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One year after debuting its newest backcountry offering, the Carbon Cub UL, CubCrafters is beginning the public market survey phase for the new aircraft at the upcoming Sun n' Fun and AERO Friedrichshafen aircraft expos.
CubCrafters unveiled the Carbon Cub UL at last year's Sun n' Fun, introducing the new variant of the Carbon Cub in development for international markets and featuring new technologies to make the aircraft lighter than the Carbon Cub SS. The new variant is offered with either Light Sport Aircraft or Experimental Amateur Build certification and mass production is expected to begin in early 2025. While undergoing the final stages of development, CubCrafters is inviting customers and pilots to fly the aircraft and give input on the performance, features and options.
"We believe that core to the success of CubCrafters is that we listen to our customers to assure that we develop the aircraft that they want to fly," CubCrafters President and CEO Patrick Horgan said. "The original Carbon Cub was first introduced 15 years ago, and at the time it redefined expectations of what backcountry performance should be. It was a tall order to make an aircraft like the Carbon Cub lighter, stronger, and even more capable than it was before, but we've done that with the UL version. Even being a full-sized aircraft, it is light enough that it legitimately can carry 2 people, fuel, and baggage at LSA weights of under 600 KG (1320 lbs). In the EAB category, it can have more useful load than its own empty weight."
CubCrafters has collaborated with BRP-Rotax over the last few years to launch the new and powerful 160 HP turbocharged 916iS engine on the Carbon Cub UL. The light and powerful engine features FADEC controls and can run on both avgas and mogas. The company has relied on the newer prepreg composites, titanium components, modern no-paint covering processes and design refinements to reduce weight while increasing performance for the UL.
"Partnering with Red Bull, we were able to show what an extremely light and powerful version of the Carbon Cub could accomplish when the UL technology demonstrator aircraft landed on the Burj Al Arab hotel helipad in Dubai," CubCrafters VP Brad Damm said. "A month later we announced a consumer version of the UL aircraft would be forthcoming, and now in 2024 we're exactly on schedule to have demonstration aircraft available for the public to fly."RELATED STORY:CubCrafters unveils Carbon Cub UL at Sun 'N FunRed Bull pilot lands plane on Dubai skyscraper
The company plans to complete the Market Survey this summer to finalize the design ahead of the consumer production starting in 2025. For those who would like to participate but are not attending either Sun n' Fun or AERO, CubCrafters will have other UL demo aircraft in service by EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this July.
"We're very excited to be at the stage where pilots can experience this new aircraft and help us refine it even further," Damm said. "The first two purpose-built Carbon Cub UL demonstration aircraft will be at the Sun n' Fun Aircraft Expo in Florida next week and at the Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany the week after. We invite the public and press to stop by to see and experience what we've accomplished with the UL so far. It's truly an exceptional aircraft and we believe we can make it even better with the input of the flying community."