The FAA has signed off on night VFR operations for Yakima, Washington-based CubCrafters’ CC18-180 Top Cub. Several modifications were made to the airplane to meet the FAA requirements, including the addition of glare shields, fuel sight gauge lighting, instrument illumination and backlit placards. Some interior surfaces have been finished with non-reflective black and the taxi and landing lights have been equipped with LEDs.
“The FAA has raised the bar for night VFR over the years,” said CubCrafters’ owner and CEO Jim Richmond. “Our new certification meets the latest and most rigorous standards set by the FAA with regard to human factors making the Top Cub more convenient and safe for true night operations.”
The Top Cub can be equipped with either a Lycoming or Superior 180-horsepower engine and boast 1,100 pounds of useful load and short-field capabilities that enable takeoff and landing distances of less than 600 feet at the max gross weight of 2,300 pounds.
The new night VFR equipment will be included in the $219,900 purchase price, and in order to fly the Top Cub you will need to have a private pilot certificate, not only to fly it at night, since, unlike the many LSAs coming out of CubCrafters, the Top Cub is a Part 23 certified airplane.
