Hehe... what are your dimensions? Or you trying to be funny?
Cubs are made to be entered by 5' 100lbers
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Cubs are made to be entered by 5' 100lbers
I’m just not as flexible as I used to be. Also, the style of sneakers I wear has the wide flared sole that tends to bind between the sidewalks and the passenger’s but if I have a ‘wide’ passenger. I find it easier to take off my shoes and fly in my socks in those cases.
Another person that is good with Champs is Glenn Miller in Selma California.
Good on you.
I think they made them more spry in the 40s than they did on the 70s and 80s. But I'm working on that now so maybe I can improve.
My technique doesn't require a lot of flexibility or strength. It does require timing.
Stand facing the cowl with your right fingertips on the prop, and your left hand holding the doorframe.
Flip the prop, and as the engine fires, jump toward the rear of the plane, twisting your torso toward the front of the plane as you do so.
Simultaneously, while still in the air, pull yourself aftward with your left hand on the door frame, transfer your right hand to the overhead diagonal in the cabin, move your left hand to the far side of the rear seat bottom, and use your hands to help rotate your body to align with the seat. Your hands don't carry your weight, they just assist in rotating your body. You don't touch the door sill either - your butt clears it and landing in the rear seat, it is the first thing to touch. If you are solo, leave your left knee extended and bring your left leg in over the top of the front seat. If you have a passenger, bend your left knee and bring your lower left leg across between the stick and the back of the front seat. In two seconds from prop flip, you are sitting in the back seat with your feet on the brakes, strapping yourself in. In 50+ years of flying J3s, I have never found a faster, easier way to enter one.
Stand facing the cowl with your right fingertips on the prop, and your left hand holding the doorframe.
Flip the prop, and as the engine fires, jump toward the rear of the plane, twisting your torso toward the front of the plane as you do so.
Simultaneously, while still in the air, pull yourself aftward with your left hand on the door frame, transfer your right hand to the overhead diagonal in the cabin, move your left hand to the far side of the rear seat bottom, and use your hands to help rotate your body to align with the seat. Your hands don't carry your weight, they just assist in rotating your body. You don't touch the door sill either - your butt clears it and landing in the rear seat, it is the first thing to touch. If you are solo, leave your left knee extended and bring your left leg in over the top of the front seat. If you have a passenger, bend your left knee and bring your lower left leg across between the stick and the back of the front seat. In two seconds from prop flip, you are sitting in the back seat with your feet on the brakes, strapping yourself in. In 50+ years of flying J3s, I have never found a faster, easier way to enter one.
CAVU Mark
Well-Known Member
I know Bill and he has been very helpful. Thanks.
Mark Z
Well-Known Member
Update:
Prop stricken engine. DivCo won’t touch it. Plan B: if the cam gets a pass then I’ll be looking to build a stroker 85. I’m pretty bummed but typically you get what you pay for.
Prop stricken engine. DivCo won’t touch it. Plan B: if the cam gets a pass then I’ll be looking to build a stroker 85. I’m pretty bummed but typically you get what you pay for.
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TFF
Well-Known Member
Is there a known issue with the case, or is it just Divco will not deal with such an old engine with that problem? A friend had to go through the oil pump scoring too bad twice with his O-200s.
I'm late to the thread, but did you buy the engine knowing it was a prop strike, or did you customize it yourself? And why won't DIVCO work on it? If those pictures showed a huge flaw, I overlooked it.
The consolation will be that a stroker C85 in a 7AC will be a very nice combination.
BJC
"On the Museum L3B, this is a shot; is the engine a C-75-12? Or appears to be? The case of a C-75 can be used on a A65 which Is called a A-65-14 which in the notes. The notes say that is equivalent to a -8. I guess it comes down to the logs of the C75. Most parts for the 75 are ok in the 65. I think the true main difference is RPM so they updated the oiling. I think the 75 spins a smaller prop to get the 75 hp. If it has no logs, turn it into A-65-14".
Would you elaborate on the above in more detail?
The C-75 has a larger bore than the A-65 or A-75, so they use a different cylinder, pistons are different diameter, the C-75 has less lift on the cam (0.382" vs 0.400") and cam profile is different, and the A and C use a different spider (the C spider doesn't have the internal step restriction). Also, the A case has to be bored to accept the larger C barrel, and the C case can't accept the A barrels because the mismatch in case cylinder barrel hole diameter.
Would you elaborate on the above in more detail?
The C-75 has a larger bore than the A-65 or A-75, so they use a different cylinder, pistons are different diameter, the C-75 has less lift on the cam (0.382" vs 0.400") and cam profile is different, and the A and C use a different spider (the C spider doesn't have the internal step restriction). Also, the A case has to be bored to accept the larger C barrel, and the C case can't accept the A barrels because the mismatch in case cylinder barrel hole diameter.
Moving your torso toward the front of the aircraft... where the spinning propeller is?
At what point do you trip over the starboard main tire?
How does a 77 year old leap backwards, airborne, across the three foot distance between the cowl and the rear seat?
I think I really really want to see this on video.
Torso is always moving aft, not forward. You don't trip on the tire because your feet clear it (you can step on the tire if you wish, but it requires different footwork). It's far and away the easiest way to enter the back seat of a J3. Has worked for me for over fifty years.
I trust you, and I don't have anywhere near 50 years of flying Cubs... but I still would like to see the video 
TFF
Well-Known Member
Essentially checking to see if superseded parts are ok for replacement stand ins. I think my numbers came from the engine TCDS. Tracing through the TCDS for equivalents. It may work or not.
Dan Thomas
Well-Known Member
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The little Continentals tend to crack their cranks between the #1 and #2 rod journals, way at the back of the engine. Dunno why. I had one break in flight, at that spot, and the break showed that it had been cracked for a long time. A lot of engines had propstrikes but mechanics used to dial the flange and if it was within .010" or something they'd let it keep flying. But the shock of a strike (usually with a metal prop) travels all the way down that crank and things flex in unexpected ways. Even magnetos have had failures after a prop strike.
TFF
Well-Known Member
The old guy at the airport bought a T craft from someone who put it in a field. Bent the crank. Did not check it and put a borrowed wood prop on it. The wood prop dampened the shake so he thought it was ok. He found a metal prop and put it on. I watched him taxi out take off land, take off land, turn off, taxi back and repeat. When he took off at full power it would shake the the fuel out of the carb. He would glide in and then the engine would catch back. He had 15 new A-65 cranks at one time. He had just sold one to someone who had one break. He only had four left and put one in but he hated to give it up.
If there's a rattlesnake involved, it is probably quite doable.
Since you guys drifted onto this topic I took a serious look at a former project that I had and started pondering on this. Take a look at a Piper Tripacer sometime. The front seats have a dedicated door on the aircraft RH side and the rear occupants have their own door on the left. Probably sacrilege or blasphemous to suggest a two seat, tandem variation of this design.....of course it's gottabe a taildragger.
