Top Cub & IFR

jdwatson

jdwatson

Line Up and Wait
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JDW
The current (May 2006) AOPA Pilot magazine featured Cubs. I took a gander at the Cub website. The Top Cub looks very interesting, but I noticed the "IFR" equipped Top Cub is not "IFR Certified". Is this something the owner could attain ?
 
Does any plane come "Certified"? I think you just have to get the pitot-static system and altimeter checked every two years to make the plane legal to use in the IFR arena. Also there is the transponder check every two years to operate in most controlled airspace.

Barb
 
My understanding is an "IFR" capable aircraft has to have the instrumentation listed in 91.205.d. You can fly a Breezy IFR if it is properly equipped. The standard periodic equipment performance checks apply. The GPS installation itself has to be initially certified in the specific aircraft by an approved avionics shop.

I'm not sure why Cub Crafters excludes their "vacuum system" from "IFR Certification". I suspect the company lawyer told them to say that.
 
The type certificate lists the operations for which an aircraft is certified, although it may include qualifications like what optional equipment must be installed. This is usually repeated in the POH/AFM, but Cubs were certified long before those books were produced to current standards of completeness. If the TC does not include IFR, it cannot be flown IFR without further FAA certification. If the TC includes IFR, the aircraft is eligible to be flown IFR as long as all listed equipment is installed and it meets all other applicable regs (e.g., 91.171, 91.411, etc). I do not know if the Cub TC includes IFR. If it does, it's possible to do that; if not, it would be prohibitively expensive and difficult.
 
And I'm not sure the Top Cub is based on the Cub TC - I think they certified the aircraft (not the LSA version) on their own.
 
Ron Levy said:
The type certificate lists the operations for which an aircraft is certified, although it may include qualifications like what optional equipment must be installed. This is usually repeated in the POH/AFM, but Cubs were certified long before those books were produced to current standards of completeness. If the TC does not include IFR, it cannot be flown IFR without further FAA certification. If the TC includes IFR, the aircraft is eligible to be flown IFR as long as all listed equipment is installed and it meets all other applicable regs (e.g., 91.171, 91.411, etc). I do not know if the Cub TC includes IFR. If it does, it's possible to do that; if not, it would be prohibitively expensive and difficult.
Click to expand...

I believe that's why they list the Top Cub as IFR equipped and remark with an asterisk that it is not IFR Certified. Prohibitively expensive is postively scary. :) Thanks everyone for responding.
 
One of the "advantages" going experimental is that although there is no TCDS for the aircraft you can legally fly it IFR when properly equipped and include the appropriate statement in the operating limitations.

This info, extracted from the EAA website, is posted on the Blue Mountain site and describes the requirements for flying experimental aircraft under IFR.

http://www.bluemountainavionics.com/pdf/IFR%20equipment.pdf
 
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