CubCrafters just introduced the Carbon Cub ULT — a turbine-powered evolution of the Carbon Cub platform, and the first U.S.-manufactured turboprop eligible for Sport Pilots under MOSAIC. Deposits are open now. Deliveries begin in 2027. Here's how the financing conversation works at every stage between here and there.
The ULT was announced July 7, 2026 and is currently in flight testing near CubCrafters' Yakima, WA facility, with a public debut planned this summer at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. CubCrafters is accepting customer deposits for production positions now; first deliveries are projected for 2027. Because it's a brand-new airframe and engine combination with no delivery or resale history yet, final loan terms haven't been set by our lender network — see "Where financing stands right now" below for what that means for you today.
At the center of the Carbon Cub ULT is the TurboTech TP-R90, a regenerative turboprop that recovers exhaust heat to preheat intake air — giving it fuel efficiency closer to a piston engine while keeping the smoothness and reliability pilots expect from a turbine. A dual FADEC system manages fuel flow, ignition, temperature, and propeller operation automatically, so starting the airplane is a push-button, single-lever affair rather than a turbine-management exercise. CubCrafters built it on the latest Carbon Cub UL airframe — the same lightweight composite construction and short-field manners the Carbon Cub line is known for — and it's the first U.S.-built turboprop that a Sport Pilot can fly under the FAA's new MOSAIC rules.
The piston Carbon Cub, XCub, and NXCub earned an explicit rate sheet exception from our lender network — standard certified terms, no experimental rate adder — but that took a 45-year track record and roughly 1,500 delivered aircraft to build. The ULT is a first-of-type turbine powerplant on an LSA/E-AB airframe with zero delivered aircraft and zero resale data. No lender in our network has underwriting guidance for it yet, so we're not going to hand you a made-up number. Here's what's actually true right now:
Talk through the numbers, get you a soft-pull pre-approval based on the $690,000 starting price, and hold your file so financing is ready to move the day your production slot firms up — the same way we handle CubCrafters kit builds financed "at completion."
As TurboTech engines and completed ULTs accumulate flight hours, our lenders will set formal underwriting terms for the type — likely starting more conservatively than the standard CubCrafters exception and loosening as the aircraft builds a track record, the same path the piston Cub family walked.
First-of-type turbine aircraft typically underwrite with a higher down payment than the 15% standard-terms minimum on the piston CubCrafters lineup — plan on 20–25% until the type has a delivery history, subject to your credit profile and the lender's review at the time.
This is TurboTech's first production aircraft partnership in the U.S. Lenders underwrite the engine manufacturer's track record alongside the airframe's — a new engine partner is one more reason early terms will be reviewed case-by-case rather than published on a rate sheet.
| Scenario | Price | Down (15%) | Loan | Illustrative mo. payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ULT at CubCrafters' current standard-terms rate* | $690,000 | $103,500 | $586,500 | $4,404/mo |
Not as a purchase loan — the aircraft hasn't been delivered yet. What we can do today is a soft-pull pre-approval based on the $690,000 starting price, so your financing is planned and ready to activate when your production position comes up. Reach out before you place your deposit so we can walk through timing together.
Possibly, over time — but not on day one. That exception exists because the piston lineup has 45 years and roughly 1,500 delivered aircraft behind it. The ULT is a new turbine powerplant on a new airframe combination with no delivery history yet. Expect more conservative terms at first, with room to improve as CubCrafters and TurboTech build a track record.
CubCrafters is offering the ULT in both Light Sport/Ultralight and Factory Builder Assist (E-AB) configurations, mirroring how the Carbon Cub UL is sold today. The certification path can affect documentation requirements and, eventually, underwriting — we'll confirm specifics with you once CubCrafters finalizes delivery configurations.
The TurboTech TP-R90 runs on Jet-A or diesel rather than 100LL avgas — a meaningful operating-cost and fuel-availability advantage in the backcountry, where Jet-A is often easier to source than avgas. It doesn't change how the aircraft finances, but it's a real factor in your total cost of ownership.
Get a soft-pull pre-approval now so there's no financing scramble later, keep your deposit and CubCrafters correspondence organized the way you would kit-build documentation, and check back with us as CubCrafters approaches first deliveries — we'll have firmer terms well before your position comes up.
Soft pull only, no commitment. We'll get you pre-approved on today's numbers and stay in touch as CubCrafters approaches 2027 deliveries.
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