The company was founded 1980 by the late Jim Richmond who, after noticing how the Piper Super Cub was used for backcountry operations while on a trip in Alaska, modified and refined the design for better safety and performance.

Richmond was an accomplished pilot and engineer, and was dedicated to making machines that enabled pilots to reach unimproved areas for recreation. He died in November 2021 at the age of 67.

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Founder Jim Richmond Dies

A newly formed nonprofit organization aims to honor the legacy of the founder of CubCrafters aircraft by expanding access to backcountry flying.

Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation

“The new [Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation (JRBAF)] is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to expanding public backcountry aviation access as a legacy project in honor of Jim Richmond, the late founder of CubCrafters,” said Brad Damm, vice president of CubCrafters.

The new foundation is completely separate from CubCrafters, said Damm, who serves as its volunteer executive director.

• READ MORE: Latest CubCrafters Design Looks Back and Ahead

According to Damm, the creation of the new charitable organization has been in the works for several years.

“We’ve organized a solid nonprofit corporate structure, established a great board of directors, and applied for and received tax-exempt status from the IRS,” he said.

The membership fee for the foundation is $100 a year, which, according to Damm, covers the federal tax on the grand prize aircraft in its annual fundraising raffle.

“So the winner doesn’t have to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket just to accept the prize,” he said. “The grand prize aircraft itself is pretty special. It is a Carbon Cub S/N 001—an aircraft with a direct connection to Jim Richmond himself.” 

According to Damm, the foundation has been designed to complement the work that similar groups, such as the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), Alaska Airmen, and Idaho Aviation Association do to support the backcountry pilot community.

“We are constantly blown away by the advocacy they accomplish, the volunteer hours they put in, and the overall scope of what those organizations do year in and year out,” he said. “[Our new foundation’s focus is on] expanding public aviation access to the backcountry by opening more high-quality destination locations for people to fly to, experience, and enjoy.”

Part of that is the foundation’s purchase of the historic 45 Ranch in Idaho and opening it to the public.

“The airstrip is on deeded land owned by the Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation,” Damm said. “The new strip has always previously been closed to the public, but we’ve now changed that now and the public is welcome. Anyone is welcome to land and explore or enjoy the property. If you want to use the camp or rent one of the cabins, membership is required.”

Information about JRBAF membership may be found here.

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Czepiela combines commercial piloting with aerobatics competitions and air races. He started competing in aerobatics in 2010, eventually joining the Polish aerobatics team, Żelazny. He branched into air racing in 2014, winning the Red Bull Challenger Cup in 2018. Czepiela owns a Red Bull-themed CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX STOL aircraft for backcountry flying.

Czepiela will participate in the Valdez STOL competition, flying his specially modified airplane. 

Joe Prax, president of Valdez Fly-in, expressed excitement about Czepiela’s participation.

“His involvement adds a new dimension of excitement to an already iconic event,” Prax said.

CubCrafters, a leader in innovative aircraft design that manufactures experimental, light sport aircraft (LSA), and Part 23-certified aircraft, is the title sponsor for the event. Its Carbon Cub family of aircraft, including the model piloted by Czepiela, exemplifies the company’s commitment to innovation and performance in personal adventure aviation.

• READ MORE: Annual Valdez STOL Event Brings New Competitors, Former Winners

“We welcome CubCrafters as the title sponsor for this year’s event,” said Prax. “CubCrafters has been a sponsor and supporter since the inception of the Valdez Fly-in. CubCrafter aircraft have been a feature of the fly-in for years.”

The Valdez Fly-in & Air Show is recognized as the grandfather of STOL competitions and continues to be the premier event of its kind in the Western U.S.. This year’s festivities will also include beach landings, balloon pop, flour bombing, aerobatics shows, and pilot roundtables.

The post Valdez STOL Competition & Fly-In Air Show Marks 20 Years of Excellence appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to CubCrafters, on December 19 the Part 23-certified CC19-215 XCub was handed over to Tim Sheehy, CEO of Bridger Aerospace in Bozeman, Montana.

