Pushing Innovation in the Yakima Valley

CubCrafters, the Yakima, Washington-based manufacturer of kit airplanes patterned after Piper’s iconic PA-18 Super Cub, has announced it’s testing a proprietary Electric Lift Augmenting Slats [ELAS] architecture by which the lift of its airplanes’ wings stands to be dramatically increased.

Recognizing the potentially broad applications of such a technology, NASA awarded CubCrafters two research grants (through the SBIR/STTR program) by which to partially fund the undertaking.

Granted U.S. Patent 10,926,868, ELAS derives of CubCrafters’ four-decades of commitment to innovative aeronautical engineering. The technology combines ducted electric fans and leading-edge slats which collectively accelerate airflow over the wing of an aircraft. Ongoing testing indicates CubCrafters’ ELAS system will likely occasion significant reductions in the takeoff and landing distances of fixed-wing aircraft so equipped.

By increasing the velocity of the airflow over a wing’s upper camber, ELAS lowers the pressure of the air overlying subject wing, thereby increasing lift. What’s more, by improving aerodynamic performance at lower airspeeds and higher angles of attack, the system reduces stall speed and improves low-speed handling characteristics.

ELAS constitutes a practical means by which the pilots of fixed-wing aircraft may actualize shorter takeoff distances, steeper approaches, slower landing speeds, and minimal ground roll. By dint of its constituent leading-edge slats and integrated ducted fans, ELAS creates high-energy airflow through and around the slats, airflow by which lift—depending upon the airfoil’s geometry and prevailing flight conditions—may be boosted by a factor of 1.5 to 4.0.

CubCrafters CEO Patrick Horgan stated: “With comparatively low acquisition and operational costs, ELAS is a disruptive concept that carries unprecedented benefits, including enabling fixed-wing aircraft to operate outside of designated airports and manage much higher payloads versus comparable eVTOL aircraft—all while enhancing safety.”

The ELAS system can be added to extant airframes or built into the wings of new aircraft as original equipment. The system can be designed as retractable when not in use.

CubCrafters sets forth that ELAS is being rigorously tested in collaboration with the company’s research institution partner, Oklahoma State University School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering.

Mr. Horgan added: “Extensive computer simulations and wind tunnel testing, both at Oklahoma State University and our own facilities, are being used to refine the design in preparation for a comprehensive test flight program using a CubCrafters X-Cub test airplane configured with the ELAS prototype system.”

A short video of recent ELAS preflight testing released by the company may be viewed on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/VY2KTmeF6D4 .

Mr. Horgan concluded: “As our research and development continues, ELAS may prove to have the ability to dramatically enhance the short field performance capabilities of fixed-wing aircraft in general aviation as well as commercial aviation.”

FMI: www.cubcrafters.com