AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020 - 37

2020
TEST PREP
Since 1940

nosewheel assembly that can be removed
on the ground so that the nosewheel can
swivel 360 degrees. (A big red light on the
instrument panel illuminates if the pilot
turns on the electronic master switch with
the pin removed).
Once inside the airplane, visibility is excellent, and there's no reason for
S-turning while taxiing as in a tailwheel
airplane. Engine run-up is normal except
that the engine has dual electronic ignitions rather than magnetos.
With two heavier-than-FAA-standard
adults, full fuel (50 gallons), a sunny 55
degrees Fahrenheit at Yakima's McAllister
Field (YKM, elevation 1,100 feet), and no
wind, the NXCub took off in six seconds
after a ground roll of 300 feet. And that was
a normal, rolling takeoff, not a short-field
effort.
Damm said the NXCub takes off and
lands even shorter than the tailwheel
version.
"You can raise the nose and put the
wing at a higher angle of attack during the
takeoff roll," he said. "On landing, you can
brake much more aggressively than you
would in a tailwheel airplane."
We flew to a nearby grass strip at Buena
(WA97) for a series of takeoffs and landings on wet grass. Normal approaches were
flown at 60 miles an hour, and short-field
approaches slowed to 50. Even with the
slick surface, landings were consistently
under 300 feet.
"Get on the brakes hard," Damm
advised. "You can even touch down with
the brakes locked and not hurt anything on
this surface."
Next, we flew to a gravel strip on a hillside with a steep, 20-percent incline.
"Expect the ground to come up to meet
you," Damm warned.
We had a slight tailwind when landing uphill, but directional control wasn't
a problem in the NXCub. It was just fun.
After an hour of flying, we returned to
Yakima and landed on Runway 27. A 5-knot
headwind assisted us, but we easily made
the first turnoff at the 500-foot runway
mark with light braking.
I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction
to the NXCub and was amazed at how
stress-free our relatively strenuous flight

had been, even for a pilot brand-new to the
airplane.
Damm said CubCrafters is gathering
feedback before deciding whether to seek
FAA certification for the NXCub. I'm certain the project will go forward, and the
implications for adventure aviation will be
big and long lasting.
By building and validating such a capable and distinctive nosewheel airplane,
CubCrafters vastly expands the number of
pilots who can confidently fly to remote,
rugged airstrips. A doctorate level of tailwheel knowledge simply isn't required
anymore for such ambitious journeys.
Realistically, the number of NXCubs is
likely to remain relatively small because
it's an expensive airplane (retail price:
$338,000) for its category with a highly
specialized mission. But CubCrafters has
proven the nosewheel concept and made
it socially acceptable. And everyone else
who builds competing airplanes has taken
notice.
Will rival Aviat respond with a nosewheel Husky? Will American Legend or
American Champion produce nosewheel
versions of their backcountry models? Will
someone get a supplemental type certificate to retrofit Piper PA-18 Super Cubs
with nosewheels? I suspect they will-and
those efforts will further popularize adventure flying, STOL competitions, and add
to the already impressive number of backcountry airstrips available to pilots seeking
to expand their horizons.
The NXCub is an ugly baby when
viewed from the outside. But the world
looks awfully good from the inside.

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EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2020