The landmark aircraft is painted in red and yellow firefighting livery, the paint scheme itself a tribute to the Bridger Aerospace fleet of Canadair CL-415 “Super Scooper” water bomber aircraft. Sheehy, who founded Bridger Aerospace in 2014, is an active pilot, retired Navy SEAL, and Republican candidate in the 2024 Montana primary for the U.S. Senate.

“Bridger Aerospace and CubCrafters have a relationship going back to 2016 when we worked together on a project for the U.S. military,” said Sheehy. “We frequently base near their factory in Yakima, Washington, during fire season, and I have always admired the passion the entire CubCrafters team has for aviation. I’m honored to welcome the 1,000th aircraft to our fleet.”

Sheehy pointed out the utility of the aircraft is a bonus in remote areas.

“This is CubCrafters top-of-the-line flagship model,” he said. “We will definitely put it to good use in support of our mission of protecting the American West from the threat of wildfires.”

About the Aircraft

The CC19-215 XCub sports a 215 HP Lycoming IO-390 engine with dual electronic ignition and a modern lightweight Garmin glass avionics panel with autopilot. Company officials note the XCub useful load is 1,084 pounds with a range of approximately 800 miles and top speed of 160 mph. The fully FAA-certified aircraft is popular with government agencies, commercial operators, and backcountry aviation enthusiasts.

About CubCrafters

CubCrafters was founded in 1980 by experienced backcountry pilot Jim Richmond. At first the company produced mods for the Piper Super Cub, then created the Top Cub, the first of many models based on the Piper Cub and tailored to the needs and desires of pilots seeking a utility vehicle for remote airstrip operations.

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Unveils Carbon Cub UL

New technology has led to the creation of CubCrafters Carbon Cubs, Sportcubs, and XCubs/NXCubs, which are among the company’s more popular designs. The Carbon Cub is most popular with backcountry pilots. The XCub is available in both tailwheel and nose wheel configurations.

More information on CubCrafters airplanes is available here.

The post CubCrafters Delivers 1,000th Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Yakima, Washington, manufacturer of certified and experimental category aircraft launched its public offering in July 2022 after 42 years of private ownership. The initial price of $5 per share increased to the current level of $5.45 in May, following positive responses from investors and customers.

• READ MORE: Carbon Cub Pilot Takes STOL to The Extreme With Helipad Landing

“As we approach the end of 2023, we want to express our sincere appreciation to our investors for their interest and support of CubCrafters,” said Patrick Horgan, president and CEO of CubCrafters. “We have made continued progress this year on many fronts as our team members continue to build our reputation as the industry leaders in backcountry aviation.”

Horgan listed several milestones the company achieved this year, including the introduction of the Carbon Cub UL model using the multifuel Rotax 916iS engine. The multifuel capability has the potential to boost sales in international markets, the company said. Another marketing coup came when CubCrafters collaborated with Red Bull to stage the much-viewed landing of a Carbon Cub on the helipad of a hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Advances Towards Becoming a Public Company

The company also began incorporating robotic manufacturing technology to streamline production and reduce costs. The new equipment is expected to increase production capacity as it comes online during 2024.

CubCrafters is preparing to deliver specialized versions of its XCub aircraft to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has contracts to produce more of these aircraft in 2024. The company said it is “actively soliciting” more potential government customers.

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Acquires Summit Aircraft Skis

“The closing of our Regulation A+ offering marks an important landmark in our company’s journey,” said Brad Damm, vice president of CubCrafters. “The response of investors wanting to join CubCrafters is a strong testimonial to the value they assign to the quality, safety, and performance of our aircraft, along with our company’s position as a leading American company in general aviation.”

The post CubCrafters Announces Closing of Public Stock Offering appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Vanyo was killed in his amateur-built CubCrafters Carbon Cub near Twisp, Washington, last month. Twisp is 112 miles north of Moses Lake in an area popular for outdoor recreation.

What Happened

According to the NTSB, on the morning of October 1 Vanyo was taking a flight accompanied by a friend who also owned a Carbon Cub, a popular backcountry aircraft known for its STOL capability.

The two airplanes launched from a private airfield and flew directly to a hillside located about 2 nm away. The friend landed uphill on the slope of the hillside and positioned his airplane to the west of a tree.

