Piper Cub is a death trap!!!

[Guest jmarcure]

I like the Cub so much that I have it set as my default plane. When you get it all figured out you can try this for fun. Set the wind to its max value straight down the runway. You will then be able to hover or land it on buildings. My son I had quite the competition a few days ago taking turns to see who could land on top of buildings. As for all the folks that will think that it is unrealistic to fly like that it

[Guest DonaldS]

Me too. (Some time in a Cub and Taylorcraft and Cessna 120)The FS 2004 Cub behaves nothing like the real life Cub, in my opinion.I did two things to make the Cub flyable.1. I changed the .cfg file as posted here in previous message.2. I switched to Virtual Cockpit (VC) and cranked the zoom back so that it looked like I was really sitting in the back seat. (Required in real world Cub when flying solo.) The intstruments at that point are barely (if at all) readable -- But, when landing the Cub you sort of get into the swing of it by sound and "feel". Same holds true (sort of) when flying the FS 2004 Cub.Regards,Don S

[Stuntie 0]

Thanks for the info and advice.I tried the Lyons classic Cub today - and it was like a dream compared to the MS default one. Got off first go, and even landed it with out requiring reconstructive surgery.I also have the D.H. Moth and the Waco, all off which I tried in the same situation. They flew fine. As did the Jenny - bit of a swing, but controllable. But the MS Cub - make sure there is surgical team on standby!I've just downloded the fix and will try that.I do think wind is a definate issue - try the jenny on a windy day, shes a real handfull at best.Once you get the tail up the Jenny (and other tail draggers) become much more mangeable, but the cub crashes on me before I can even get the tail down.One other possibility that might be worth looking at is free castoring.Try taking off in the D.H. Comet without the tail wheel locked - you need full rudder to keep her anywhere near the runway - a raging beast.Put on taillock and shes a pussycat sliding down the runway.I wonder if the Cub suffers from free castoring (non-locked wheels).There was no tail lock that I could find in the checklist - but if they set it up for castoring for taxing it could send the Cub haywire on takeoff as it's not locked down.P.S. Wasn't something like 1/2 of all 109 losses due to landing and take off problems?

[Guest MikeEppright]

Your frustration is duly noted! While I have not flown a J-3 Cub, I have flown the Aeronca Champ and Taylorcraft which are similar. It does take a bit of practice and deft touch to control the rudders. Deft touch does not mean don't use rudder. There are times when agressive use of rudder is necessary.While not experienced in taildraggers, I have flown them on occasion. Shortly after getting my private pilots license 30 years ago, the chief pilot took me out and gave me a couple of hours in the Champ. I always knew when to rotate and liftoff. It was just prior to loosing control :-). A few years later after I had accumulated a couple of thousand more hours, the Taylorcraft was fun and very controlable.Good luck