How to Loop a Piper J 3 Cub Poorly

[@yellowcubdriver9545]

First time I did a loop, I fell out of it. The engine sputtered. I must have been so excited that I let go of the stick. I then got it all straight and level and tried again. Second time was better. I got back on the ground and my brother said I broke my loop cherry! Been looping ever since. Nice videos. Keep it coming!

[@jonathanzarinnia884]

Thanks, man! I appreciate the kind words and the story. For me it was half-Cubans. Stuff that was a cinch in the Decathlon was suddenly challenging even to do poorly in the Cub. Finally getting it felt awesome.

[@airstation2030]

Great job… Love the cartoons

[@alexhuey6489]

I used to fly a 1945 wood spar clipped wing with a 65. Taught myself basic acro in it. Miss that plane everyday

[@jonathanzarinnia884]

Clip wings are really nice.

[@RobRollins-u2b]

Always wanted to try one in the cub , i have a 46 metal spar

[@jonathanzarinnia884]

We have the same year Cubs! Also with metal spars. If you haven't taken a basic aerobatics course, get a few hours in with an instructor. Once that's done I hope you have a good time looping your Cub! It's pretty gentle and a hoot to boot.

[@vironpayne3405]

Yes, the cub is fun! When I was about 5-6yo, I did talk my dad into a whip stall. He had instructed in Steermans and C-47s in WWII. My oldest brother feared clouds. My middle brother got air sick. I thought airplanes were meant to be roller coasters where you make the track as you go. I was confident that if a control surface had been broken, my dad would still get us down safe. He had learned to fly in a neighbors literal bamboo and bedsheets biplane kept in a barn. He said he enjoyed doing aerobatics in C-47s. After graduating from Texas A&M with BS EE, he joined the Army Air Corp shortly before the war started. When his primary class graduated, two volunteers that were in the infirmary that day were sellect for transport school. My dad offered $10,000 cash and his 1939 Cadillac to all 45 men in his class for their slot in fighter school. Every man turned him down. The C-47 transport carrying the class to fighter school crashed into a mountain killing all aboard.

[@jonathanzarinnia884]

Wow! Thanks for sharing a little about your dad's life!

[@christoole1664]

All good until you over-stress the empennage. How many positive/negative G's is it rated for?

[@nopenheimer]

Pasting from WINGS OF SILVER PIPER J-3 Cub OPERATIONS MANUAL & POH - AvSport odd, don't assume accuracy: In general, as long as you have sufficient altitude and airspeed, you can, within limits, toss a Cub around pretty much as you please, due to its inherently low speed gentle habits. The J-3 is rated for an absolute maximum load of +6.15 Gs, and operational maximum load of +4.1 Gs. However, the J-3 not rated for very much negative G load, no more than - 2 Gs; so go easy with any maneuver that might incur negative G forces. Unless you are really wild, you will not get into much not much trouble in any event that, with skill, you can't pull yourself out of it without bending the bird or yourself.

[@christoole1664]

@@nopenheimerthanks for the reply. The cub is such a gentle soul. I imagine it would be hard to get it to come apart. I'm probably a little over cautious but that's how you make old pilots - lol.

[@jonathanzarinnia884]

It's good you're thinking about this, and, yes it's the empennage that's the weak spot. Over 20000 airframes and 80+ years of flying, there is not much history of in-flight failures of the j-3. Citabrias and Decathlons are planes I love, but the Cub is harder to break than they are. Increasing maintenance by periodically replacing attach hardware is a good way to stay ahead of potential issues. It's also a cheap way to keep some peace of mind.

[@christoole1664]

@ that sounds reasonable to me. I haven't been up in a legitimate piper j3 in probably 30 or 40 years. I love the plane and it's the best color in the world to be able to see. It's some of the flyingiist flying you can do I believe.