Carbon Cub UL Demonstrates Ultimate Versatility With Record Flight

After nearly 75 years, there’s a new leader in the “Cub” house. 

On Thursday, CubCrafters announced it had completed a record-setting flight, as a Carbon Cub UL climbed to an altitude of 37,609 feet, setting an unofficial world altitude record for a light STOL aircraft. The flight, which took place on Tuesday, shattered the previous record of 30,203 feet set by Caro Bayley in a PA-18 Piper Super Cub in 1951.

The flight was conducted to showcase the capabilities of the Carbon Cub UL and CubCrafters’ ambitions at developing the highest performing backcountry aircraft possible. 

During the flight, the aircraft was configured in normal bushplane conditions, equipped with 29-inch Alaska Bushwheel tires and strapped down with cameras to document the flight. The Carbon Cub UL was powered by a turbocharged Rotax 916 iS engine, along with Rotax serving as a technical adviser during the project. 

Pilot Jon Kotwicki explained that the goal for the team was simply to eclipse the record of 30,200 feet for a Cub-style airplane.

“We didn’t know how high we could go, and we were honestly surprised we reached that altitude with 29 [inch] Alaska Bushwheels installed and all the camera gear on board,” Kotwicki said in a news release. “The UL is truly an amazing backcountry aircraft. We could have gone directly from over 37,000 [feet] to landing and taking off from any unimproved dirt strip anywhere in California. That’s what makes this machine so versatile.”

While not an official Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) record attempt, the flight was also enough to overtake the FAI Ultralight category world record of 35,062 feet set in 1996.

Kotwicki took off at 9:55 a.m. PDT from San Luis Obispo Regional Airport (KSBP) in California. After about a 62-minute climb, the aircraft reached its peak altitude, with the outside air temperature at minus-51 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the extreme elevation, Kotwicki wore a parachute and was supplied with supplemental oxygen throughout. 

“The Cub flew really easy,” Kotwicki said. “We were outside the normal realm of operating parameters, so we were proceeding with caution. It was pretty dang cool to be in a tube-and-fabric bushplane that high, and it was surreal hearing airline pilots over ATC wondering what a Cub was doing up there.”

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Both Kotwicki and project lead Paulo Iscold both credited the superb weather conditions as a major factor in how they were able to achieve such a feat.

“This is my 17th aviation record, and it was one of the most fun to go after,” Iscold said. “The entire team was great to work with. From CubCrafters and Rotax to Aerocrafted and Mountain High, we couldn’t have asked for better partners or a better aircraft for this project.In test flying we plan for everything to go wrong. When everything goes right…that’s the flight you wanted; that’s the flight we got.”