Using a radio, the friend advised Vanyo that he should land in between the parked airplane and the tree. According to the friend, Vanyo made two low passes over the ridge, performing reconnaissance over the landing area, then the friend “observed the airplane touch down on the slope further to the east of his location (on the wrong side of the tree) and land upslope. After a short landing roll, the Vanyo appeared to abort the landing. During the attempt to take off, the airplane’s left wheel collided with a large rock, resulting in the left landing gear folding under the fuselage.

The damaged Cub continued over the ridge to the east, then the friend lost sight of the airplane. He radioed Vanyo to ask if he was OK, and Vanyo replied, “I’m flying, but I’m having problems.” The airplane collided with terrain shortly thereafter. Rescuers reported finding Vanyo dead at the scene.

The wreckage was strewn over approximately 90 feet, beginning with “points of contact consisting of disrupted dirt on the upslope of a hill.” Investigators found chips of silver paint and small pieces of fabric, along with numerous vortex generators in the dirt and outboard wingtip structure. A large portion of the forward left wingtip was found 25 feet from the main wreckage, along with pieces of plexiglass and splinters of propeller that led up to the main fuselage, which was found on its left side with the right wing folded forward over the engine.

The tires came to rest near the belly pod. The left tire was flat and had several gouges and scrapes on the rubber, and the metal hub was bent and folded over itself. The landing gear struts had collapsed, and the bottom of the left struts were separated and appeared to have been worn from being dragged across terrain.

The left wing was crushed and came to rest inverted. The left forward and aft lift wing struts had separated but remained attached to their respective fittings on the fuselage and wing.

The fuselage frame behind the left lift-strut fork and gear-strut connection fittings was deformed. The left-aileron pulley, located adjacent to the deformed frame, could not be moved, as the aileron cable was trapped between the frame and pulley. Free movement of the cable is essential for activation of the aileron and aircraft control.

An approximate 1.5-foot piece of the left aft-lift strut remained attached to the airframe, with the trailing edge of both portions of that strut exhibiting black marks consistent with tire rubber. The flaps appeared to be partially down, and the fuel selector was in the off position. However, it could not be determined if this action was performed by Vanyo or rescue personnel responding to the accident.

Investigators could not definitely determine the point of first impact but did find tracks in the dry grass on the slope consistent with the landing direction. In addition, a large rock with numerous impact marks was located on the saddle of the hill. In the surrounding area, several silver chips of paint and a zip tie were found that would have been on the landing gear

The NTSB is continuing its investigation, with the final report likely several months away.

The post NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Vanyo Accident appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If the airplane is equipped with a Garmin G3X avionics package, the owner has the option to add a wing-mounted, forward-looking IR camera that displays directly on the G3X main screen in real time. According to CubCrafters, it is the same field of view, at the same image scale, and with the same horizon as Garmin’s built-in synthetic vision but with much more detail, helping the pilot navigate when flying in smoke, shadow, dusk, or night.

The Details

Developed in collaboration with Hood Tech Aero for CubCrafters aircraft, the new camera system is fully integrated with the Garmin G3X avionics package used by a wide spectrum of backcountry pilots. According to CubCrafters, the camera features the smallest pixel pitch long wave infrared (LWIR) sensor available and is intended to augment the safety-enhancing features of Garmin’s synthetic vision display. 

With the simple turn of a knob, the wing-mounted camera easily penetrates smoke, haze, shadow, or even full darkness to show terrain, roads, buildings, bridges, antennas, and/or runways, giving the pilot better situational awareness.

“We’re really proud of what we’ve developed,” said Brian Prange, project manager for Hood Tech Aero. “We have an amazing amount of technology designed into a very small package. We’re only adding a few ounces to the aircraft and only using a very small amount of power, yet it’s a huge new capability that is always there and ready to go whenever the pilot needs it.”

According to Brad Damm, CubCrafters vice president, the camera system was originally developed as part of a government contract for Department of Agriculture predator-control aircraft, but the company was quick to see how it could be beneficial to backcountry pilots.

“Nearly every backcountry pilot has experienced the scenario of a late afternoon flight with the sun low on the horizon, haze in the air, and a remote mountain airstrip nearly impossible to see down in a valley and deep in shadow,” Damm said. “With this system you just quickly flip over to the IR camera, and you can see everything that’s going on.”

