In its grandest, most sophisticated Cub yet, the technicians in the skunk works at CubCrafters pulled back the hangar door on some seriously advanced engineering work with the debut of the Carbon Cub ULT, at midnight on July 7, 2026. What’s the big deal? The TurboTech TP-R90 fuel sipping turbine up front, producing up to 141 equivalent horsepower and turning the versatile, easy-to-fly Carbon Cub into an even more incredible backcountry STOL machine.
The dawn of the aircraft certification changes enabled under MOSAIC, as of July 24, opens the door to the integration of turbine powerplants in approachable airplanes for a wider range of pilots. The fully FADEC single-stage TP-R90 keeps fuel flows to piston standards with its regenerative combustion process, using an innovative heat exchanger on the rear of the engine. In the panel, TurboTech’s proprietary engine control unit governs its push-button start sequence and annunciations to assist the pilot and it joins Garmin G3X Touch avionics, with a Garmin com radio and autopilot.
CubCrafters has completed about 22 hours of flight testing as of press time, with a few months remaining to finish up the path to certification. Once that’s complete, the Carbon Cub ULT will go out the door beginning in 2027, at a base price of $690,000.
Really cool… Why not just buy a nice, used rotary wing Robinson or Hiller?
My Cabri G2 is cheaper than this cub. This cub may cruise faster, but I have infinitely better STOL capability (literally, since I can land in 0 feet). 🙂
Six
hundred
and
ninety
thousand.
For a Cub
Proof positive that there’s some aspect of aviating that brings out the insanity in aviation companies. The good news … MOSAIC is working.
” MOSAIC is working” ???
Sorry Sir, again with respect …the only thing ‘MOSAIC’ will achieve is greater ‘Profit-Margins’ for current and would-be Aircraft manufacturers! (see previous comment in AVBrief Article):
https://avbrief.com/utah-start-up-to-build-lsa-turboprops-under-mosaic/
MOSAIC is working. I hadn’t flown for 20 years – too expensive and tedious for a medical, and too heavy for a pre-mosaic light sport. Now I own a PA-12 and fly again.
I am sincerely heartened-by and Happy for you Sir …in your renewed ability to return to our wonderful world of ‘Flight’! Got a little stick-time myself in a ‘Super-Cruiser’ …nice airplane (and you can even haul 2 extra folks in her to share in the ‘experience’!)
But sadly …your airplane, along with all those other ‘Legacy’ machines is an old/rapidly aging-out and ‘disappearing’ model that was produced during a time by then (Legacy) manufacturers who at the time actually believed-in CREATING a market for ‘General Aviation’ …by providing aircraft, not only for the affluent, but airplanes that the ‘Average-Joe’, albeit with some sacrifice, might actually be able-to (AND WERE ABLE-TO) afford.
They have ALL since …and those (manufacturers) that have since and currently appeared (including, astoundingly, most ‘Kit’ manufacturers) reversed course on that policy decades (40+ years) ago. (see previous comment in AVBrief Article)
https://avbrief.com/utah-start-up-to-build-lsa-turboprops-under-mosaic/
The result has been the demise of ‘General Aviation’ …as those of us who numbered among what was generally perceived to make up its largest segment during the 60’s through early 90’s have been so fortunate to have been a part of. And WE ‘little-guys’ recreationally (privately) flying around in piston airplanes, are rapidly becoming all-but extinct.
MOSAIC IS-NOT gonna’ change this (and I would love, more than words can express, to be wrong about that)
Well, OK. I should rephrase that MOSAIC is working for some of us. No, I have no interest in a half-million dollar turboprop, even if the little wheel is on the correct end. And yes, it was very difficult for me to find someone with IA who would do an annual inspection on steel tube and fabric. After I was excluded from Basic Med, I never thought I would fly again. I will age out myself in a few years.
…and it’s “easy to fly”
200% Agree!! …’They’ just don’t ‘Get-it’! And, with all due respect …it would (sadly) seem that many of the ‘Commenter’s’ here don’t either.
(see previous comment in AVBrief Article):
https://avbrief.com/utah-start-up-to-build-lsa-turboprops-under-mosaic/
I really really really want to see this engine company grow and succeed. This is great news.
Many folks’ jaws drop at this price and the continued success of the Supercub Clones being sold for high prices (even the ones with piston engines).
I think they will sell the heck out of these….
Hand propping with a dead battery might not work as well, but I’m sure some creative pilot will rig up a long rope and try to make it work 🙂
TurboTech claims a fuel flow of 5 gph at 50% power and a 3,000 hour TBO.
Jaw dropped. What well a crafted, brilliant and beautiful absurdity.
Wow! When I read the headline, including the word “turbine”, I thought, “What a waste of money!” Then, in the text, I saw “141 HP” and thought, “On, a Rotax 915iS” and “Why call a turbocharger a turbine?”
Nope! For the same power and fuel flow you can have an actual turbo prop engine in a cub. For only $100,000 more, give or take. But, hey! You get bragging rights.
Sheesh.
“On, a Rotax” should be, “Oh, a Rotax”
Proof read before posting…
Just a note, but you can actually edit posts here, after posting!
Thanks. I tried editing my post but wasn’t sure quite how. I was presented with a blank writing space. Maybe I’d have to copy my original post, paste it into the new space, and then make my edit. A lot of work for one character.
Oddly now I don’t see the edit button on my comment! Perhaps it has been removed?
Ah, now it is showing up bottom right as a “gear” icon.
Given the fuss people (perhaps especially those who don’t like general aviation anyway) are making about lead in aviation gasoline, we should encourage development of regenerative gas turbine engines for GA aircraft of all sizes. So the TurboTech-powered Carbon Cub is NOT an absurdity. As for Robinson helicopters, there is the R66 which is turbine-powered but perhaps TurboTech R-44’s will soon be feasible, for the betterment of everyone if phasing out 100LL is that important.