Last month, CubCrafters received notification from the Federal Aviation Administration that their National Kit Evaluation Team had completed its evaluation of CubCrafters’ Carbon Cub EX amateur-built aircraft kit.
Completion of this process means the FAA has evaluated the Carbon Cub EX and that the aircraft has been added to the list of eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits on the FAA website. The list is provided as a service to prospective builders researching kit options.
“This was really good news,” says Mitch Travis, Kit Program Manager at CubCrafters. “While we have to be careful not to interpret or represent this as some form of official certification, it does officially substantiate that the majority of the fabrication and assembly of the Carbon Cub EX kit is undertaken by the owner – in essence that it conforms to the ‘51% rule’”.
The Carbon Cub EX is the kit version of the world’s most powerful Light Sport Aircraft, the Carbon Cub SS. It features an extraordinary power-to-weight ratio, thanks to the extensive use of lightweight and strong carbon fiber, coupled with a 180-horsepower engine. The result is phenomenal Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) performance, along with exceptional agility and ease of piloting.
The Carbon Cub EX kit takes advantage of the technology in the company’s highly refined and popular production aircraft, the Carbon Cub SS. The kit version can be certified at a gross weight of 1,320 pounds for Sport Pilot operation, or at its fully tested gross weight of 1,865 pounds by Private pilot and above certificate holders.
CubCrafters is located in Yakima, Washington and was founded in 1980 by current owner Jim Richmond. In 2007, CubCrafters was issued a FAA Production Certificate and is currently the only aircraft manufacturer in the nation to produce both standard category and light sport category aircraft under an FAA-approved quality assurance program. CubCrafters' roots are in the 60-year history of classic "taildragger" aviation, but its products and services are clearly at the leading edge of technology, utilizing CAD-based design and engineering, CNC tooling and fabrication, lean-manufacturing, and award-winning tube and fabric aircraft restoration.
CubCrafters offers three all new, ready-to-fly aircraft: The SPORT CUB S2 is a thoroughly updated redesign of the classic airplane that inspired the light sport category. The CARBON CUB SS is a stronger and more powerful version of the S2, with 180 horsepower available for take-off and climb, making it the most powerful LSA aircraft in production. The TOP CUB boasts a useful load of over 1000 pounds, making it among the most capable two-place personal and utility aircraft available. CubCrafters also offers the CARBON CUB EX, the lightest, most complete and best engineered Cub kit available.
Cub Crafters, Inc.
1918 South 16th Avenue
Yakima, WA 98903
509.248.9491
www.cubcrafters.com
