G'mornin Bud. Do you have a sis' named Cindy down here in S FL. She too is a Realtor...did a deal with her recently. Anyway...regarding yesterdays flights. All went well. The balance appears to be acceptable and there were no problems to report...so...keep your batteries, and everything else as far forward as possible, and you shouldn't have to add any dead nose weight to achieve proper balance. Now, as for performance. The Saito 150 hauled the Super Cub around without any difficulty at all, and most flying was done very scale like at about half throttle. Flaps are really not needed for either landing or takeoff, but it is another cute toy to play with. A very little flap...10 or 15 degrees...will get her up off the ground even more quickly, but then you must be prepared to push in a little down elevator, while you are climbing out, or return the flaps to zero, to prevent ballooning while the throttle is up high. More flap can be used while landing, but you will find that there is a point where the excess flap simply won't allow the Cub to settle down as you may want it to in a landing...that is until it gets so slow...it stalls. So, be careful with the use of a lot of flap, and be sure to program a mix in to automatically add a little down elevator (amount to be determined by experimentation...while flying up safely high) along with your flap control...that'll keep her flying nice and level as you bring in the flaps. However, if you intend to do more aggresive aerobatics, you'll find that the Saito 150 runs out of steam before reaching any great vertical height. Oh you can do some nice stall turns and smallish loops, but if you want them to be up high...you better start from a high level flight. The plane is just too heavy for any straight up performance...but then...it is just a Cub. The roll rate is slow...again, very scale like. The all up flying weight comes in at about 16 to 17 pounds, so it is no wonder that it needs a bunch of horsepower to try to do any aggressive aerobatics. I was able to hold a silly looking knife-edge all the way across the field, but it did take a lot of rudder, and a fair amount of fiddleing with elevator and aileron to keep it in that position. The Super Cub really shines on its low and slow abilities. Try to achieve very tiny carb' throttle movements with each click of the throttle stick...I actually program in some exponential on the throttle to try and make the movements finer. You will then easily find the "sweet spot" on the throttle where she just floats down and barely kisses the runway for those nice touch and goes, and the great looking grease in landings. Thats the latest on my PA-18. I like mine a lot, and I hope everyone has as good a time with theirs.
Happy Holidays.
Jim

Thanks Ben!

O.K. guy's...my turn to ask questions. How the heck do you use the velcro to hold the tank down??? Never use the stuff. I have twh long strips that came with the package and when you peel it apart I have four long strips?

Bud

Never mind, took a better look at the picture in manual and see it's overlapped about an inch. Duh!
Whew...and I came close to asking my wife

Jim,
Sorry I missed your question on your post about having a sis named cindy in Fla. Nope...have a sis in orange city though, only realtor in family is daughter and she lives in Md. Anyway...I finally got my tank mounted. I didn't mount on floor but mounted inverted and it clears floor but is still low enough for the low carb on my 160 twin. I also made a ply mount for the edr on board glow and mounted it on top of the tank. If I remove the two screws shown in picture I can slide the whole assembly out or just the tray for the edr. I read that Dick Pettit put his edr on top of the tank and it still balanced where it was supposed to so here's hoping. I believe in his report he stated the edr weighed 14 oz. I weighed the entire tank assembly with the added ply and the edr and battery on my gram scale and it was 340 grams which converts to 11.9931471 oz. Must have done something right for a change. Will run battery charge wire and glow light through instrument panel when I get one. Almost forgot to mention...the ply plate that holds the tank is notched and is held in place by the ply brackets and screws, the tank is slid back some to keep from interfering with the two bottom cowling screws, don't need screws into the tank!
Note: Added pic.with notch.

Bud

Just want to wish everyone who has shared this thread a safe and happy holiday season.
Hope to see everyone back here in the spring with new super cubs and some great flying reports. Maybe even some new reports this winter after santa's visit.

