AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024 - 75

Docking, beaching, or ramping the NXCub is
indistinguishable from other airplanes equipped
with Wipaire 2100s. The NXCub's single side door
can complicate docking since the only way for airplane
occupants to reach the left float is walking the
cable at the front of the floats, and that's especially
fraught immediately after engine shutdown when
the cowl is sure to be hot.
The rear seat is a fabric sling that's exceptionally
light and easy to move out of the way when loading
or unloading gear.
My suggestions for the NXCub are few: Move the
landing gear advisory system to the left side of the
panel to make aural advisories easier to acknowledge
(and silence). Add a lightweight, solid state, Garmin
radar altimeter to assist in glassy water landings. And
make terrain warnings easy to inhibit without having
to dig deep into G3X sub-menus.
Customer acceptance
As an FAA-certified airplane, the NXCub is meant
to appeal to owners of aviation businesses with
commercial operations, government agencies, and
recreational customers who won't consider the
experimental-category airplanes. The NXCub is also
likely to attract foreign buyers in countries that only
recognize FAA-approved aircraft.
CubCrafters originally certified the tailwheel,
180-horsepower XCub in 2016 after a secretive,
six-year process. The company based in Yakima,
Washington, was already planning for a nosewheel
version even then. But the process of engineering and
certifying a nosewheel that was rugged enough to
perform in the backcountry, didn't create excessive
drag, and stayed out of the way of the engine was
more complex than anticipated. Designers came up
with the CC393i largely to meet the needs of the new
nosewheel assembly.
Although the initial reaction to the NXCub
was mixed, its adoption in the marketplace has
been overwhelmingly positive. CubCrafters began
selling experimental NX versions in 2020 and the
FAA granted certification in 2022, and for the
past four years nosewheel NXCubs have outsold
tailwheel XCubs.
In side-by-side comparisons, NXCubs have
shown they can take off and land as short as
tailwheel models. And the more powerful CC393i
makes NXCubs fly faster in cruise. They've also
opened backcountry flying to pilots who haven't
spent many years and thousands of flight hours
mastering tailwheel skills, and insurance rates for
nosewheel airplanes are less costly.
And it turns out enlarging the market for
backcountry flying is the NXCub's whole reason to
exist. Tailwheel purists, it turns out, are a vocal and
shrinking minority.
Sense of connection
My main impression after several flights in the float
NXCub on water and land is how quickly a pilot feels
connected to it.
The airplane's rare combination of stability,
responsiveness, predictability, and grace makes it
feel like an extension of you during your first flight
hour together. Want to touch down at the mouth of
the sandy cove by the marina? Simply point the nose
where you want to go and minor pitch and power
adjustments fine tune your flight path along the way.
Want to lift off a bit sooner during the takeoff roll?
Simply pull on the flap handle and feel the floats rise
from the water.
When flying the float NXCub, your focus
is outward and the act of operating the aircraft
becomes second-nature. You do it without thinking
about it, and that inspires confidence in the air and
on the water.
Since returning home, my mind has been filled
with the possibilities for the adventures that such
a remarkable airplane puts within reach. Alaska?
Arctic Canada? Greenland? Iceland? The Bahamas?
Caribbean? Patagonia?
Any, or all, of these places are suitable playgrounds
for the NXCub. dave.hirschman@aopa.org
View the video
aopa.org/pilot/
september24
Wipaire 2100A
amphibious
floats make
the NXCub
an all-surface
adventure
machine. The
metal floats
are ideal for
beaching,
ramping, or
docking. The
landing gear
advisory system
contains visual
(blue or green
LED lights) and
aural warnings
to help pilots
ensure the
wheels are
properly raised
or lowered for
water or land
operations.
AOPA PILOT / September 2024
75
http://www.aopa.org/pilot/september24
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2024

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