erc PIPER J-5 User Manual

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Congratulations on your purchase of the eRC J-5 Cub Trainer. You’re about
to embark on an exciting and addictive adventure into model aviation. This
J-5 Cub is designed for beginners and not only flys great, but looks like the
real thing too. It comes with everything you need to teach yourself to fly and
you’ll learn basic terminology along the way as well as how to assemble the
plane, and how to fly it. The J-5 Cub is unique in that once you learn the
basics of flying the beginner 3-channel control setup, it can be converted to a
4-channel intermediate control setup for more fun. Please read the
instructions carefully and remember to have fun!

Glossary of Terms

Transmitter – The box you hold to control the plane.
Receiver – Receives the signal from the transmitter to control the plane.
ESC – the electronic speed controller is what makes the motor spin.
Vertical Stabilizer – The vertical fin on the back of the fuselage. The

moveable surface is called the rudder.
Horizontal Stabilizer – The horizontal fin on the back of the fuselage. The
moveable surface is called the elevator.
Rudder – Move the rudder to steer on the ground and in the air. Applying
right rudder will roll the plane into a right hand bank and make the plane turn
to the right.
Elevator – Move the elevator to make the nose point up or down. With
sufficient speed, applying back elevator will cause the plane to climb.
Ailerons – Moveable surfaces on the wing. Used in 4-channel control will
cause the plane to bank and turn. Rolls the plane faster than rudder.
Servo – Controls the movement of the control surfaces. Connects to the
receiver with a 3-wire plug.
Washout – Where the wing is twisted so that the trailing edge (back part of
the wing) is raised near the wing tips. Makes the airplane more stable.
Dihedral – The wing forms a shallow V shape when viewed from in front or
behind. The wing tips are higher than the center of the wing. This makes the
airplane very stable and allows the rudder to roll the wing into a bank.
Control Horn – Plastic part that is attached to a control surface near the
hinge line. Has several hole positions for a clevis to attach to.
Control Surface – The parts that move to control the airplane such as the
rudder, elevator, and ailerons.

Pushrod – The metal wire that connects the servo to the control surface.
Clevis – Plastic piece that threads on to a pushrod and clips on to a control

horn.

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Safety Statement

1. This is not a toy. You are responsible for the safe operation of this model
and any damage or harm it may cause.

2. Before flying the J-5 Cub for the first time please read through the
instructions carefully and make sure that your radio equipment is working
properly.

3. Young people under the age of 14 should only be permitted to operate this
model under the instruction and supervision of an adult.

4. Please keep these instructions for future reference after completing model
assembly. They contain information critical to the safe operation of this
model.

5. If you have any further questions regarding the safe operation of your RC
model, please contact your local hobby shop, flying club or Hobby-Lobby
International for professional help and advice.

Safety Precautions

Please read this section and follow all recommendations

1. Do not fly in strong wind or bad weather.

2. Never fly the model in crowded areas where there are lots of people,

automobiles on the road or power lines overhead. Do not fly near full-scale
airports.

3. Make sure that you have enough open area for flying as the model can
travel at a high rate of speed and cover a lot of area quickly. Initial flights
should be made in an area with a minimum size of a football field.

4. When charging the LiPo batteries, always charge them on a non-flammable
surface and monitor the charge process. Improper charging of LiPo batteries
is dangerous and can lead to a fire!

5. The J-5 Cub is made from EPO foam and plastic. These materials are
flammable and can be damaged by high heat. Never leave your J-5 Cub
near a heat source or in an automobile.

6. Do not attempt to catch your J-5 Cub while flying.

7. Never leave your J-5 Cub unattended when ready for flight.

Note: When preparing for flight, always turn on your transmitter
first and make sure that your throttle is in the off position prior
to plugging in the flight battery. Failure to follow this step may
lead to unintended motor start and damage to the model.

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Assembly

Open the box and carefully remove all the parts.

1. Fuselage

2. Propeller/Spinner

3. Wing

4. Wing Struts

5. Landing Gear

6. Horizontal Stabilizer/Elevator

7. Vertical Stabilizer/Rudder

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Attaching the Wing

1. Find the 4 long screws and the 4 orange plastic washers.

2. Hold the wing near the top of the fuselage and push all the wires into
the hole.

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3. Set the wing on top of the fuselage and make sure all the wires go
into the hole. Use the included screwdriver to secure the wing to the
fuselage. Make sure the wing is tight to the fuselage and does not
wiggle. There should be some slight compression to the washers in
the wing.

4. Now flip the plane upside down and use a screwdriver to remove the
radio hatch.

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5. Use a small pair of pliers or a metal rod with a hook to carefully pull
the wires for the wing through. Find both of the matching 2-pin
connectors with red and black wires and plug them together making
sure the wires match colors. These are the connectors for the
navigation lights on the wing tips.

6. The aileron servo connector shown will not be used until you are
ready to convert the J-5 to 4-channels, more on that later. Make sure
that you tuck the connector into an area where it will not come loose
or interfere with the servos. The J-5 comes with the receiver pre­connected for 3-channel operation. In this configuration, the servo
that operates the rudder is plugged into the aileron channel of the
receiver.

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Attaching the Wing Struts

7. Start with one side of the wing by locating two long struts, the strut
connector, and 8 screws.

8. The struts are identical and have ends with short tabs and ends with
longer tabs. Use two screws and attach the longer tab end of the
struts to the fuselage. Use the two holes nearest the back of the
plastic mounting plate as seen in the photo. The front holes will be
used to attach the landing gear in a later step. At this point, you’re
halfway to your first flight.

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9. Note the different strut position holes on the wing. For the beginner
3-channel setting, you will attach the front strut to hole #2 on the right
hand side nearest the front of the wing using the provided screws.
Attach the back strut to hole #1 on the left hand side nearest the
back of the wing. This will create the most dihedral in the wing and
add washout to the wing tips. That will enable a more stable, easier
to fly airplane. The other settings will be discussed later for more
advanced 4-channel flying.

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10. Use the screws provided to secure the strut connector to the wing

and to attach the strut connector to the strut. Do this on both
sides of the wing.

11. The completed strut assembly should look like the photo below.

Repeat these steps for the other wing.