CubCrafters has announced the Carbon Cub ULT, a turboprop-powered evolution of the company's popular Carbon Cub UL platform that the US manufacturer says represents a major step forward in lightweight backcountry aircraft design.
The ULT is powered by the TurboTech TP-R90, a regenerative turboprop engine with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) that CubCrafters says delivers turbine smoothness and fuel economy comparable to the gasoline-powered Carbon Cub UL. The FADEC system eliminates traditional fuel and propeller management, handling fuel flow, ignition, engine temperatures and propeller operation automatically throughout the start sequence and flight envelope.
Starting the aircraft is as simple as turning on the master switch and pressing the start button.
The ULT retains the Carbon Cub's proven short-field capability, lightweight composite construction and aerodynamic refinements, while the cockpit combines Garmin avionics with a dedicated turbine engine display and single-lever power management.
Significantly, the Carbon Cub ULT is the first US-manufactured turboprop aircraft eligible to be flown by Sport Pilots under the FAA's new MOSAIC regulations, which CubCrafters describes as a major milestone in the evolution of recreational aviation.
CubCrafters President and CEO Patrick Horgan said the aircraft demanded an extraordinary engineering effort.
"Bringing together regenerative turbine technology, full FADEC controls, lightweight composite construction, and our proven STOL capability into a practical backcountry aircraft demanded an incredible amount of focused innovation and refinement from our team," he said.
TurboTech CEO Damien Fauvet said the partnership with CubCrafters represented the TP-R90's first production aircraft application in the United States.
"Together, we believe we are introducing a new generation of efficient, practical, turbine-powered recreational aircraft," he said.
The aircraft has been undergoing flight testing at CubCrafters' headquarters in Yakima, Washington, and will make its public debut at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this northern summer. Customer deposits are being accepted, with initial deliveries expected in 2027.
Further information is available at cubcrafters.com.