Light aircraft developer CubCrafters has secured US certification for its flagship piston-single, the XCub, following a six-year, clandestine development effort, and says it will deliver the first aircraft on 5 July.
The carbon-fibre XCub is a US Federal Aviation Regulation Part 23 version of the nine-year-old Carbon Cub SS light sport aircraft; itself an updated variant of the out-of-production Piper Cub.
It is designed, CubCrafters says, to fill a gap in the certificated piston-single sector for a multimission, short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft with a long range and high payload.
CubCrafters
"We have kept XCub development a secret from the start. We only wanted to publicise the programme once we had secured type certification," says John Whitish, director of global marketing for the Yakima, Washington-based company. "The general aviation industry is littered with failed programmes and we just wanted to bring this aircraft to market without pressure and prying eyes," he adds.
The final product is a "lighter, faster and stronger aircraft than anything in its category," adds CubCrafters founder and chief executive Jim Richmond. "It fulfils a much wider mission profile compared to any other aircraft in this class,” he adds. These include the Aviat Husky and American Champion High Country Explorer.
Powered by a 180hp Lycoming 0-360 C1G engine, the two-seat tandem-aircraft boasts a cruise speed of more than 125kt (230km/h), a gross weight of 1,045kg (2,300lb), a useful load of around 500kg and a range of up to 870nm (1,610km).
To achieve this performance, CubCrafters says it embarked on an “ambitious" two-year aerodynamic analysis of the $190,000 Carbon Cub’s airframe and flight surfaces. The results “motivated a fresh perspective on what can be achieved at both the lowest and highest limits of the speed envelope,” it adds.
"It has exceeded the Carbon Cub design in every way," says Whitish.
The XCub features an aluminium spring landing gear, "which adds around 12kt to the cruise speed", and composite fairings on the attach points of the landing gear and struts, which reduces the aircraft’s weight. CubCrafters also developed new flight controls and a new empennage for the XCub, “and the finished aircraft features a distinctive and stylish composite dorsal fin [to improve stability]”, it says.
Other new features of the $298,000 aircraft include redesigned ailerons and flaps – to improve handling – enhanced cockpit ergonomics and “extensive use of ultra-lightweight carbon composites, titanium and aluminium throughout”.
The XCub will also be available in a seaplane configuration, equipped with Wipaire-designed floats.
"We are now seeking European certification for the aircraft, but a timeframe for validation has not been determined," says Whitish.
Source: Flight International
