AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024 - 73

are down extinguish and four blue lights signifying
the wheels are up illuminate. Mechanical Up/Down
indicators are visible on top of the floats; there's a
mirror on each strut to check whether the wheels are
in the proper position for runway or water landings,
and the gear advisory system provides aural warnings.
Cylinder head temperatures and exhaust gas
temperatures remain within normal limits during the
short climb to 2,500 feet and the NXCub makes the
15-nautical mile transit to the Great Sacandaga Lake at
104 KIAS at 75 percent power while consuming 11 gph.
Floatplanes tend to wander in yaw, but the
NXCub is rock steady in that axis. There's a small
but noticeable amount of adverse yaw when briskly
rolling into turns so some rudder is required for
coordination, and the float NXCub is slightly heavier
in pitch than roll. Lively ailerons are a CubCrafters
hallmark and the NXCub on floats shares that
delightful family trait with a maximum roll rate of
about 45 degrees per second.
Slow flight is steady and predictable. The engine/
prop combination provides quick acceleration and
deceleration and allows for especially precise airspeed
control. In level flight at idle power with flaps retracted,
full back stick produces a mushy descent at 48 KIAS
without a stall break. Adding flaps allows for a crisp
stall break at about 33 KIAS with symmetrical wing
drop. Stall recovery is immediate as soon as the wing
angle of attack is reduced.
Keniston advises 65 KIAS and two notches (30
degrees) of flaps for water landings, and I follow his
recipe. At 70 KIAS in level flight, I reach for the flap
handle on the upper left edge of the canopy, depress
the trigger, pull, and feel the nose pitch up slightly as
the flaps droop. The electric trim switch at the top of
the control stick is set to maintain 65 KIAS. I carry a
smidge of engine power into ground/water effect, hold
a 10-degree nose-up attitude, and work the stick aft as
the airplane decelerates.
The keels on the rear halves of the floats touch
down at 42 KIAS and I pull the throttle to idle and
apply full back stick as the floats settle into the water.
My first landings take place near the middle of
the expansive lake where a steady wind estimated at
eight knots creates six-inch waves. I lower the water
rudders via a chain on the right side of the cockpit, and
steering is positive. Downwind turns can be made at
idle power, and pedal pressure is moderate to heavy,
just as it is on land.
Taking off from the water is the NX's superpower.
With the prop in fine pitch and one notch (15 degrees)
of flaps, the pilot applies full back stick and full engine
power. The engine seems to reach maximum rpm in
about three seconds, and the nose rises immediately.
It takes about four seconds for the floats to get on
the step, and that's the pilot's cue to reduce elevator
back-pressure. The airplane holds a roughly 8-degree
nose-up attitude as it accelerates, and it's ready to fly
at 44 KIAS about 12 seconds after applying full power
at the start of the takeoff run.
The NXCub ailerons become effective at about 25
KIAS, and the pilot can reduce surface friction by " rolling
a float " at about 35 KIAS. That technique seems to
shave about two seconds from the takeoff run.
AOPA PILOT / September 2024
73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024

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