CubCrafters introduces Carbon Cub EX–3, FX–3
CC363i engine allows increases in payload, range, speed, utility
CubCrafters introduced two new models of the two-place, high-wing, single-engine aircraft based on Piper’s 80-year-old design and both share increases in payload, range, speed, and utility. The Carbon Cub EX–3 is an experimental amateur-built kit while the FX–3 is a factory builder-assisted version.
The new 186-horsepower CC363i fuel-injected, four-cylinder engine from Superior Air Parts and Aero Sport Power provides more than enough muscle to launch either version of the adventure aircraft into the air in less than 100 feet. The extra power will allow increased utility for backcountry aviators and seaplane pilots taking advantage of the aircraft’s 2,000-pound gross weight, 132-mph cruise, and 765-mile range. "The thrust generated by the new aircraft is 20% higher than any previous Carbon Cub!” exclaimed CubCrafters President Randy Lervold.
The performance increase over the company’s EX–2 and FX–2 is largely afforded by the new engine, along with an 80-inch Hartzell Trailblazer composite constant-speed propeller, redesigned carbon fiber manifold, and additional structural strengthening and lightweight components scattered throughout the airframe.
Attention to pilot ergonomics is evident in the two new models as well. Both variants boast a “high-output triple-zone cabin heater with windshield defrost” and a control stick with “improved positioning and multifunction grip,” the company added.
“Pilots who have flown the new prototype universally report that it climbs aggressively, handles beautifully, and is even more refined than the current models,” Randy Lervold, president of CubCrafters, explained in the news release.
Carbon Cub EX–3 kits are designed for completion in 800 to 1,000 hours and priced at $180,000 (depending on options) with the CC363i engine and a ready-to-install VFR instrument panel. The FX–3 aircraft can be assembled in seven days with factory help, and its base price is $249,900. Both aircraft are “already being delivered to customers,” the company noted.
David Tulis
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