Case in point: CubCrafters has just delivered its 200th LSA.
The Yakima, Washington-based LSA maker thus secures bragging rights, at least for now, for being the top US-made producer of ASTM-certified Light Sport Aircraft, eclipsing its Cub clone rival American Legend out of Texas, which has led the pack for some time.
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| Photo courtesy CubCrafters |
The company offers two Cubalikes: the Sport Cub S2 (100hp) and the Carbon Cub SS (180hp, and what a climbout monster it is!)
The company started up in 1980 and recently added 15,000 square feet of space to its manufacturing facility.
And yes, they are a-hirin'.
Keep up the good work, you guys!
1 comment:
Congratulations to CubCrafters, who have clearly nailed the core market for LSAs!
I do find it a bit depressing, though, that in the most innovative branch of aviation today, the strongest demand is for LSAs that are not just "your father's Oldsmobile," but are essentially your grandfather's airplane. (No offense to CubCrafters, here: their product is a superb implementation of what they set out to produce, and it was the right product.)
I'm not suggesting there aren't some very modern, innovative designs out there - there are.
But if LSA had been successfully marketed, I'd have expected the Cubalikes to be a niche market, not the mainstream driver of sales.
I fear that the LSA industry made a terrible mistake in its marketing. LSA, which could have been branded as "the most innovative and cost-effective new aircraft available today" has instead acquired a rather different brand definition, driven by too much promotion to a single niche. LSA quickly became, and remains, "the last-resort airplane for old guys who can't get a medical anymore".
Any chance of creating a new brand? iSA, or something?
Thomas
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