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Thread: Trying to decide which to buy-Top Cub or Carbon Cub SS

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Default Trying to decide which to buy-Top Cub or Carbon Cub SS

    Questions:

    1. What Indicated Airspeed do you see in Top Cub at say 4,000 with 26" Tundra Tires?

    2. What Indicated Airspeed do you see in Carbon Cub SS under same condition as above?

    3. Does the Top Cub get up pretty quickly when loaded say half fuel and one person? Climb rate?

    4. My only reason for not immediately deciding on Carbon Cub is the low useful load. I know that it is tested for 6 Gs at 1320 pounds and if homebuilt experimental can carry 950 pounds. But conversion from SLSA to Experimental of a factory-built plane appears to be prohibited. Can anyone enlighten me about this. I will not fly over any legal limit weight.

    5. It appears that there may be a loophole on a factory built LSA conversion to Experimental IF the buyer builds a small portion of the plane. It used to be 51%, but now I think it is only 1%. Comments?

    6. FAA appears to be proposing to prohibit LSA conversion to ELSA. Have they dropped this proposal? It would be devastating to Carbon Cub.

    7. Are Cub Crafters moving forward to certify their Carbon Cub under Part 23 like the Top Cub? That would be great, especially if they would raise the useful load to at least 650 pounds. I'd run over them to buy one. Comments?

    Please forgive me for asking questions that may have been asked before.
    THANKS

  2. #2
    Senior Member Cubrath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trying to decide which to buy-Top Cub or Carbon Cub SS

    Quote Originally Posted by levins1951 View Post
    Questions:

    1. What Indicated Airspeed do you see in Top Cub at say 4,000 with 26" Tundra Tires?

    2. What Indicated Airspeed do you see in Carbon Cub SS under same condition as above?

    3. Does the Top Cub get up pretty quickly when loaded say half fuel and one person? Climb rate?

    4. My only reason for not immediately deciding on Carbon Cub is the low useful load. I know that it is tested for 6 Gs at 1320 pounds and if homebuilt experimental can carry 950 pounds. But conversion from SLSA to Experimental of a factory-built plane appears to be prohibited. Can anyone enlighten me about this. I will not fly over any legal limit weight.

    5. It appears that there may be a loophole on a factory built LSA conversion to Experimental IF the buyer builds a small portion of the plane. It used to be 51%, but now I think it is only 1%. Comments?

    6. FAA appears to be proposing to prohibit LSA conversion to ELSA. Have they dropped this proposal? It would be devastating to Carbon Cub.

    7. Are Cub Crafters moving forward to certify their Carbon Cub under Part 23 like the Top Cub? That would be great, especially if they would raise the useful load to at least 650 pounds. I'd run over them to buy one. Comments?

    Please forgive me for asking questions that may have been asked before.
    THANKS

    Levins,

    I don't think you could go wrong with either airplane depending on your mission. If you are serious about buying one the best way to decide is to fly both and make a decision.

    In a way they are two different airplanes. The Top cub is the best cub of the original 1940's piper design. The carbon cub was designed to be the best cub, using all the latest technology, built within the LSA rules. In my opinion they succeeded!

    Its also my understanding that there is only two ways to get an 1865# carbon cub. The first one is to buy an EX kit and build it yourself. The second is to buy a completed EX from an individual that already built one. I don't think there is any legal way to get a factory built LSA airplane to the higher gross weight.

    In my opinion I don't see Cubcrafters certifying the carbon cub under part 23. The cost of that would probably double the price of the airplane. The airplane is doing exactly what it was made for. It's the best LSA in its class and it is selling like crazy. Not sure why they would want to change that.

    MR
    Last edited by Cubrath; 09-21-2014 at 07:33 AM.

  3. #3
    Senior Member JohnM's Avatar
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    Default Re: Trying to decide which to buy-Top Cub or Carbon Cub SS

    Quote Originally Posted by levins1951 View Post
    Questions:

    1. What Indicated Airspeed do you see in Top Cub at say 4,000 with 26" Tundra Tires?

    2. What Indicated Airspeed do you see in Carbon Cub SS under same condition as above?

    3. Does the Top Cub get up pretty quickly when loaded say half fuel and one person? Climb rate?

    4. My only reason for not immediately deciding on Carbon Cub is the low useful load. I know that it is tested for 6 Gs at 1320 pounds and if homebuilt experimental can carry 950 pounds. But conversion from SLSA to Experimental of a factory-built plane appears to be prohibited. Can anyone enlighten me about this. I will not fly over any legal limit weight.

    5. It appears that there may be a loophole on a factory built LSA conversion to Experimental IF the buyer builds a small portion of the plane. It used to be 51%, but now I think it is only 1%. Comments?

    6. FAA appears to be proposing to prohibit LSA conversion to ELSA. Have they dropped this proposal? It would be devastating to Carbon Cub.

    7. Are Cub Crafters moving forward to certify their Carbon Cub under Part 23 like the Top Cub? That would be great, especially if they would raise the useful load to at least 650 pounds. I'd run over them to buy one. Comments?

    Please forgive me for asking questions that may have been asked before.
    THANKS
    1. Both airplanes can be flown at similar speeds and neither are cross country speed demons. Range advantage goes to TopCub due to more tankage.

    3. CarbonCub will always win the get up and go competition due to its superior horse power to weight ratio. The TopCub will always win the payload competition because of its design goals. The airplanes were built to fit two different missions.

    4. If payload is your primary mission requirement, then the TopCub is what you need to buy OR buy a completed kit or build your own kit. Factory built CarbonCubs are LSAs and can only be certified to 1320lbs. A CarbonCub owner can re-certify his airplane to E-LSA but that change will not bring an increase in gross weight.

    5. Not correct. To be considered the builder the kit builder has to build enough of it to satisfy the regulatory requirements which I believe is still 51%.

    6. There was a proposal circulating around earlier this year that lead people to believe that would be the case. It appears that what circulated around was a poorly thought out draft. I don't believe that provision will make it to press.

    7. As has been pointed out already, the cost to re-certify under Part 23 would not be economically worthwhile for CubCrafters or potential customers.

    As you probably know already, there is no such thing as a perfect airplane. Many compromises have to be made when making your choice. Since there is no perfect airplane you need to strive to be the perfect pilot. The perfect pilot will buy one of each to be able to fly what ever mission he needs.

    Enjoy your search.

    JM
    John Moreland
    SWT Aviation
    CubCrafters Southeast Sales Center
    Central Florida

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