The Construction of a Light Aircraft (1943)

Watch the construction of a Piper J-3 Cub filmed at the actual Piper aircraft factory. Filmed in 1943.

[@ColeAviation]

I bet you I’ve watched this video 20 times over the past three years of restoring my Grandaddys 1946 J-3 Cub (NC87933) 😁👍🏼

[@alanmydland5210]

why?

[@ColeAviation]

@@alanmydland5210 Why you asking WHY??

[@delawarepilot]

WOW, this is a treasure trove on info. Thanks for posing this! Crome molly welding, jigs and nibblers, rib forming, rag work. This is the kind of thing I hoped youtube would be. Added to my favorites.

[@Darthbelal]

Every single airplane enthusiast who has so much as DREAMED of building their own aircraft has got to be drooling over the tools and dies featured in this video.......

[@karanvnation9090]

Darth Belal hello Darth ,it's karan here I'm 21y Nd I live in India ,it's my dream to built my self an light aircraft Nd I think I will the first one in my country if I succeed in my dream ,I found ur comment which shows ur itrest,so plz can u contact me or text me as I have some question may be u can answere them ? Here my no 00917973390823 u can WhatsApp also

[@navinsingh1730]

@@karanvnation9090 Ultralights or experimental aircrafts are not legal in India

[@CallmeDaBreeze1971]

This makes me want to start building my RC Piper Cub kit right now. That model shown in the film is awesome.

[@schlutorflyer]

That model is a work of art. I wonder what ever became of it.

[@lifeingeneral9111]

J3, still thousands flying

[@billveek9518]

Probably sold at antiques roadshow or in some yard sale for twenty bucks.

[@lorriecarrel9962]

I absolutely love these old vids,I wish I could find more like this,I like most how they narrate the whole process

[@jhettish]

This is a great find. Thanks for posting this. I'm a fractional owner of a J3C-65 built in 1946. It's good to see what went into the construction. In two weeks it's getting an annual inspection and some maintenance. With around 300 hours of flight in Tricycle aircraft I'm 6.5 hours and about 25 landings in my "new" cub, which is only one year younger than me. :-)

[@cgsturm]

Congrats! Glad you enjoyed this classic video (movie).

[@TheNorthPilot]

Wow. This is a real jewel ! I still so impressed with the tools they have and they made in 1943. Extraordinary Thanks for sharing.

[@LibertyLakeWildlife]

Great to see a movie like this preserved. Nice insight into the good old days! First airplane I ever saw on the ground was a J3 all alone on a grass field.

[@jonathanolsen7254]

Glad to see that there is filmed construction on this aircraft. Thanks for sharing this with everyone...

[@mynameisntimportant9341]

Working on building my own cub from scratch, what a great source of information

[@wingnutzster]

I built several all metal experimentals, one in kit form and others from scratch off drawings as well as a 'plastic' airplane (composite) but still yearn for a wood and tube build using the time honored methods shown here, the cubs were magnificent feats of engineering with few modern day equals in legend and longevity.

[@anthonymannwexford]

Thanks for the upload. Reminds me of my old Signal Corps training videos..

[@r.waynefournier4283]

Superb design, brilliant and simple. Hats off to the many smart young men and women who contributed to the construction of this great airplane that trained so many pilots for the job ahead.

[@karanvnation9090]

Wayne Fournier hello sir my name is karan nd I'm from India ,plz help me as I'm looking forward to built light aircraft as it's my dream. If u can suggest me or help me with ur experience Nd ideas it will be honour for me .contact or wtsapp me 00917973390823

[@magna59]

Thank you for putting this up .

[@GarySNortonPhD]

Thank you Mr. Sturm. I thoroughly enjoy your uploads. I must say, reading the first few comments, that there are many contributors who are obtuse about what they think they know.

[@sherriandalan]

Thanks for posting this, it shows that not much has changed in light aircraft for 70 years except the engines. Rotax rules the light aircraft field.

[@iraqattacks]

rotax is overpriced crap

[@brycekat]

Thanks for posting! That was Wonderful!

