Design and Development
The XCub emerged from CubCrafters' ambitious goal to create a substantially more capable aircraft than traditional Piper Super Cub derivatives. Between 2010 and 2016, the company conducted development in complete secrecy, funding the entire project through internal resources without venture capital, loans, or customer deposits. The certification process required more than 40,000 pages of technical documentation to demonstrate compliance with FAA Type Certificate requirements.
Building upon the foundation of the Carbon Cub EX, engineers incorporated significantly more carbon fiber into the structure while maintaining the proven V-strut-braced high-wing configuration that traces its lineage to the 1949 Piper PA-18 Super Cub. The aircraft features a welded CNC-milled 4130 steel tubing airframe with flying surfaces covered in doped aircraft fabric, but distinguishes itself through modern control systems using torque tubes instead of cables, with aileron tubes running inside the V-struts.
The Manufacturer
CubCrafters, founded in 1982 in Yakima, Washington, built its reputation over four decades as a specialist in backcountry aircraft. The company's evolution paralleled the growing demand for high-performance recreational aviation, beginning with aircraft restoration before transitioning to manufacturing. In 1999, CubCrafters introduced their first new airplane, the Piper/CubCrafters PA18, built under the FAA's Spare & Surplus Rule.
The pivotal moment came in 2004 when CubCrafters earned its FAA Part 21 Production Certificate and first FAA Aircraft Type Certificate, introducing the Top Cub as a Part 23 Certified design based on the Super Cub. This certification capability proved crucial for the XCub's development, as the company could leverage established relationships with FAA certification specialists.
Engine Options and Performance
The XCub launched with a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360-C1 engine paired with a Hartzell Trailblazer composite constant-speed propeller. In July 2019, CubCrafters introduced the 215-horsepower Lycoming IO-390 option, developed through collaboration with Lycoming and Hartzell. The higher-powered variant required new cowling and baffles, plus a three-bladed Hartzell Pathfinder propeller to handle the additional power.
Performance figures demonstrate the XCub's capabilities beyond traditional Super Cubs. The 180-horsepower version achieves 153 miles per hour true airspeed in level flight with a best cruise speed of 126 knots indicated airspeed. More impressive for backcountry operations, the aircraft maintains a stall speed of just 33 knots while offering 695 nautical miles range and 1,500 feet per minute rate of climb.
Operational Innovation
In 2017, the XCub became the first United States general aviation aircraft to achieve non-TSO'd avionics approval for the Garmin G3X system, demonstrating CubCrafters' commitment to modern technology integration. The glass panel cockpit with autopilot capability represents a significant advancement over traditional Cub instrumentation.
The aircraft's versatility extends beyond powerplant options to landing gear configuration. In 2020, CubCrafters certified the NXCub variant with tricycle landing gear, available only with the 215-horsepower engine. Remarkably, any XCub can be converted between conventional and tricycle configurations in approximately four hours with two people, and both variants accept floats for amphibious operations.
Production Success
At the XCub's AirVenture debut in July 2016, CubCrafters announced 20 aircraft sold before public introduction. Production has steadily increased, culminating in the delivery of the 1,000th CubCrafters production aircraft—a CC19-215 XCub—to Bridger Aerospace in Montana on December 19, 2023. This milestone encompasses not only XCubs but CubCrafters' entire certified aircraft production since earning its manufacturing certificate.
Pilot Perspective
AOPA reviewer Dave Hirschman, evaluating the XCub in June 2016, noted that while the 153-mile-per-hour top speed impressed, the aircraft's true value lay in "tremendous range and operational flexibility at more economical cruise settings." At 120 miles per hour true airspeed, pilots achieve fuel consumption of six gallons per hour or less, providing approximately eight hours endurance from the 50-gallon fuel capacity.
The XCub's appeal extends beyond performance to practical utility. With an empty weight of 1,216 pounds and gross weight of 2,300 pounds, the aircraft offers substantial payload while maintaining the short-field performance that defines the Super Cub family. The 170-foot takeoff and landing distances open access to remote airstrips impossible for conventional aircraft.
Current Operations
Today, the CC19-215 XCub serves as CubCrafters' flagship model, finding applications in personal recreation, commercial utility, flight training, and government service. The aircraft's combination of modern avionics, substantial useful load, extended range, and high speed represents the culmination of CubCrafters' engineering expertise in the backcountry aviation market.