According to Damm, the camera weighs just a few ounces and can be installed into the leading edge of the wing in a few hours. “It comes with a special 3D-printed job that fits over the wing leading edge to help align everything properly,” he said.

CubCrafters president Patrick Horgan notes the camera represents the latest in a chain of flight safety developments from the Yakima, Washington-based company.

• READ MORE: We Fly: CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX-3 & FX-3 Made for Backcountry

“Our company has always been an innovative leader in flight safety,” Horgan said. “From toe brakes to whole aircraft parachutes, we’ve often adapted big aircraft technology to be smaller, lighter, and better for the backcountry. This system is yet another example of our ongoing commitment to give consumers the safest aircraft and best performing aircraft in our class.”

The camera system is available for new experimental category CubCrafters aircraft. Damm predicts factory installation will run about $16,000 on new aircraft. The cost of field retrofits has not been determined yet, and the company expects to have kits for retrofitting older designs and certified aircraft approvals by the end of the year.

The post CubCrafters Adds Camera Option appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2015 CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS

The light sport category has spawned numerous designs that are tributes to the original Piper Cubs and seek to recapture the experience of flying those antique machines. Most use modern design and manufacturing techniques as well as updated materials and equipment in bids to make new Cubs better than the old. While it might be difficult to convince many traditionalists to try a modernized Cub, few will deny that the Carbon Cub SS outmuscles its ancestors.

CubCrafters combined high power, low weight, and precise controls to make the Carbon Cub SS an immediate STOL contender capable of tackling a range of backcountry flying adventures. The design helped redefine what a light sport aircraft (LSA) can be.

This 2015 Carbon Cub SS has 285 hours on its airframe, engine, and Catto 80/50 composite propeller, as well as a long list of features and upgrades, including Acme Aero heavy-duty landing gear, BlackOps shocks, Alaskan Bushwheels with 26-inch tundra tires, LED lights and strobes, vortex generators, Grove 2-piston brakes and Scott 3200 tailwheel. The panel includes a Garmin G3X Touch display, 2-axis autopilot, Garmin GTR200 comm radio, GTX23 ES transponder, and ADS-B In and Out.

If your typical mission involves short-field operations and exploring the backcountry in a traditional but modern aircraft, you should consider this 2015 Cubcrafters Carbon Cub SS, which is available for $199,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: CubCrafters Unveils Carbon Cub UL
• FLYING Magazine:Carbon Cub Pilot Takes STOL to The Extreme With Helipad Landing
• FLYING Magazine: Behind the Scenes at CubCrafters, Crafting a Cub
• Plane & Pilot; Carbon Cub SS
• The Aviation Consumer: The Look-Ahead Cub

The post CubCraftrers’ 2015 Carbon Cub SS Is a Modern Throwback and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The company has introduced a new engineering innovation called Electric Lift Augmenting Slats (ELAS), which it says will dramatically increase wing lift, perhaps as much as four times the lift as a non-equipped wing of the same design can generate.

The company is in the process of finalizing the initial prototype design and will then begin the flight-testing phase.

According to CubCrafters, the ELAS, which was granted U.S. Patent 10,926,868, “combines electric ducted fans with leading edge lifting slats, to accelerate airflow over the wing of an aircraft.”

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Unveils Carbon Cub UL

The acceleration of the airflow over the wings results in an increase of lift.

“The system also allows the wing to achieve better aerodynamic performance at slower speeds and higher angles of attack, reducing the stall speed of the aircraft and improving its slow speed handling characteristics,” the aircraft manufacturer notes.

Patrick Horgan, CEO of CubCrafters notes that ELAS is currently being tested in collaboration with CubCrafters’ research institution partner, Oklahoma State University School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering using both computer simulations and wind tunnel testing.

The purpose, says Hogan, is to “Refine refine the design in preparation for a comprehensive test flight program using a CubCrafters XCub test airplane configured with the ELAS prototype system,”

The company has released a YouTube video of the testing:

ELAS explained

According to CubCrafters, ELAS will enhance an aircraft’s STOL characteristics, noting that “by adding leading edge slats with multiple integrated electric ducted fans, ELAS creates high energy airflow through and around the slats—airflow that ultimately boosts lift by a factor of 1.5 to 4.0 depending on the airfoil geometry and flight conditions.”