[@agentsmith1527]

What an awesome video. Thank you for uploading this.

[@SSmith-fm9kg]

Glad the film was converted to video to preserve it. The deterioration was pretty bad in some places. Great to see the technology of the time building the craft.

[@jonbertrand3251]

"A short quick run and the airplane leaves the ground and climbs rapidly..." I don't think a cub does anything rapidly.

[@southjerseysound7340]

+Jon Bertrand True,except for maybe a ground loop LOL

[@myotherusername9224]

Heh. (It was time for the yearly comment).

[@garvinhooper]

according to what the engine is 100 hp or better and hold the brakes bring it up to 2850 and see how quick she comes off

[@jamesbass8599]

Falls in LOVE with her owner is my response or vise-versa.

[@ColeAviation]

I would do ANYTHING to have this model they have. I can’t get enough this video. I’ve watched it probably 10 times. Lol.

[@stanburdick9708]

Just like a model airplane only bigger scale, love these old videos when the world was Young and innocent..😎

[@MrShaneSunshine]

Ooooooh - Informative! Cheers!

[@Coops777]

Loved the video thankyou. Im a bit confused about the J3 having a single piece door that swings forward, not upward

[@behrouzmovahed7525]

Amazing, awesome,... Really I can't find any verb to transfer my feel...thank you so much.

[@cristianfernandez7889]

amazing amazing amazing!!!!

[@bartcornelissen7090]

Nice video, i like the simplicity of the Piper J-3 Cub.

[@gregson99]

simple but yet still soo much goes into its production. Every piece categorized and right size. Amazing to think they had all this going a mere 40 years after 1st flight in aviation.

[@kennedysingh3916]

Thank you

[@bluehornet6752]

Years ago when preparing to take a checkride for my flight instructor rating, I needed training (and sign-off) for spins and recoveries into/out of both directions. And that training was in a J-3 Cub. It was the most fun I'd had in aviation up to that point. This is when I was young, limber and skinny mind you...so fitting into a Cub was much easier.

[@billveek9518]

Then get an ebike and lose the fat

[@gwheyduke]

Mercerization is a process applied to cotton - to increase luster. it was found that the process also had secondary benefits: the mercerized fibers were able to absorb more water, and absorb more dye, The difference is dramatic: mercerization increases the absorption of dyestuffs by as much as 25%

[@albertlert]

Thanks for this 😊

[@citabrickr]

@IFLYLOW2011 It's a J5, there are three planes shown in the video, the J3, J5 and L4.

[@kc97chief]

My father was working at that time for Piper.

[@verruxlunox8438]

This is so god damn beautiful

[@RDHzone]

I think that is actually a J5 Cruiser he is flying. Notice the door is not the half doors of a J3, the fuel filler is not behind the engine, and that the pilot flies from the front seat.

[@BingoSunNoon]

+RDHzone It is not a J3, for sure, but I've never flown a J5

[@cmairplaneman]

+RDHzone Sure looks like a J-5

[@CallmeDaBreeze1971]

+RDHzone I too noticed that the plane showed being test flown looked like a J5. The J3 was shown in production though.

[@PC9JEFF]

the rudder is shaped different too. The top of it comes to more of a point than rounded like a J-3

[@wingnutzster]

Agreed, several telling differences in shape and size. The J5 first appeared at the compass swing part of the video and from then on ...although I think the manufacturing shown was for the J3

[@endwood]

Excellent👍

[@blainejobin1039]

hi, great vid,,, i am in the process of buy an,,,,1947 Areo champ,,what i am wondering is there any plans or kits that i may add aluminium, wing structure>>>???

[@MsFlyght]

Very interesting thanks for sharing!

[@clippedwing-bensmith1614]

Beautiful!

[@billveek9518]

The Cub, they never forgot her.

[@gmcjetpilot]

I was surprised at the number of big hammers and pounding to install the fasteners.

[@MrBer43]

Very Intresting!

