CubCrafters XCub

CubCrafters of Yakima, Washington introduced the XCub in June 2016 as the next generation of its Super Cub-derived line, developed in secret over six years before FAA type certification (Part 23, day/night VFR) was granted on 2 June 2016. It is built on an original fuselage design using CNC-milled 4130 chromoly steel tubing under doped fabric, with carbon fiber used extensively in secondary structure to control weight. Total XCub production had reached at least the low hundreds by the mid-2020s and continues.

The CC19-180 cruises at 126 KTAS at 75% power (manufacturer figure, independently corroborated by an AOPA flight test that reproduced its 153 mph / 133 kt top speed), carries 1,084 lb useful load against a 2,300 lb gross weight, and is demonstrated at 170 ft takeoff and landing rolls under the manufacturer's own (unweighted/undocumented-condition) test. The 215-hp CC19-215, introduced in 2019, and the tricycle-gear CC19-215 NXCub, certificated in 2020, share the same certificate and the same 2,300 lb gross weight and airspeed limits as the 180-hp airplane — the extra power buys climb and cruise, not a higher weight class.

The certificate also permits a lower Utility Category weight of 1,980 lb on both the CC19-180 and CC19-215 — this is not a "heavier block" the way some backcountry types have; Utility Category trades a wider maneuvering envelope for a tighter CG range and a LOWER maximum weight, so it is a different operating limitation on the same airframe, not a bigger airplane.

Cruise, climb, and range figures are from CubCrafters' own launch specification page for the CC19-180 (2016; the manufacturer has not published an equivalent public spec table for the 215-hp version). At 75% power the manufacturer states 145 mph (126 KTAS); an AOPA flight test independently reproduced the 153 mph top speed exactly and confirmed the 1,500 fpm climb rate at a 15-degree pitch attitude. AOPA's own economy-cruise account (120 mph TAS / 6 gph / ~8 hr endurance at 25" MP / 2,500 rpm, 3,500 ft) is close to but not identical in altitude/power to the manufacturer's headline row, and is not stored as a separate econ-cruise entry because it does not state a %BHP (rule 3 requires all four econ fields or none).

Takeoff and landing distance are stored as "170 ft, demonstrated" per the manufacturer, with no over-50-ft figure. The manufacturer's own footnote says these are measured "using FAA mandated worst-case conditions" at 2,300 lb gross, but does not separate ground roll from an obstacle-clearance distance — treating the single number as both would be exactly the ground-roll/over-50-ft mixup this task's brief warned against, so the over-50-ft fields are left blank rather than guessed.

The certificate's own VNE (142 KCAS) is noticeably lower than the manufacturer's marketing VNE (167 mph = 145 kt) — a real disagreement, not a rounding difference. The certificate is the legal limit and is what the page stores.

• Flight Training (4): Used for tailwheel transition and backcountry training. Not a primary trainer — specialized and expensive for that role — but well suited to advanced bush-flying instruction.
• Backcountry (10): The certificated performance (170 ft demonstrated rolls, 1,084 lb useful load, 126 KTAS cruise at 75% power) makes this one of the strongest certified backcountry singles available new.
• Business Travel (2): Two tandem seats limit this role regardless of speed or range.
• Aerobatics (1): Not aerobatic certified.
• Cross-Country (5): 126 KTAS cruise with 695 nm range (49 gal, 46 usable) is credible for a tandem two-seater; AOPA's economy-cruise account suggests meaningfully more range is available at reduced power.
• Cargo Hauling (6): 1,084 lb useful load is outstanding for a two-seat tailwheel airplane.
• Local Fun Flying (9): STOL performance, modern handling, and (on factory-optioned airplanes) glass-panel avionics make this a strong choice for grass-strip and backcountry day flying.
• Surveying (7): High wing, benign slow-flight characteristics (Vs0 40 KIAS), and long potential endurance at economy power.

CubCrafters offers a strong factory panel option range on the XCub: Garmin G3X Touch (dual-screen options), GTN 650Xi/750Xi navigators, GFC 500 autopilot, and ADS-B In/Out. A fully-optioned XCub can be delivered as a genuinely IFR-capable cross-country machine that also meets the certificate's 170 ft demonstrated STOL numbers.

A type certificate never lists an STC (rule 32); its silence is not evidence a modification does not exist. A search-stc "XCub" pass on FAA DRS returned no results, which is recorded as a gap in what this research could confirm, not as proof no STC-based modifications exist. What the CERTIFICATE itself already covers directly (not via external STC):

• Amphibious floats — the certificate's own airspeed-limits table carries dedicated VLO/VLE figures "(Amphibious Floats)" for both the CC19-180 and CC19-215, meaning float operation is part of the base type design rather than a bolt-on modification.
• Tundra tires and ski installations are commonly fitted in the field; no certificate or STC reference for a specific kit was located in this pass.

MARKET ASKING — price band retained from the prior page, consistent with used-market and dealer-quoted current CC19-180 XCub pricing, but NOT independently re-verified against a fresh, dated Controller/Trade-A-Plane pull in this research pass (no Vref/Bluebook entry exists for this type). This is flagged as a gap rather than presented as freshly sourced.

The XCub is a young design (certificated 2016) with a limited AD history as of this research pass; no major structural AD was found. Standard Lycoming O-360/IO-390 engine ADs apply to the respective engine. As with any young, low-total-fleet-hours design, long-term wear patterns are not yet as well established as on a decades-old type.