Friday, January 7, 2011 - CubCrafters has recently been awarded another Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) by the Federal Aviation Administration. The STC is for the new “3X3 (3-by-3) landing gear”, available as a modification for all PA-18 Super Cubs.

The new design moves the wheels three inches forward and three inches lower than stock gear and increases the strength of the gear system as a whole. The gusseted axles are machined from solid 4130 steel, and welded to larger diameter thicker walled main tubes extending from the fuselage attach points. The new cabane vee is also made of stronger material and angled forward to accommodate the new axle placement. With this arrangement, the angle-of-attack is improved and weight is transferred further aft of the main wheels. This redistribution of weight, along with added strength, is what makes more aggressive braking possible.

The heavy-duty 3X3 gear increases prop clearance and takeoff performance while allowing pilots to brake harder and therefore land in a shorter distance. Ground handling is also improved, as the aircraft more readily settles into a 3-point stance and remains there on roll out.

“I like everything about it!” declared CubCrafters owner Jim Richmond after his first flight in a 3X3 equipped Super Cub. “Some older 180 horsepower Cubs tend to be a little heavy in the nose, and this really takes care of that. It’s easy to handle on the ground, and you can really stomp on the brakes!”

Further evidence of the design’s effectiveness came earlier this year at the annual take-off and landing competition held in Valdez, Alaska. Paul Claus, piloting an all-stock CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS equipped with the new 3X3 gear, handily won the Experimental class, landing in 69 feet, with no wind. (This 180 HP LSA took off in 64 feet, easily winning its division with a combined score for shortest take-off and shortest landing.)

The STC is available immediately. It includes two new 3X3 landing gear legs, a cabane vee, two lower shock struts and copper brakes lines. If a customer already has CubCrafters’ extended landing gear, the lower shock struts can be re-used. The STC’d 3X3 gear kit sells for $2,250 complete.

ABOUT CUBCRAFTERS
CubCrafters, founded in 1980 by current owner and Chairman Jim Richmond, is located at Yakima Air Terminal/ McAllister Field Airport (YKM) in Yakima, WA. CubCrafters’ roots are in the 60-year history of classic ‘taildragger’
aviation, but its products and services - New aircraft, CAD-based design and engineering, CNC tooling and fabrication, Lean-manufacturing, and Award-winning tube and fabric aircraft restoration - are leading edge.

CubCrafters offers three all new, FAA-certified, ready-to-fly, aircraft: the second generation SPORT CUB S2, the follow on airplane to the original SPORT CUB…the long awaited redesign of the classic airplane that inspired the light sport category; The CARBON CUB SS, a stronger and more powerful version of the S2 with 180 horsepower available for take-off and climb, making it the most powerful LSA aircraft in production; and TOP CUB, with useful load of over 1,000 Lbs. the most capable two-place personal and utility aircraft in production.

For more information, visit: cubcrafters.com
For images and company logos, visit: cubcrafters.com/media