[@jhonnygranja2127]

Sencillamente FANTÀSTICO

[@hernanvaldes494]

Recien lo vi de casualidad lo encontre esto es un lujo dan ganas de hacerse uno y lo digo porque en su momento compre los planos para hacer unpo similar la verda es un lujo ver esto

[@unapro3]

This was one of the most enjoyable videos I have seen. Simple aircraft back then, No avionics to give you a headache.

[@scarakus]

Great Video, I have 2 of these (Radio Control ones)..

[@ZReviews]

That tailspin test at the end is a bit hairy. I mean, what if it fails.

[@southjerseysound7340]

+Z Reviews The test pilot gets to test out his parachute ;) Also a plane can fail the test for certification by not recovering in the time allowed yet still fly.

[@scarakus]

@25:39 The Pilot has a parachute.

[@jhettish]

That's why those guys were wearing parachutes.

[@robertlee9395]

the pilot takes over!

[@jhettish]

You might have noticed that the factory test pilots were wearing parachutes. Based on the cramped rear cockpit in my J3C I can't imagine wearing a back pack parachute while flying a Cub. The failure of the airplane during the first flight is why test pilots wear parachutes and sometimes crash helmets.

[@chrisbanbury]

Spruce spars, amazing.

[@freezerburn04]

Brovo, bravo!

[@Logjam5]

The engine sounds good at the end of the vid.

[@peteranderson037]

If this was filmed in 1943 then these are probably being built for the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Only aircraft built for war needs were built during the war. Most Cubs at this time were being built as L-4s for artillery spotting purposes.

[@corystyers6854]

My wife works in this factory now it's no longer for air planes but now called SA Piper

[@andyw248]

Very nice find! Even though the narrator does not understand the role of ailerons, when he says they are there "to balance the aircraft" :)

[@waswestkan]

Reasonable to assume the narrator was using a script made available the manufacturer. Perhaps balance was the word they used to describe the function of ailerons.

[@southjerseysound7340]

+Andreas Wieberneit during manufacture ailerons have to be balanced and I figured that this is where the confusion came about.

[@drstevenrey]

Gotta love the Americans for their aloominoom on the fuse-a-lodge.

[@garvinhooper]

looks like a J5 to me I owned a 1941 J5 looks just like this one that is being tested

[@jim5148]

Fun old film to watch, but I thought the J3 Cubs soloed from the back only.

[@jimsvideos7201]

Cotter pins and lockwire 😊

[@Jimmyzb36]

Yes sir. There is no replacement for training and skill/experience.

[@javierhernandezfischer2773]

love it!!1

[@BigDaddyD1492]

Actually, the last airplane shown is a J4, Cub Coupe

[@lulubellers]

good,now i don't have to comment that from the compass rose on,it wasn't a J-3! very good (:P

[@nrth-ng9sm]

the way those welds look oh my God I thought that thing was snap in half in mid-flight

[@glikar1]

Man, look at that stock of 4130!

[@cd4222]

Funny to see those guys applying dope to the wings without any breathing respirators…

[@MrJonnymellor]

cooool...thanks

[@brantleycoile2566]

Who are the two "engineers" William Piper? Walter Jamouneau?

[@fight2flyphoto]

Is it bad I just want that model?

[@garvinhooper]

from the compass install and flying it is a J-5 not a J-3

[@rpeinloft]

Amazing nice

[@Myhobbyaero]

Классный фильм!

[@jhonnyextremo]

very nice video, they say that no girl is welding in the important steps, lol because they don't have the skills for that job....lol but I like this video, they show everything, spiking about rivets and nuts, and controls, all the info you have to take for a structural repair.. better than HOW IS MADE show!! this is a bad ass info.. learn from this Discovery Channel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@JoseRoberto-kb1pf]

Tudo artesanal .

[@ivanalexandergranadaacosta]

Wow 😍

[@CallmeDaBreeze1971]

If this is 1943 wouldn't they be building L4's?

[@jockellis]

What school of engineering is this from?

[@IndependentBear]

I thought they said the "girls" were as good as men at welding.

[@SuperRedraider1]

Believe me they are i have worked with a few girls and they were very good.