Bud

Hi Bud, and best of the holiday season to you too. I am putting up a few pix to show my ideas on the D.P. Super Cub. One pic shows the plywood board I installed on the floor of the cockpit, to carry the batteries all the way forward...where fingers cannot reach...and by removing those (4) allen head screws..quick and easy to do..I can slide out the board and service the batteries/wiring. The batteries are strapped on with velcro, just like the fuel tank. Rather than for service, the board is really there to enable me to get the weight of the batteries way up forward where it is needed to achieve proper CG balance. Obscured by the power switch is the mini Hitec servo I use for the throttle. It works well and is very neatly out of the way. The red velcro tab on the board is where my on board glow fits. It is currently removed for repair/replacement.
The windshield pic shows (2) tiny button head screws holding it onto the airframe. There are (2) on each side. I did this initially so that I could fly the plane and check things out in the air before glueing it in and sealing off the big front access to the cockpit. Now, after seeing how well it holds, I may never glue the windshield in. Being able to remove the windshield provides wonderful access for working on a scale interior, or just maintenance. What a nice difference when you can get one hand in the front and the other hand through the top.
The motor pic shows a number of my innovations. I tried to keep from making holes in the cowl..so...my fueler is located on the side, and access to it is very reasonable where the cowl sticks out an inch or so from the fuselage sides. I did have to solder the fueler tip onto a three inch piece of brass tubing in order to get the thing plugged in. Nothing shows when the cowl is on.
There were just too many problems trying to make the stock Saito exhaust fit inside the cowl, so I opted for the Saito flex exhaust, with a pressure nipple for the fuel tank. It works beautifully, and the sound is no louder than the stock muffler, and in fact, the exhaust note sounds a little better too. I made one concession to holes in the cowl...I bored out for the exhaust, centered on the bottom, and then slit the cowl from that hole aft, so that I could gently bend the cowl along the point of the slit, and slide the cowl on, or take it off, without removing anything from the exhaust system. I found that when running, the flex pipe would vibrate violently. It needed some stabilization. I installed a piece of piano wire, strapped to the firewall with those little landing gear straps, and then just put a hose clamp around the flex, and the piano wire, and then just tightened it all up. The hose clamp isn't pretty, but no one hardly ever sees it, and it was quick and cheap, and it keeps the vibration from destroying the weld joint where the flex meets the solid pipe. The flex tube does stick down quite far...and that could be shortened for scale appearance...but a very nice side benefit is that it keeps a lot of the exhaust goo from covering the landing gear. That is appreciated at clean up time. While the On-Board_Glow is out for repair, I am installing a simple remote glow connector, directly below the fuel filler. You can see the notch I made to allow the tiny bracket to fit flat onto the firewall. The bracket actually allows the connector to sit further back that the fueler, making it easier to get to. Again, no holes in the cowl. The last pic shows my wing strut connectors. Rather than fumble with a bunch of 4-40 screws, and have to use two tools to tichten them in place...I simply bent a 4-40 threaded rod to fit the strut mount, and now I can tighten them with just a nut driver. I put a little shrink tube on them just for looks. They have worked out quite well.
Well friends, thats it for now.
Happy Holidays.
Jim

Hi Jim,
Ya done good as the saying goes! Glad everything worked out for you and i'm sure it will help others using the same engine, battery placement etc. Thanks for the pic's. they're always welcome. Just wish our weather was as good as yours. Snow was mentioned on the news. [] Merry Christmas.

Bud

To Cap'n Jim:

Be aware that 4-40 pushrod wire is a whole lot softer than a bolt shank. Over time it may wear or break.

Great idea, and it saves you a little time, but normal bolts may save your plane

HI Pettit. Yes, I thought about that ,as well the metal fatigue that occurs when the threaded rod is bent so severely, but here's how this all came about. While looking over my friends D.P. Super Cub, I noticed him having a difficult time securing his wing struts. He was bent over in an awkward position,and fumbling around with an allen wrench in one hand and a nut driver in the other, and the allen wrench was rubbing uncomfortably against the fuse'... and so this whole ordeal became a focal point. I casually mentioned that a U-bolt of some sort would make things a little easier...eliminating the need for an allen wrench on top to hold the screw while tightening it up with a nut driver on the bottom. Well anyway..the suggestion of simply bending a 4-40 rod was blurted out, and although all the aforementioned worrys were talked about...he was determined to make this field assembly a more easy task to accomplish...without having to spend so much time in a painful pretzel like yoga position. So, with that all said, we bent a couple of 4-40 threaded rods, and he was happy with the new ease of assembly. Now, after many many flights, those little bent 4-40 rods are holding up well and show no signs of cracking, etc. His success caused me to become much more comfortable with the idea and so I incorporated it into my own Super Cub. A more ideal cure would be to tack weld the regular hardened 4-40 bolts onto something resembling a metal landing gear strap. That'd make the device stronger and just as replaceable too. The lack of appropriate welding equipment however is what poses the problem. I'll continue to seek a more reliable solution to this, but I feel it will probably be like the old "temporary filling". Still in place after all these years. In the failure risk analysis, I think it unlikely that both ends of the bent rod would totally let go simultaneously, and so, with only one of the wing struts fully carrying the load, the plane would probably continue to fly its flight and land without any event,...assuming the flight to be gentle and Cub like. Of course that's just my optimistic guess...8&gt
Thanks for the comment, and Happy Holidays.
Jim