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Reports ‘Banner’ Year, Stock Price Boost

This will result in shorter takeoff distances, better performance at slower speeds, steeper approaches and minimal ground roll.

The technology can be retrofitted to an existing airframe or built into the wings as original equipment and can be designed as retractable when not in use.

The development of CubCrafters ELAS technology was helped by two research grants awarded by NASA through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These programs offer federal grants to small U.S.-based businesses to support high-impact research and development projects with an emphasis on the development of new technologies.

The post CubCrafters Tests Electric Lift Augmentation Slats appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

To focus a lens on the issue—and compel critical questioning to the process—the General Aviation Manufacturers Association on Monday hosted a roundtable of stakeholders to the EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions) initiative to give an update on how things stand. The initiative seeks a complete replacement of leaded fuel by no later than 2030, with a sunsetting of the fuel while maintaining a high level of safety in GA operations, which it primarily affects.

The panel was led by the co-chairs of the initiative, Mark Baker, president and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and Lirio Liu, executive director, aircraft certification service for the FAA, and supported by leaders from the National Business Aviation Association, National Air Transportation Association, Experimental Aircraft Association, Helicopter Association International, and the National Association of State Aviation Officials.

Leaders from four key manufacturers with a front-row seat to the sunsetting of leaded fuel joined them with their input on the state of affairs:

• John Calcagno, president and CEO, Piper Aircraft
• Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation
• Patrick Horgan, president and CEO, CubCrafters
• Shannon Massey, senior vice president, Lycoming Engines

The urgency is real: The Environmental Protection Agency released its proposed finding on leaded aviation fuel in October 2022, setting the stage for a final ruling that industry leaders expect to occur by the end of 2023.

Getting to Approval

At the moment, four candidate fuels are in the process of development and testing. However, they are taking two different pathways to achieve that goal. 

The first is based on the FAA’s long-running Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative (PAFI) program and utilizes consensus standards developed in concert with the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). This was the process completed by Swift Fuels with its UL94 unleaded avgas that came into the market in earnest starting in 2015 and reaching widespread use as of 2021. Two entities have 100-octane fuel in the evaluation process under PAFI: Afton Chemical/Phillips 66 and Lyondell/VP Racing. 

“Currently, the PAFI fuels are completing full-scale engine durability and endurance testing, which is expected to complete by the end of July,” according to Peter Bunce, president and CEO of GAMA. When a fuel passes the next gate of testing, it will proceed onto the next level with airframe OEMs. Completion of the ASTM process will allow entry into the market with a high degree of confidence in its suitability.

The alternate path is through the supplemental type certificate (STC) process, which is proprietary to the fuel manufacturer working directly with the FAA. Two STC fuels are currently using that process for approval—Swift Fuels’ 100R and GAMI’s G100UL. Swift Fuels also plans to go through the ASTM acceptance for its high-octane fuel and, according to GAMA, ASTM already has a task committee set up to evaluate the fuel.

GAMI has received FAA STC approval for use of its fuel in a wide range of powerplants, and owners can purchase the STC for their aircraft now. However, the fuel is not yet available in the market. According to GAMI, the fuel will be available “as fast as production can be ramped up and fuel can be delivered to airports. It has been estimated that 2023 will be a year of logistics with G100UL avgas appearing more widely in 2024. The first customers for the fuel are likely to be flight schools.” 

Cirrus is currently testing the GAMI G100UL in its fleet, and other OEMs stand ready to do so, but the process is more incremental—and less transparent as a result of its proprietary nature.

Octane Is Only One Metric

Lycoming’s Shannon Massey delivered her comments, representing the more than 100,000 powerplants that the aviation engine OEM has shipped in its 95-year history—with more than 650 type certificates for the various models in the field. These are in addition to the engines powering experimental aircraft.

More than half require high octane fuel, according to Massey. “(They are) the workhorses of the fleet. They are ferrying supplies to remote locations. They’re patrolling borders. They’re supporting military operations….The loss of the ability of these airframes to serve society would definitely be impactful, which is why we, as an OEM [and] engine provider, are looking to make sure that we know—under unleaded fuels and the development that’s taking place in those—what are those key characteristics?”

