The Iconic Piper J-3 Cub

[Nels_Anderson]

 

The Iconic Piper J-3 Cub

By Frank's MS Flight Sim

 

Come learn about perhaps the most popular trainer aircraft of the 1930s and 40s, the American Piper J-3 Cub. Learn about its history, the Piper company now, and see how to fly the Cub in real life. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

 

 

Frank's MS Flight Sim

 

https://www.youtube.com/@FranksMSFlightSimulator

About Frank's MS Flight Sim

I am an avid recreational pilot and flight simmer. Now retired, my career was in airport engineering, and engineering education and training. I use MSFS to practice aspects of my real-life recreational flying, and to make YouTube videos to share on all aspects of aviation such as: heritage/vintage flights, airfields and aircraft; bush/outback/back-country/mountain/water airstrips; aircraft accident investigations; scenic locations; wars; etc. I make a new video every 7 to 10 days. I provide brief, interesting information, often with history, geography, maps, pictures etc, and great places to fly in MSFS. As an avid, curious life-long learner, my focus is on interesting content. Hope you enjoy watching as much as I do producing. Cheers.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

Frank,

You brought back so many wonderful memories from my early years of flying in the '70s.

The simplicity of the J-3 is why it shines high in my book.

From the fuel float in front of the windscreen, to hand propping, to using the lower door as a stall indicator, to the non-pitot airspeed indicator on the wing, what's not to love.

I most enjoyed just doing spins for fun.

Climb to 3000' (that took a while), enter the spin, and then do multiple progressive spins right then left then right etc, before recovering.

If I remember correctly you only lost about 100' per turn.

As always, Well Done!

[lnuss]

Pretty nice job, Frank. Cubs and their brethren (Champs, T-Craft, et al) are more at home on grass strips, but some areas are shy on those. The climb attitude shown in the "real" segment depends (to a degree) on the pilot's seating height and elevation, since from a 5,000 ft elevation field your climb rate is considerably less, especially on a hot day, and the pitch attitude will vary a little. Still, his point is extremely well taken that you need to fly using visual reference, with no more than an occasional glance at the panel. And you can, for the most part, do the same with most any GA single engine aircraft, even Bonanzas, Mooney's, etc, though they may be helped by slightly more frequent glances at the panel -- still gotta keep your head outside, though.

 

You might also note that the J-3 sometimes needs to be a single place aircraft at high density altitudes, especially where the terrain climbs faster than the aircraft does (common in Colorado and much of the west). I also never did see mention that solo in the Cub is from the back seat only (weight and balance problem), and the control placement (trim, mags, etc.) reflects that.

 

Another fact that wasn't brought out is that the (rather weak) brakes are applied by your heels, with toes on the rudder bars -- heel brakes are decidedly more awkward to use, but it doesn't take too long to become accustomed to them. I might note that, although the heel brakes in the Aeronca Chief that I learned in has the heel brakes mounted on the rudder pedals, the J-3 (and some others) has the brake pedals mounted on the floor, thus not moving with the rudder bars (just a bar, not a pedal like on most later aircraft), so another complication to learn.

 

I was fortunate one time to get to fly a J-4 (side-by-side version of the J-3) and, of course, it flies like a Cub, but has more standard doors rather than the split door like the J-3 and Super Cub.

 

The Cub in my avatar is an L-21A, (military version of Super Cub) and originally came with the Lycoming O-290 125 HP engine and a max of 1550 lbs gross weight. Later we had it converted (via STC) to a Lycoming O-360 150 HP engine and via STC upgraded the airframe to a 1750 lb max gross.

 

You might also note that the J-3 and the early Super Cubs (90 HP, etc.) had no flaps, while the later models had very effective flaps,  with the manual even suggesting that full flaps for takeoff got the shortest ground run (true in mine, too) but it didn't climb as well, naturally.

 

I'll agree with Phrog, too, that spins are fun in Cubs (super and otherwise), as are "dutch rolls" (misnomer), wingovers (within proper limits) MCA* flight, low level sightseeing and more.

 

A note on hand propping, as seen in the video: Unless the tail is tied down or a qualified person is in the cockpit and on the brakes, propping whether done from in front of or, as in the video behind, the prop can be rather dangerous, so inexperienced people shouldn't do that without proper instruction in the technique (stance, etc.).

 

Sweet aircraft-- thanks for the video.

==============================================

*MCA -- Minimum Controllable Airspeed

[PhrogPhlyer]

19 hours ago, lnuss said:

Another fact that wasn't brought out is that the (rather weak) brakes are applied by your heels, with toes on the rudder bars

Lucky you!

Brakes were an optional feature. which were not on the ones I flew.

 

19 hours ago, lnuss said:

A note on hand propping, as seen in the video: Unless the tail is tied down or a qualified person is in the cockpit and on the brakes, propping whether done from in front of or, as in the video behind, the prop can be rather dangerous, so inexperienced people shouldn't do that without proper instruction in the technique (stance, etc.).

Agreed.

[lnuss]

39 minutes ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

Brakes were an optional feature. which were not on the ones I flew.

Hmmm... I never came across a J-3 Cub with no brakes. That could be awkward.  Did you have a tail skid???

[PhrogPhlyer]

8 minutes ago, lnuss said:

Did you have a tail skid???

No, a tail wheel. I vaguely remember landing with as much grass in front of you as you could, as slow as you can over the fence (35-40), and putting the weight on the tail wheel (full back stick) as soon as possible. 

 

[lnuss]

1 hour ago, PhrogPhlyer said:

and putting the weight on the tail wheel (full back stick) as soon as possible. 

Which is very desirable in all tailwheel aircraft, but it would help a little, especially on grass, even at taxi speed -- I'd never want to use a brakeless aircraft on pavement or hard-packed earth, though.

 

And again, thanks to Frank for the memories you brought back -- lots of good memories over many years of Cubs, Aeroncas, Citabrias and a number of similar aircraft. I miss those days...

[FrankPilot]

I am chuffed to see so many stories and memories flowing from my video. What a great Forum! Thanks to Nels for encouraging my video work. Cheers.