HOW MANY READ MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS FEB 2005 PG 90 ??? .......TE

Not me...whats it say? Was this the Super Cub test report that Dave has been saying is coming out someday soon? I get all my r/c news online these days...The mag's seem to have just gotten old....dishing out the same old drivel...making every test report of every (advertisers) new plane sound like the answer to an r/c pilots dream. It reminds me of when I was into boats and subscribed to every monthly magazine that was printed. After so many years, I got tired of reading the same stuff over and over...how many times can you enjoy an article on how to do a bottom paint job. Same thing with the latest trainer plane write-up. I probably miss some interesting ads though. New ideas are often quite interesting.
Happy Holidays.
Jim

How about following the advise of my tag line.

Use a dab of JB Weld do secure a pair of 4-40 bolts and lock washers, pointing down, to the bracket.

Slip the strut fittings up onto the bolts and tighten the safety nuts with a nut driver.

Make sure you tighten the nuts and bolts securely the first time before the JB sets up .

Briliant idea Dick...I have to admit that I had considered that at one time, but having no experience with the product, and hence, little confidence in it, I imagined that it would fail when placed under stress, ...as when tightening the nut. Thanks to you focusing my attention to the details, I realize now that even if the JB Weld bond failed...the bolt and nut is still in place and the strut is still quite secure...so...this very day I shall go out and purchase a quantity of this seemingly well respected goo, and the test will be under way. I will be careful to avoid getting the JB into the allen key socket...just in case the bond ever fails and I need to hold the bolt in order to remove the nut.
Thanks, and Happy Holidays.
Jim

Yep, every so often, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn...

Bud
I have been following your posts with much interest as I build my DP Cub. I am at the point of mounting the tank and I like the way you showed it in your post. I will be using an OS 160 twin and need to lower the tank like you did. Its hard to tell from the picture, but did you have to cut an opening in the tank mounting panel in the plane so the tank will fit in the lower position? Looks like from the picture that you did cut the bulkhead. If you cut the panel, how in the world were you able to cut that panel up inside the cowl section? My panel is glued in. I'm trying to decide whether I should cut up the internal structure or mount the tank per the instructions and just deal with a tank location higher than the needle valve. Thanks
Ric

Ric
Since I can't find anywhere in these posts the pictures of my f/wall opening i'll post them...I apoligize for double posting if they're here somewhere, having a case of CRS Since I didn't use standoffs and went with a box it was easy to cut the existing tank support to lower my tank, I cut the f/wall with a dremel and cutting wheel first and then used a razor saw to cut the support. Came out better than I thought and took little time to do. Had been using a zona saw with no handle for years but bought a nice razor saw with a handle...what a difference! If your using standoffs with your engine you have a different problem with cutting the support...might be possible from inside the cockpit but close the door so no one will hear you cuss! Don't forget if you use the box it has to be offset on the f/wall so the engine shaft meets the center of the cowl opening.

Bud

Bud
Thanks for your info and quick reply. I was referring to your post number 304 which shows the tank stuff from the cabin side. I'm not cutting the firewall in my installation, so I either cuss or get a cline regulator. Oh well, RC hobbies are cheap
Ric

