learning on a cub?
 

what im trying to do is skip the trainer plane, now before everyone freaks out, let me tell you my situation

i have been flying for 10 yrs off and on,

i think i could fly a cub after some buddy box time with an instructor just to get me back into it again, the last time i flew was about a yr ago. so...once im up and really have mastered the cub well, my question is

could i teach a beginner how to fly if using a combination of buddy box, fligtsim??

i have heard the saying you can learn on anything it just might take you longer depending on the plane?

comments, please

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Yes you could start back up with a cub especially if you have flown before. A lot of people at my club skip buying trainers becasue te majority of them outgrow them and become bored with thim in literally a few weeks. There is at least 3 people who are just about to go solo who all lernt on low wings for the past month or two. I know a cub isnt a trainer but it also isnt as difficult as some of the low wings that i see others learning on. So my advice is yes you can learn on a cub and you can also teach someone on one, might just take a little bit longer.

Goodluck

Jarrah

RE: learning on a cub?
 

So you want to learn on a cub an instruct at the same time. You will miss out on many skills because you will be to busy trying to save your *****. Short cutters make lousy pilots.

RE: learning on a cub?
 

The tricky thing about Cubs is the ground handling. You really can't just bang the throttle stick up on takeoff.

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Mike,
Don't forget about the adverse yaw in a turn with the ailerons too. This is one of the Cub's other nasty habits.

Ken

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Oh yes you can, just be ready for an instant stall and a fun time picking up the pieces!!!:D

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Brian if I were looking for and instructor/mentor to help me actually learn anything then someone who had to ask those questions above would definately not be my choice.


Cyclic Hardover made the statement above that "short cutters make lousy pilots", I would go one further and suggest short cutters make even worse instructor/mentors.


John

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Yes, you can use a combination of both, but unless you have some good recent experience (like a couple consecutive seasons of flying, not on/off flying) and can handle a high performance plane, I wouldn't think of trying to instruct anybody. Flight training is a totally different world. You have to have total confidence in your abilities to the point that you don't think when a student gets into a bad situation, you just react and explain to the student what your doing, why you just took the plane away, the results of what would have happened if you didn't take corrective action, and what the student should have done to avoid the situation all at the same time while not panicking and in a calm voice.

As a flight instructor you have to show complete confidence to the student at all times that you are in full control the plane and situation at all the times.

And as a trainer, Cubs make poor trainers for the reasons stated above.

Hogflyer

RE: learning on a cub?
 

I really hate to say it but the Cub us not going to be around long enough for you to master. I suggest if your going to stick with it this time, go through the learning process again with a trainer.

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Brian-- I figure you could probably "re-learn" on a Cub, provided you get a bunch of practice just horsing it around at a safe altitude before you try any take-offs and landings. I predict it will get dinged up a bit, though. Has your ten years of flying been more "on" or "off"? I know it's like riding a bike, you really never forget how, but it's like any other skill set; the more often and longer you do it, the better you are, and even those skills get lots of rough edges when they go unused for even a short while. Same reason full-scale pilots have to have currency in a type to be able to take passengers. Are you up for being an instructor?

All that aside, we aren't too far from each other, where do you fly? Maybe you'd like to try our field sometime, we've got some great fly-ins this season.

For Cyclic---just something I read......"If the wings are travelling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter, and therefore, unsafe":D

RE: learning on a cub?
 

ok, sold, ill start back at a trainer... i radther go slower AGAIN with FEWER planes than FASTER with MANY planes


im afraid ill be bored with it after 2 months or so... but hey i guess thats what i get for being out of it, this time ill stay with it again..

thanks folks
bs

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Brian, just a thought. A good compromise might be a Sig Rascal 40. Great looking plane, very easy flyer. It still has some "less than trainer" characteristics, such as little dihedral= less roll stability, and some of the usual tail-dragger quirks on takeoff, but otherwise fairly forgiving and a surprising performer.

RE: learning on a cub?
 

We hear this all the time in here, but here's some food for thought. There are not boring planes, only boring pilots. I've been flying for 10 years now and I still have my trainer, and still take it out and fly with it. A trainer will give a lot more "exciting" flying than most will give it credit. Most trainers will do a majority of acrobatics maneuvers. What makes it so much fun is that on the trainer it's usually ALL pilot skill to get the trainer through maneuvers. This can actually make you a better pilot because you have to stop and think about what you need to do to get the plane through a maneuver, and then when you go to a more traditional aerobatic plane you might just find it easier for you to fly maneuvers because of the time you spent on the trainer.

Just some food for thought.

Ken

RE: learning on a cub?
 

I tried to fly my GP Piper .20 as a first plane. I burnt several tanks of fuel on the ground before I could keep it in a straight enough line to try a take off.
After 6 tries and six crashes and 5 repairs I came to the conculsion I needed a trainer. Tower hobby MKii and SP GS40. This plane took off well and handled well, but preferred treetop landings. See members video Treetopflyer. [link=http://www.rcuvideos.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1088260df60fcc5df2b5]http://www.rcuvideos.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1088260df60fcc5df2b5[/link]
Time for plan B. I joined the AMA.Joined my local club and hooked up with 2 instructors and picked up the G3.5 sim. Built a Sig LT 40 and she is ready for her and my maiden with our instructor, when the permits. [link=http://www.rcuvideos.com/view_video.php?viewkey=702cb58de5d7897bfdae]http://www.rcuvideos.com/view_video.php?viewkey=702cb58de5d7897bfdae[/link] I would go with a cheap ARF trainer but install a 6 or 7 channel flight pack, and good engine , that you can transfer to the next plane you want to fly.
I`m just putting the finishing touches on my Goldberg Cub, and have learded my lesson, it hangs on the ceiling till I get my wings. LOL!
P.S With my AMA membership, I got a free buddbox just paid $8.95 for the shipping. Kewl !
Goodluck, let us know what you decide.

RE: learning on a cub?
 

I am currently teaching someone on a GP big stik to which we lowered the throws and with an 11x4 prop on a TT 46 and so far very good results. This pkane will take a big step ahead than a flat bottom winged trainer would.

RE: learning on a cub?
 

You're afraid you'll be bored with a trainer, but you think a CUB will be EXCITING? I've always like the looks of cubs, and thought I wanted one. That was until I saw a fellow club member flying one. About all it can do is go in circles. I know I'd be bored with it.

Just my 2 cents.

Kerry

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Hi kerrydel
Most flyers at our club just go around the field like your fellow with the Cub. That is the level of enjoyment they are comfortable with. I would be bored also just going round and around. I have a .46 size Cub also. I do snap roll, loops, rolls, knife edges, inverted flight, vertical slides, touch and goes, etc. Next time out I'll try a lomcevac with it. You have to build the Cub a little stronger. Mine is a CoroCub, made of corrugated plastic material as explained in the SPAD forum further down the RCUnivers page.

As others have adviced, the Cub has some very bad habits. I would sooner train someone on my Flying Lawnmower than on my Cub. The Cub is always looking to snap roll on you. It has a degree of instability that is not aparent. I have seen over a dozen of them get totaled, including 2 of mine.

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Listen, plan ahead. They make 60 size trainers. Learn on that again, the later on transfer everything over to a cub of similar size. Saves some money this way but don't get rid of the trainer. You may need it again.

RE: learning on a cub?
 

I clipped the wing on mine and drop the dielateral some, does this help with the adverse yaw or should one get used to using a little rudder right off the bat?

RE: learning on a cub?
 

Well, a Cub will train to to use that left stick on the transmitter while in the air.......eventually. If it doesn't, aint nothing going to.

The cub is a great trainer, just not a good primary trainer.