Designing A 40% to 50% J-3 Cub
01-28-2005, 11:23 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (6)
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Bunkie,
LA
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Designing A 40% to 50% J-3 Cub
Well Hello Everyone,
My desire to build especially design seems to be calling me back to the boards again. Years ago when I would do this, the internet was not around. So I would like to share my ideas with you. As you probably know , those of you interested in Piper J-3 Cubs, Balsa USA has about the largest one out there, at 33%. The nice thing they do offer is selling just their plans. Being in Engineering, I've been around many print shops and with todays copiers/plotters, enlarging large sheets is not a problem.
Say for instance we want a 42% Cub taking it off of a 33% set of plans. That sounds like a 9% increase, but its not. Its actually a 27% increase. If you multiply 33 by 1.27, you will get the 42. So the enlargement factor set on the copier is 1.27, and you should end up with what your looking for. The only problem today is most sheets are only 3ft wide, but continous and thats good. You may overlap a little on the fuselage sheet , but I think the wings and tail will all fit on single sheets.
So my question to some of you experts in large aircraft is this? What would you power a 40 or 50 percent Cub with. We all know that most Cubs fly on very little, they are not vertical displaying aircraft, lol. I know a G-62 will fly the 33% well, Im just interested in your ideas on the others.
Also anybody got ideas on landing gear construction, and fiberglass cowl construction. I know the harder procedures, make a plug, cast a mold, then cast a cowl, lot of work. The gear, weld, and braze ???
mokipitts
My desire to build especially design seems to be calling me back to the boards again. Years ago when I would do this, the internet was not around. So I would like to share my ideas with you. As you probably know , those of you interested in Piper J-3 Cubs, Balsa USA has about the largest one out there, at 33%. The nice thing they do offer is selling just their plans. Being in Engineering, I've been around many print shops and with todays copiers/plotters, enlarging large sheets is not a problem.
Say for instance we want a 42% Cub taking it off of a 33% set of plans. That sounds like a 9% increase, but its not. Its actually a 27% increase. If you multiply 33 by 1.27, you will get the 42. So the enlargement factor set on the copier is 1.27, and you should end up with what your looking for. The only problem today is most sheets are only 3ft wide, but continous and thats good. You may overlap a little on the fuselage sheet , but I think the wings and tail will all fit on single sheets.
So my question to some of you experts in large aircraft is this? What would you power a 40 or 50 percent Cub with. We all know that most Cubs fly on very little, they are not vertical displaying aircraft, lol. I know a G-62 will fly the 33% well, Im just interested in your ideas on the others.
Also anybody got ideas on landing gear construction, and fiberglass cowl construction. I know the harder procedures, make a plug, cast a mold, then cast a cowl, lot of work. The gear, weld, and braze ???
mokipitts
01-29-2005, 06:35 PM
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Telford, , UNITED KINGDOM
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Designing A 40% to 50% J-3 Cub
Hello
I haven't built a cub of that size but there is a 50% cub around the show circuit in the UK, have a look at the features aircraft section of the large model associations web site:
www.largemodelassociation.com
There are details of the cub are on there, and you may be able to get in touch with the builder through the forum.
Good luck
I haven't built a cub of that size but there is a 50% cub around the show circuit in the UK, have a look at the features aircraft section of the large model associations web site:
www.largemodelassociation.com
There are details of the cub are on there, and you may be able to get in touch with the builder through the forum.
Good luck
01-29-2005, 10:31 PM
#3
Senior Member
My Feedback: (2)
RE: Designing A 40% to 50% J-3 Cub
I have just finished a 40% scale J-3 Cub that I plan to put on the market. The plane is completely built and just waiting for the right engine. The plans are drawn, and a complete 40 page instruction book with 165 bulding photos is finished. Also there will be a photo CD with 180 photos that can be viewed on a computer, and enlarged as necessary to view the bulding process in greater detail. Every part in the airplane has a part number, and is referenced in the building manual. It's a big airplane. The building manual will feature 1-2-3 construction, the likes of which has never been seen on this big a model. Nothing will be released until the airplane has been flown, which should be in a month or so. Here are a couple of photos of it hanging in my garage. Note the size of the wings - 14 ft. span.
01-30-2005, 04:56 PM
#4
RE: Designing A 40% to 50% J-3 Cub
mokipitts,
You can get a set of full size Sport Trainer plans(J-3 Copy) from www.wagaero.com. I have these plans and they are very nice. You can interchange stock J-3 parts with this plane. The drawings are $74.50 With these you can build an exact replica in any scale you wish right down to the last fitting. I was going to do this in 33% then I found Bob Nelits plans and purchased a set, they are very nice and are probably the best scale J-3 Cub plans available.
If you are going that big of scale I would suggest welding a set of scale gear and making a cowl out of aluminum. I plan on doing both with my 33% cub. I will be working right from my WAGAERO plans for all my scale details on my cub.
Good LucK!!
Anthony
You can get a set of full size Sport Trainer plans(J-3 Copy) from www.wagaero.com. I have these plans and they are very nice. You can interchange stock J-3 parts with this plane. The drawings are $74.50 With these you can build an exact replica in any scale you wish right down to the last fitting. I was going to do this in 33% then I found Bob Nelits plans and purchased a set, they are very nice and are probably the best scale J-3 Cub plans available.
If you are going that big of scale I would suggest welding a set of scale gear and making a cowl out of aluminum. I plan on doing both with my 33% cub. I will be working right from my WAGAERO plans for all my scale details on my cub.
Good LucK!!
Anthony
