A New Look For An Old Friend!

A new generation of an old favorite will soon be available from CubCrafters. The Sport Cub S2, first flown last week, is expected to be delivered as soon as October of this year. In a press conference held Tuesday afternoon at AirVenture, the company spelled out what's new in the Cub game. With its nearly 70 year history, the Cub has become the ubiquitous single engine airplane, with over 40,000 of them built over the years. Obviously, there is a huge demand for what the Cub has to offer.

Located in Yakima, WA, CubCrafters started providing PA-18 Super Cub modifications, upgrades and maintenance in 1980. They produced, and continue to produce, the Top Cub, a FAR Part 23 certified derivative of the Super Cub, but with performance enhancements that brought the airplane to a whole new level.

With the advent of Light-Sport Aircraft, CubCrafters introduced the Sport Cub in order to capture that portion of the market that wanted the familiarity of a Cub, but the reliability and benefits of a brand new airplane.

"Pilots wanted the great characteristics of the Cub, but demanded a substantial increase on safety, speed and performance not available in a classic airplane." said Vice President Todd Simmons. "People want avionics upgrades, a wider fuselage, and a range of other options not available in any other Cub. We want to offer all the bells and whistles our customers are looking for, and offer it in an LSA compliant derivative of the Super Cub."

The newest version of the Sport Cub, the S2, was born of the classic question: How can we make it safer and better. From a safety perspective, 2nd-generation AmSafe Airbags are standard for both pilot and co-pilot, and have been tested to Part 23 standards. Additional power, gained by utilization of a new exhaust system, is responsible for some of the performance improvements. Further help comes from lighter empty weight through the use of carbon fiber and composite materials.

For example, Simmons presented the audience with a sample of an original Cub tailwheel spring, weighing in at 5.8 pounds. CubCrafters has lightened the same part to weigh only 1.3 pound, through the use of carbon fiber. The same goes for the spinner, where the original weight was 2.3 pounds, and now weighs less than a pound, again via carbon fiber. The test bed for the carbon fiber components was a proof of concept called the "Carbon Cub", where they were able to pare 25 pounds from the original Sport Cub, and these changes were incorporated into the S2.

With any decrease in empty weight comes an increases in useful load, and that allows CubCrafters to incorporate customer demanded options like upgraded avionics, electric trim and tundra tires. The S2 is available on floats, and huge 31" Kevlar reinforced tires are expected to be available soon. Other improvements include an improved heater, new lights, updated color schemes, and a redesigned door that closes tighter, thus reducing cabin noise.

In the upcoming months, CubCrafters anticipates increased its production of the Part 23 Top Cub, and is currently working on a maintenance manual that they hope will become the standard for Light Sport aircraft. Furthermore, they continue doing what started the company, refurbishing original Piper Super Cubs.

Base price for the Super Cub S2 is $119,500, which is comparable with last year's pricing, but includes as standard many of the options customers want most, like flaps and a second fuel tank.

CubCrafters can be found at Booths 112 and 113 in the main display area.

FMI: http://cubcrafters.com/