A new Carbon Cub UL completed a 94.5-hour delivery flight from Lewiston, Idaho, to Poland, CubCrafters said last month. Owner Zbigniew Dziubas accepted the aircraft in Idaho and selected Gabriel Batkiewicz to fly it to Europe rather than ship it overseas.
Weather Shapes the Route
The approximately 6,900-nautical-mile trip crossed the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the United Kingdom and several countries in continental Europe. Due to deteriorating weather conditions, the flight included a diversion in Canada. High winds also delayed the flight’s departure from Greenland. Conditions later permitted the aircraft to cross the Greenland ice cap at Flight Level 120.
An auxiliary belly pod added 25 gallons to the aircraft’s standard 44-gallon fuel capacity. The additional fuel allowed Batkiewicz to fly directly from Reykjavík, Iceland, to Wick, Scotland, rather than stop in the Faroe Islands. The 695-nautical-mile leg lasted 6 hours and 58 minutes and consumed 41.7 gallons.
Rotax Powers the Crossing
“The airplane pleasantly surprised me,” Batkiewicz said. “The engine ran beautifully and the aircraft was stable throughout the journey. I was skeptical of the Rotax engine before this trip, but after flying it across the Atlantic, I’ve completely changed my opinion.”
The Carbon Cub UL was powered by a turbocharged Rotax 916 iS engine. CubCrafters reported an average fuel burn of 5.7 to 5.8 gallons per hour and true airspeeds between 97 and 100 mph during much of the trip. Equipment carried for the overwater portions included immersion suits, life jackets, a life raft, satellite tracking and emergency communications gear.
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