[@سمسومه_عنيفه]

❤

[@RoJaDale0]

My first love.

[@Danroxye01]

They screwed up on weight an balance calculation , failed the addition. :-)

[@Vesalempinen]

An era when all parts were manufactured in America, not in china.

[@scooter__131]

My favorite anime

[@mikearakelian6368]

I want one....

[@welshpete12]

Does any one know what happened to that model ? I would very much like to see it .

[@CallmeDaBreeze1971]

+welshpete12 As a modeler I found that model amazing. I bet that Piper still has it.

[@大熊-s7t]

J-3 Cub

[@johnroberts3723]

Great era before things got to complicated.

[@KG5RK]

The only thing missing was the slogan "Buy War Bonds" !

[@jasonsneed3179]

I built one in 80 days... but its a kit..

[@abdaleali1438]

Jason Sneed hi

[@dali2277]

Workers high as kites

[@wilsonandremachadosilveira4200]

Showwwww!!!!

[@garvinhooper]

looks like a J5 had one in the seventies

[@elmonotigre]

tornillos de seguridad: minuto 13; 21; 23

[@choppergirl]

You'll spend 15 years at it off and on, waste a lot of money and time, it will take over a lot of your mind, you'll never fly, and in the end it just ends up as junk taking up space forever in your garage until it's sold off in an estate sale to a scraper. Or Choppergirl, who buys it for $38 off ebay. It still will never fly.

[@rodriguezmi74]

Hello I am from Chile and I'm trying to build an ultralight plane Might ajudarme with a diagram of the cables connecting the aileron control stick wings thanks. christian greetings.

[@STROONZONY]

+Cristian Rodríguez these cable systems are superseded by electric motor control. you also have the wormdrive system as backup.

[@southjerseysound7340]

+Cristian Rodríguez Check out homebuiltairplanes.com there are a ton of knowledgeable people and resources available to help you along.

[@southjerseysound7340]

+GEZZA1 I think you're a little off there ;) there are plenty of modern aircraft that still use pulley and cable control systems.As far as electric motor controls go,I am assuming you are referring to hydraulic systems?Or possibly fly by wire that generally uses hydraulics........either way neither of these would apply to a ultralight in the US or abroad and most ultralights outside of the USA are what we tend to consider Light Sport aircraft that can be pretty advanced planes.

[@joshmnky]

I was waiting to see where they install the asbestos, lol.

[@pavelavietor1]

Hello where are the safety glasses, hard hats, uniforms, earplugs, gloves and the rest of the crappie regulations imposed by the smart people to raise the price of an aircraft , so out of this world, than very few can afford it. Saludos

[@lewish1621]

looks a lot more like a j-5 to me tho.

[@engnrpetev]

i get 685 1/2 Lb

[@MrSkipF]

I don't think they know the difference between welding and brazing, either.

[@kadmow]

4:23 The filler is also chromoly = Oxyacetylene Welding, not brazing /braze welding.

[@waswestkan]

Where in the film did you get the idea brazing?

[@RobertKaydoo]

Apparently the narrator does not know the difference between girls and women either.

[@bobbertee5945]

Back then, most welding was done this way, Oxyacetylene gas welding.....

[@southjerseysound7340]

+MrSkipF Sorry while it looks like brazing it is oxy welding and that is how it was done before TIG welding came about and believe it or not it is still done this way in a lot of aircraft shops.My grandfather schooled me on this years ago when I had a dirtbike frame that kept cracking.After about the 3rd time doing it with a MIG and failing he yelled telling me to bring the god damned thing to the shop so he could fix it.I started to say that he didnt have the right welder but he shut that down lol.I was shocked at the result as it was a very clean weld and if you have the skills it can do aluminum too.

[@javiermac5885]

This is in sharp contrast to how we built the Boeing 787 Dream Liner today. Parts will arrive with the pre-drilled holes mis-aligned. Workers will hammer in the rivets until it goes through !!!! When interviewed in secret, these same workers all voiced out that they will never fly in one of these shit 787 that they built !!!!