1/3 scale Balsa USA Piper Super Cub.

[instaurator]

Hi,
Can you please advise me about the Balsa USA 1/3 scale Piper Super Cub. Is there enough information on the plans to scratch build this model, or do you need to buy the kit. Its just that I like to build from plans. I have never bought a kit in the last 20 plus years, after buying 3 kits from a manufacture (now out of business ) with really poor wood selection , I did build two of them but I could only use the kits for templates.
Mike.

[2walla]

Balsa USA kits usually have pretty good wood in them, Sure you can build one from the plans, but they won't sell you all of the cool stuff that comes in the kit like the boot, gear, wing fairings, strut lingages,etc. If you like to fly inverted or do outside manuvers I would modify the upper fuse and wing attachment a bit as there isn't a lot of strength there. I am going to modify my BUSA Cub to have a tube with some screws as I inadvertantly pulled the top of the fuse apart doing an outside snap. I have seen a couple others modified with short wing tubes simply to ease assembly. It is a two person job to put it together without the tubes, with them it is a lot easier and can be done by one person.

[instaurator]

Thanks 2Walla,
I was going to keep this model just for float flying, and fly only scale maneuvers But I will now look hard at the upper fuse and wing attachment if I buy this plan? This will be my forth Cub. I started with a 1/6 scale then a 1/5 and the one I am using just now is a j3 1/4 scale, I just love cubs.Now the only thing I have to do now is get it past my financial advisor (wife). the kit is a bit expensive plus the engine and I have already have a good supply of balsa ply carbon etc. so building from a plan makes more financial sense, the engine I will get for Christmas, that how I get engines the whole family chip in to buy it and the wife orders it.
I do not want to over power this model, I need just enough to get it off the water,I like the look of the Zenoah zg62sl, do you think this will be enough power or will I have to go larger? I like the Zenoah engines the zg20 starts so easy (but the LiPo cell (3,7V) is flat only after three flights ) in my 1/4 scale cub.
Mike.

[gachezem]

sub

[2walla]

I have a stock g62 w/spring starter on mine now. It has plenty of power and would be fine for floats. The cub has so much wing that it will fly at a very low throttle setting. The plane is plenty strong for positive manuvers. The wing attaches with two 8/32 bolts each side that you have to insert from inside the fuse thru the door opening. The bolts provide all of the shear strength and the clamping that hold the wing on. It can be a bear to handle to get the two bolts started and the struts aligned if you don't have a good helper. The weakness is that to retain the scale looks, the only structure holding the top of the fuse from spreading is a buttjoint with a 1/4x 2" piece of basswood that crosses just in front of the window on top the fuse. If you load the plane up with positive G's that small butt joint will pop leaving only the covering holding the loads. I am thinking that a wing tube setup would be better as it would pass the loads better thru the fuse to the other wing. I have looked at several other BUSA Cubs that have had the upper fuse modified.
I would also move the lower wing strut attachment point away from the stock location 1/4 to 1/2 inch aft as it can be hard to get the bolts that hold the strus on started- if you go from the top down you mark up the side of the fuse and if you go from the bottom the gear can interfere. It is a very scale looking plane and does fly really well.
I am thinking of tearing mine down this winter, clipping the wing and putting on an a bit more power. Can't bring myself to spring for a Hempel.

[instaurator]

Ok thanks I have been looking at some of the build threads and I can see what you mean about the wing mounting, it should be easy to fit a wing tube and then reinforcing the basswood that crosses just in front of the window with carbon tape for a stronger joint, but I will see it better when I get the plan. It would be good if someone had a picture of how they have modified the upper fuse.

[KnowCrashes]

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