We Fly: CubCrafters NXCub

Kitbuilt airplane offers performance and adventure at your fingertips.

Rick Durden

Monday, June 30, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A nosewheel bushplane like the ClubCrafters NXCub safely opens the door to backcountry flying for more pilots. [Credit: Jon Bliss]

Key Takeaways:

The CubCrafters NXCub deeply impressed pilots with its powerful 215 hp engine, exceptional STOL capabilities, and delightful handling, proving highly effective for backcountry flying.
Its robust nosewheel design, while controversial to some, was praised for improving ground handling, braking, and overall safety on rough terrain, thereby increasing accessibility to backcountry flying for a wider range of pilots.
The aircraft offers a substantial useful load (requiring careful weight and balance management), a comfortable and well-appointed cabin with thoughtful storage, and modern Garmin G3X Touch avionics, enhancing its utility and appeal.

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It was too good to pass up. CubCrafters offered to bring FLYING the first of the kitbuilt NXCubs to north Idaho and turn us loose with it for two weeks to fly into the backcountry—introducing pilots of all experience and skill levels to the airplane. They told us to get it muddy and grass stained. We did.

The adventure began with a checkout with CubCrafters pilot David Blake, along with orientation around its STOL capabilities. Over the next two weeks we made one long cross-country, several short ones, and had some 19 pilots of all skill and experience levels fly it.