Painting The Pilot (Optional); Building The Seats (Optional); Build The Landing Gear Suspension (Optional) - GREAT PLANES Piper j-3 cub Instruction Manual

Painting the Pilot (Optional)

1. We used a 1/5 scale Williams Brothers #185 Sportsman
Pilot. Assemble your pilot and then glue it to a 1/2" thick balsa
block so he will be about the right height. Shape the block to
match the body contour of the pilot. Paint the pilot and balsa
block as desired and mount him to the cockpit floor using two #4
or #6 wood screws (not included). NOTE: The pilot always flies
the full size J-3 Cub from the rear seat when he is flying solo.

Building the Seats (Optional)

1. Shape the seat backs from 1/4" hard balsa. The front seat
is often rounded and the aft seat usually has straight edges.
2. Glue a piece of 1/8" or 1/4" foam rubber to one surface
of each seat. Rubber cement works well for this.
3. Cover the seat backs with a thin soft black vinyl
(available at most fabric stores). Pull the vinyl tight and glue
it in place with CA.
4. Cut several straight pins to approximately 3/16" long.
Press the pins through the front of each seat to simulate
the upholstery buttons. Paint the heads of the pins to match
the vinyl.
5. Position the seat backs over the 1/16" holes you drilled
earlier in the cockpit floor. Screw the seat backs to the cockpit
floor using #2 or #4 sheet metal screws (not included).
Build the Landing Gear Suspension
The landing gear suspension displayed on the box is
for appearance only. It does not function.
1. You can get as detailed as you like on the suspension,
but we have found that a simple suspension is much easier
to assemble.
2. Bend two pieces of 3/32" music wire (or .095" pushrod
wire) to match the full size template on the fuselage plans.
40
(Optional)