with Cub Yellow Tex. The paint he used was a very good match to the covering. I will ask him today what brand he used and post it up here for you.
Scar, my buddy bought a glass cowl from FGS and it has the engine molded into the cowl on the left side. It's a real well made cowl and the molded in engine looks great. He also bought the one piece LG from FGS. Not only looks great but works very well. Don't know what they have for the bigger Cubs but there LG and coal are great.

Gray Beard

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The color match for the solartex Cub Yellow is Testors All purpose gloss yellow #1214. My friend used a matt clear to make sure it was fuel proof. LustreKote was used. He used three very light coats. If it is sprayed on too heavy it will wrinkle the Testors paint.

SteveR3750

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Thank you so very much for that information... I need to order another roll of Solartex to finish the Fuselage, but I have continued to make a little progress every night.. I will post up some more photos after I get the fuselage covered.

Thanks again Gray Beard. Greatly Appreciated.

ronwc

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Here is my slightly modified TF J-3 -

JNorton

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Now that a hoot!
John

raptureboy

I always say I have ARFS to practice my crashing and kits to practice my building You are doing good, I have been building a couple of kits over the last 2 years, when I get tired of it I buy an arf and go fly. There are other thinngs to do in life besides build and fly planes. Did I just say that? I must be hanging out with the wife too much Quick! Get me back to the MAN CAVE!

Gray Beard

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That is impressive. Question: how does it fly with one engine out??? Keeping everything straight and true must have been a challenge. I really like it!!!!!!!!

Gray Beard

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The reason we were able to find a good match was because another friend had crashed one of his planes, not too bad though. The cowl was broken up a bit so he did the repair. I think it was a H-9 Pulse? Could have been his AeroWorks YAK? Anyway, one of the colors on the cowl was Cub Yellow. How many Cub yellows can there be?? He must have 10 cans of spray paint in Cub yellow and they are all different. A lot different!!. He never did find a good match but the Testors was a good match for the Solartex Cub yellow covering. Makes you wonder, Cub yellowis just one color, been with us before WWII, hasn't changed but paint manufactures can't seem to get it right??

ronwc

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It always flew great, no bad habits although the two ST 40's were overkill, never ahd to fly it on one engine but don't think it would have been a problem. I overstressed it last year by doing one too many snap rolls, and the right wing folded at at J-3 fly-in, should have used CF on the wingspar - here are some pics of some of my other twins and more -

Back to the original question - I used to build about 3 to 4 planes (kits) a month for myself and others. Did it for about 10 years during the 90's. People would ask me how I built so many planes so quick, I would tell them I just sat down and did it. I know that sounds simplistic, but if you convince yourself it is too hard, or you don't have time, it doesn't get done. I once started a kit one day about noon and had it finished ready to fly by 8 that night. Also built 6 Scat Cats (we were club racing them with OS 25's) in three days. At one time enjoyed build as much as flying, but finally got burned out on it after about 10 years.

SteveR3750

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Still Moving Slow, but nonetheless making some progress. I've managed to cover the Horizontal Stab and the Tail Fin. All Control Surfaces are now hinged, and in place with CA type Hinges, rather than being taped in place.. . Control Horns are installed and pushrods are connected. I painted the cowl and the landing gear using the Testors Gloss Yellow in the Spray Can. #1214. The "N" number Decals that came with the Kit just were not going to stay in place. I ended up tracing the outline of the numbers with a fine point Sharpie marker and then using a Sharpie Magnum Permanent Marker colored in or painted the numbers directly on the covering. Its not perfect, but they wont fly off the first time it flies...

Time to order another roll of Solartex so I can cover the fuselage....

kenh3497

I too hit that "90%" mark and stall out sometimes. I keep plugging away and before you know it that revelation comes, "I FINISHED"!!!!! You can set back and enjoy what you have accomplished. Then the really fun part, the maiden flight. Now, that is when the real satisfaction sets in.

Don't give up. Don't kill yourself thinking you have to get it done tomorrow. Take your time and it WILL happen.

It's looking really good so far!!

Ken

JNorton

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Looking mighty fine. Keep on plugging away at it and it will be done before you know it.
John

outdoorhunting

I think the maiden is part satisfaction, part excitment, part "pucker factor." Lookin good, before long you'll say, "geesh, that wasn't so bad."

SteveR3750

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Still poking and whittling away at this thing. I fabricated the landing gear struts out of wire, brass tube and brass sheet as shown on the plans... Painted a little of the interior, covered a little around the windows...covered and mounted the wing struts....... Im starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. If only my Solartex would show up so I could cover the fuselage.. I had to order outside the US and its taking FOREVER.....

Im starting to have concern about the Engine.... Do you all think that the OS .60 MAX FP will be enough to lug this thing around? ... Its gaining weight.... Starting to worry me a little...

Oh well.. Guess we will see... Here are a few of the latest pictures...

JNorton

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That's plenty of motor for a cub. JMO. You are making good progress, it'll be finished in no time.
John