Massey called for greater involvement in the process, regardless of which fuel was making its way through the gates—and which pathway to approval was pursued. “We need to ensure that whether it’s through industry/government—the PAFI authorization process—or be it the supplemental type certificate (STC) process, that we have a good understanding and knowledge of the specific tests, and which models of engines are evaluated. So that way we can stand behind that portion of it.”

However, getting a fuel to a required octane level is only one of the metrics needed in bringing it to the market successfully—and safely. Massey outlined seven elements that Lycoming seeks answers on, which were echoed by other stakeholders on the panel.

Toxicity

In the quest for a higher-performance fuel, aromatics—chemical compounds (hydrocarbons) that increase octane—replace the tetraethyl lead (TEL) present in 100LL. However, many are known to also be carcinogenic, such as benzene and toluene, and their use is limited in gasoline in many countries. “So we don’t want to replace one fuel for another one that’s going to be harmful, whether it be to the environment or the public,” said Massey.

“We need the transparency of the chemical composition of each fuel to be evaluated by some government entity to give the industry a thumbs-up or -down that what is put into the atmosphere when the fuel is burned is not likely to be a significant concern now or in the future to be harmful,” said Bunce in a follow-up with FLYING. “This is why we encouraged the FAA to have either EPA or some other government entity assess the components of all new fuels to give the industry their expert judgment and green light to move forward. If the EPA won’t do it, then I think the FAA’s choice of the National Academy of Sciences to pull together an expert panel is a good alternative.” There is concern that one or more of those compounds may be in a candidate fuel—but this cannot be confirmed without transparency to the makeup of that fuel.

Materials Compatibility

An engine doesn’t stand alone—and it too is made up of a myriad of parts and components. Of particular concern to Lycoming, as well as airframe OEMs, are the effects that a new fuel will have on other materials used within the powerplant—such as O-rings and seals—as well as the fuel system and other accessories within the airframe tying the tanks to the engine and sending the byproducts out through the exhaust. 

Original testing of early unleaded fuels bears out this concern. Ron Draper of Textron Aviation said in the briefing, “We have tested fuels in the past that have a similar but different recipe, and we had some results that were…I guess, less than desired. In the past, some of those fuels did have wear and tear on soft materials in the airplane—O-rings, gaskets, hoses, bladders, sealants—and we’re unsure of these new fuels, what (they’re) going to do to the engine, what it’s going to do to the airplane.”

Stability

In order to survive production, storage, transportation, tankering, and extended time within FBO and aircraft tanks, a fuel must be stable. It cannot degrade quickly or harm the containers in which it is kept, to a certain extent. Corrosive properties may impact the metal or other materials in the engine or airframe as fuel sits within them over time. The octane may also degrade over long periods.

Vaporization

The distillation curve is another concern. “Fuel’s ability to vaporize at any given temperature—that’s key if we’re looking for ‘startability,’ ‘runability,’ and [addressing] vapor lock concerns,” said Massey. These are not engines or aircraft that can work 99 percent of the time, as was pointed out by John Calcagno of Piper Aircraft.

Density

Another aspect of a new fuel most may not have considered is a difference in density affects a number of things, including the fuel’s overall weight. Aromatics used in unleaded fuel tend to be denser, potentially increasing the fuel weight. Remember the rule of thumb to use 6 pounds per gallon of 100LL in weight and balance calculations? That may change with the new fuels. It may also affect center of gravity, seeing as how most fuel tanks are positioned near the aircraft’s CG—but not all are.

Fuel Controls

A sixth aspect to take into account is any change in the fuel’s volume and how that might affect the metering. “Fuels with increased density will exhibit higher mass flow rates,” said Massey, “and thus higher fuel-to-air ratios.” So, fuel controls would have to be adjusted to accommodate a denser fuel—and keep operations predictable and safe.

Repeatability

The final key noted by the panel is the ability to repeat the fuel recipe by way of a mature production specification. Massey concluded: “These are all considerations that without us having the knowledge base and being able to characterize and/or standardize the testing methods, what does that mean and how does that impact our current (engines) that are out there?”

