By Jackie Burch
When Pratt & Whitney Canada unveiled its new PT9 turboprop at the 2026 National Business Aviation Association convention, I couldn’t help but notice something was missing. It didn’t have a launch partner.
Pratt & Whitney officials should have called CubCrafters. After all, the company has helped introduce five different powerplants over the past 17 years.
It all started in 2009 with the CC340, a lightweight 180-hp engine developed with Titan Engines for the original Carbon Cub SS. That engine really helped put CubCrafters on the map, combining impressive horsepower with the lightweight performance that made the Carbon Cub such a standout.
This one hits particularly close to home for me because I recently became the proud owner of a 2015 Carbon Cub SS, affectionately named Lil’ Red. There’s something pretty cool about flying an airplane powered by the engine that helped start this whole story.
CubCrafters continued that tradition in 2017 with the introduction of the fuel-injected 186-hp CC363i for the Carbon Cub EX-3 and FX-3.
In 2019, CubCrafters partnered with Lycoming to introduce the 215-hp CC393i, based on the IO-390 and featuring dual Lycoming Electronic Ignition Systems. First introduced in the type-certified XCub and later offered in the NX Cub, it brought modern electronic ignition technology to a segment of aviation that hadn’t changed much in decades.
Then came 2023, when CubCrafters introduced the Carbon Cub UL alongside Rotax’s new 160-hp turbocharged 916 iS. The combination of a lightweight airframe and turbocharged engine delivered impressive performance, particularly at higher density altitudes. In fact, a Carbon Cub UL climbed to an astonishing 37,609 feet in October 2025.
And just this summer, the Yakima, Washington-based aircraft manufacturer teamed up with French engine manufacturer TurboTech to introduce the Carbon Cub ULT, where the T stands for turbine. Powered by Jet-A and featuring full-authority digital engine control (FADEC), the ULT brings turbine power to a backcountry airplane that most of us have only ever imagined with a piston engine.
So why not take things a little further?
Picture a four-place Carbon Cub, or better yet, a six-place version. Give it a beautiful, Cirrus-inspired interior, modern avionics, big tundra tires, and enough room for the kids, camping gear, and all those creature comforts that might actually convince the whole family that spending a weekend camping in the backcountry sounds like a great idea.
Now bolt Pratt & Whitney’s new 1,700 to 2,300 horsepower turboprop on to the front.
I’m sure the engineering department would have a few things to say about that. But a girl can dream!
Looking back at CubCrafters’ history, I can’t help but wonder what keeps bringing CubCrafters and innovative engine manufacturers together. I think it starts with CubCrafters’ desire to lead the industry, push the boundaries of what’s possible, and embrace new technology. Combine that with decades of engineering expertise, a commitment to giving customers an extraordinary flying experience, and a reputation for backcountry performance, and it’s easy to see why the company’s aircraft provide such an exciting platform for showcasing the latest advancements in aircraft propulsion. It’s a combination that has helped shape the evolution of backcountry aviation, and one that makes me wonder what CubCrafters will dream up next.
I can’t wait to see what the next advancement in light-aircraft propulsion looks like bolted onto a CubCrafters Cub. Pratt & Whitney, maybe consider reaching out to CubCrafters next time!
For more information: RTX.com/en/PrattWhitney, CubCrafters.com
Jackie Burch is the founder of Freebird Creative Group, which provides marketing and communications support for CubCrafters.
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