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The 1000th new production CubCrafters aircraft is delivered to Bridger Aerospace in Montana. - Photo courtesy of CubCraftersCubCrafters celebrates the milestone delivery of its 1,000th new aircraft, delivered on Tuesday. The company shared the news Wednesday, revealing the CC19-215 XCub was delivered to the CEO of Bridger Aerospace in Bozeman, Montana.
The 1,000th Cub, delivered in Bridger Aerospace firefighting livery, has a paint scheme paying tribute to the company's fleet of Canadair CL-415 "Super Scooper" water-bomber aircraft. The aircraft was delivered to the Bridger Aerospace CEO Tim Sheehy as part of a long-running relationship between the two companies.
"Bridger Aerospace and CubCrafters have a relationship going back to 2016 when we worked together on a project for the US Military," Sheehy said. "We frequently base near their factory in Yakima, Washington during fire season, and I have always admired the passion the entire CubCrafters team has for aviation. I'm honored to welcome the 1000th aircraft to our fleet. The utility of this type of aircraft, especially for remote areas with limited aviation infrastructure like Montana is fantastic, and this is CubCrafter's top-of-the-line flagship model. We will definitely put it to good use in support of our mission of protecting the American West from the threat of wildfires."Photo from CubCrafters, Tim Sheehy receiving new, 1,000th delivery aircraft?
CubCrafters manufactures experimental category utility and recreational aircraft, frequently flown for various missions and personal use. The CC19-215 XCub is the company's flagship aircraft. The plane is equipped with a large engine, the 215 HP Lycoming IO-390, with dual electric ignition, premium avionics and a lightweight Garmin glass panel with autopilot. The XCub has the most useful load, best range and highest speed of the CubCrafters fleet. As a fully FAA-certified aircraft, the XCub is sold for personal recreational use, commercial utility purposes, flight training and by the Government.
Sheehy, the recipient of the milestone XCub, founded Bridger Aerospace in 2014 and has held every role, from sweeping the floors to leading the company as the CEO. From 2008 to 2014, Sheehy served as a Navy SEAL officer and team leader. He is an active pilot with Bridger's Air Attack and Super Scooper fleets and also a rancher and father to four pilots in training.
"We are particularly excited that CubCrafters 1000th new production aircraft is going to someone who has served the citizens of this nation the way Mr. Sheehy has," CubCrafters President and CEO Patrick Horgan said. "As an American company, we really appreciate both our customers who are veterans and those who are business leaders, Mr. Sheehy is both. The fact that he will soon be flying this new XCub is something we're all very gratified by. It confirms CubCrafters' position as General Aviation's best-in-class backcountry aircraft manufacturer, meeting the expectations of customers like Tim for both performance and safety."RELATED STORIES:CubCrafters completes full-scale flight testing for new slats, reveals milestonesCubCrafters introduces infrared camera option for Garmin G3X-equipped aircraft
The company, founded in 1980 by Jim Richmond, has a history in grassroots aviation but provides modern and innovative products and services to customers. The company designs and manufactures Experimental, LSA and Part 23 Certified aircraft. The Carbon Cub family has redefined previous expectations for backcountry flying with its design, materials, powerful engines and exceptional performance. The flagship XCub is offered in both nosewheel and tailwheel configurations, allowing for a range of missions for the sport utility aircraft, with higher speed, longer range and a larger payload. As well as the 1,000 new CubCrafters production aircraft manufacturers, the company has delivered hundreds of backcountry aircraft kits and numerous major rebuilds and upgrades to the iconic Piper Super Cub in its 43-year history.
"Jim Richmond, our founder, would have been extremely proud of this moment," CubCrafters VP Brad Damm said. "Although we lost Jim in 2021, this was exactly his vision, a strong American company continuing to design and manufacture fun and safe backcountry aircraft with amazing performance."