What’s Next?

FBOs stand ready to accept the fuel—whatever reaches the market first—once accepted and approved. But the market seems to think high-octane fuel should already be out there. Curt Castagna of NATA reported, “Historically, aviation fuels sold as a commodity [are produced] and delivered to the airports and FBOs through the fuel distribution network, where those entities are relying on today the four major fuel suppliers that are delivering that fuel, to bring them a fuel that has, for the last many decades, met an ASTM standard.”

A mature production specification is needed, then, to get unleaded avgas into the market in real quantities—but the perception is running ahead of reality. Castagna said, “There [are] expectations by the users that are buying fuel today—FBOs and airports are hearing from both their user constituents and then their ‘outside-the-fence’ community interests” that are looking to see lead removed.

“All of us here today in the industry are unified in removing that lead—it’s how do we get there?” Castagna concluded. 

While the next stage of EPA’s endangerment finding looms on the horizon, the passing of that milestone won’t stop 100LL sales immediately. But the pressure will be real from those who would use that as an incentive to push forward on that tack.

As Bunce concludes, “The EPA cannot regulate aviation; that is the FAA’s preview. The formal endangerment finding ruling expected by the end of this year will not allow entities to close airports immediately and will not ban leaded avgas immediately. What it will do is kick off the FAA rulemaking process, which is a multiyear journey—which hopefully aligns with our EAGLE timeline of no later than the end of 2030, but sooner if a commercially viable unleaded fuel emerges. 

“The danger to the industry would be for communities to ban 100LL prematurely using the EPA ruling, which is just the start of the regulatory process, before we have the commercially viable replacement. This emphasizes the importance of EAGLE and having a methodical and transparent transition plan.”

The post Update Triggers Questions on Unleaded Avgas Progress appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The light sport and Part 23-certificated aircraft manufacturer began accepting investments in November at $5 per share with a minimum $400 investment.

“Since that time, investors have enthusiastically responded and subscribed to the stock offering,” the company reported Thursday.

• READ MORE: CubCrafters Unveils Carbon Cub UL

The past year has been a good one for the company, according to its recent report to investors. Its revenue rose 5 percent in 2022, doubling its net profits over those reported in 2021. CubCrafters broadened its product lineup through the acquisition of Summit Aircraft Skis, and it launched the Carbon Cub UL, designed to capture a larger share of the European ultralight market. 

“Earnings have returned to near pre-pandemic levels, with EBIDTA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) above 9 percent in 2022,” the company said.

Demand for new aircraft has also remained strong, with a nearly two-year backlog in orders.

In the past year, the company has increased its number of employees nearly 14 percent to 214. It boosted its productivity nearly 28 percent with the assembly of 65 aircraft, up from 51 produced in 2021. CubCrafters also launched initial testing of a new electric propulsion technology for fixed wing aircraft and integrated robotics into some of its aircraft parts manufacturing process.

“Since our public offering announcement, demand for our shares continued to grow,” Patrick Horgan, CubCrafters’ president and CEO, said in a statement. “The milestone achievements that we announced in 2022, such as the introduction of the new Carbon Cub UL model powered by the multi-fuel Rotax 916iS engine, two rounds of NASA funding of our Electric Lift Augmenting Slats (ELAS) project, and strong 2022 financial performance drove the share price change.” 

• READ MORE: Carbon Cub Pilot Takes STOL to the Extreme with Helipad Landing

The company reported its international profile also rose earlier this year through a collaboration with Red Bull for the incredible short landing on the helipad atop the 56-story Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Red Bull Air Race pilot and Carbon Cub owner Luke Czepiela flew a modified Carbon Cub onto the 90-foot wide pad towering 695 feet above sea level.

“We are in a unique position to serve our customers through a diverse product line that appeals to every segment of the adventure aircraft market—both domestic and international—which will serve us well to fuel continued growth,” said Brad Damm, CubCrafters’ vice president. 

• READ MORE: Behind the Scenes at CubCrafters: Crafting a Cub

The post CubCrafters Reports ‘Banner’ Year, Stock Price Boost appeared first on FLYING Magazine.