What Was Old... Is New -- Again
CubCrafters is on the
move -- reporting to ANN that they accomplished a number of
milestones in the SPORT CUB program and intro'd an overhauled
and upgraded website, to boot.
SPORT CUB Program Manager Don Johnston commented, “With
the new site, we have confirmed to our SPORT CUB customers the
available panels, panel options, and other airframe options.
Further, we are nearly finished from an engineering standpoint on
several key airframe details and related components. We are well
into fabricating new SPORT CUB parts and, although still early in
the process, the first conforming SPORT CUB is in on the
manufacturing floor.”
Commenting on the overall status of the program, Johnston said,
“SPORT CUB is an all new, ground up redesign of the legendary
aircraft that inspired the light sport category. We appreciate our
customers’ patience and their embrace of our philosophy about
this airplane and its place in the new category. Every component in
SPORT CUB – the fuselage, wings, cockpit, panel, interior,
seats, cowling, fuel system and so on – has been designed new
for substantial improvements in safety, performance, materials and
construction versus any current or previous like aircraft. None of
the more 70 confirmed SPORT CUB deposit holders want a 50 year-old
reproduction airplane. More important, for their investment, each
wants way more than the nostalgia of ‘just a Cub’.
With SPORT CUB, our customers will certainly get the legacy of
the iconic airplane, but in a modern, safe, very well equipped
airplane that represents true forward thinking. The new panels
available in SPORT CUB, shown here, are examples of our commitment
to this philosophy. CubCrafters is following in the footsteps of
industry-leading colleagues such as Cirrus, Columbia, or Eclipse,
which means leaving the conventional wisdom of antiquated design
behind and answering the demand for ‘new’ in general
aviation.”
CubCrafters debuted the prototype SPORT CUB at Oshkosh in early
August of 2005 and will deliver the first customer SPORT CUB in
April of 2006, within nine months of the prototype’s debut.
Over that same period, CubCrafters will have delivered 20 FAR part
23 certified TOP CUBs in addition to more than a dozen completely
rebuilt PA-18 Super Cubs; plus continuous parts manufacture
supporting the existing Super Cub fleet. Vice President Todd
Simmons added, “Each of our businesses – TOP CUB, SPORT
CUB, and Super Cub – benefit from the others, and our
well-earned reputation of the past 26 years is the result of
resourceful engineering, manufacturing and sharing of information
and other assets across the three product lines.”
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