Finished the super cub and test flew it this past Friday. This is a beautiful airplane. It went together with very few problems. The kit had 2 left rear wing struts and no right rear wing strut. After a call to Dave Patric I got the correct strut within a few days. The plane has a Saito 150 for power, Hitec HS-635's on ailerons, elevator, and rudder. Standard servos on the throttle and flaps. 5 cell 1700 Ma Nicad pack. Master Airscrew 16x8 prop. Dave Brown 3" spinner. 20 ounce Dubro Tank (a 16 ounce tank would be more than enough for this motor). Slimline Pitts muffler. Futaba 7CAP transmitter. I put the battery and receiver as shown in the directions and it balanced just a little aft of the center of the CG. Total weight was 15 lbs.
Test Flight: Temp- 50 degrees. Winds- light.
After checking the surfaces for the correct deflection and then letting another pilot double check, I fired up the motor. The Saito 150 is a great motor. After only one break in tank of fuel it will idle down to 1400 RPM and stay there. Take off was very easy. A few clicks of down elevator and right aileron and the plane was in trim. It didn't have unlimited verticle but it had more than enough power. Big loops from level were easy. Stall turns were no problem. I put in the recommended 20% aileron to rudder mix and it seemed to corner very nicely. Landings were the best part. This plane will really slow down, more so than I am used to. It is really fun to land. I had about a 5mph head wind and I tried a landing with full flaps (as per the recommended full flap throw setup). It is amazing how steep an angle you can descend with the flaps on and not pick up air speed. I did mix in 8% of down elevator with this flap setup.
After the first landing I noticed that the screws for one of the landing gear spring covers had come loose. After tightening them I took it up for another flight. I flew on high rates for all surfaces (I feel that the low rates are too low). I added about an extra inch of rudder throw and put the elevator expo to 40% from 60%. Rolls are cub slow but not bad. Spins were at a good rate and were very easy to come out of. Length of the field knife edge without loosing any altitude were quite easy. With a little mix the knife edges would be simple. Inverted flight required just a little bit of down elevator and was very stable.
I assembled and test flew this plane for a friend. I am not normally a cub fan but this is an incredible airplane. If you want to fly around slow and cub like it will do that, but it is capable of much more and it is the best looking plane I have ever put together. I really enjoyed flying this plane

I am joining this thread late, so forgive me if this has already been covered. I am planning on getting the white ARF but want to do my own trim scheme in red (or???). Do all white ones come with the J-3 type lightning bolt and N-numbers affixed in black trim or can you order it "blank"? If not, does the black trim and lettering material come off fairly easily?

Thanks,
rcmike57

Hi Mike,
Welcome.....They come with the N numbers and lightning bolt but they peel off easily, they're vinyl. I just cleaned where they were with alcohol. I have the white one and did my own colors, there are pictures in an earlier post. There may be a back order on the white ones last I heard, you'll have to check with DPM.

Bud

IN SO FAR AS WHITE GOES I had ordered White one not long - and the only time I have been able to talk to them WAS be cause - ONLY YELLER REMAINEDAND THE LADY Called me with " ah ya want your money back ?" Well just keep it , if there is a possibility for more WHITE IN THE FUTURE ?? long silence ut ah IT MAY BE A LONNGG TIMMEE before we have any more
WHITE , AH ok SEND ME THE PLAIN JANE YELLER THEN which they did PDQ. I've tried several times to get in touch with em , via FAX , snail mail but no response ! ABOUT an instrument panel I ordered - WAY before the plane . .............te

What...no one got one for christmas?? Bummer

Well, I didnt get mine at Christmas, it came a lot earlier this year. Over the holidays, I did spend a lot of time working on the cub , and I am now up to starting the wings and hinges. ( Who finishes ARFs in 15 hours?... maybe Dick Petit?) The worst part so far was those awful hinge slots on the tail surfaces. Another thing, I really dont like the cable supports between the fin and the stab....I wonder if they are really necessary to support the loads. It is a cub, right? I dont expect to do 3D. I used Du Bro 1/4 scale tail support rods instead of the cables in the kit, it looks more finished than the crimped cables with shrink tubing, but it still looks foreign on a cub. I have yet to go back and figure why the landing gear has no flex. I had no trouble with the pull-pull rudder, a first time use for me. The covering was nice and tight when the kit arrived, but now there are a lot of wrinkles. I am wondering if I should shrink them back as they appear, or leave them alone and do it all at once.
So far, the kit has been an absolute joy to work on. My wife wonders where I was for the last two weeks.

Glad to hear i'm not the only one savoring mine. Here's the real deal on the stab cables, this is on a J3...I imagine the super cub is the same or similar. I had some trouble with my landing gear flexing also, I think the paint got on it but I slid the covers off some to expose the springs and twisted the gear some to break loose the paint and put some 3 in 1 oil on them and pushed down a few time and they now flex. My first time with a pull pull system too but haven't gotten to that point yet, i'm working on an interior right now. Saving the wings for last and will get my wrinkles out after all is finished. Thinking of adding a lighting system per February issue of MAN page 90. Electrodynamics makes a great set! It was done on a DPM super cub for those of you who may not have seen it!

Bud

Boy, am I out in left field. Your pictures prompted me to go to the supercub web site ( I should have done this earlier) and I looked at the pictures of full size cubs, and lo and behold, they have tail struts! I guess its not so foreign after all for those who know better. I should have known, I flew a J3 cub from Des Moines Iowa to Stillwater Okla when I was in college after an intermural flying meet. I should have looked back at the tail.
My only excuse is I learned to fly in a Aeronca Champ. Old age too.