CubCrafters has delivered its 1000th new aircraft to Tim Sheehy, CEO of Bridger Aerospace, in Bozeman, Montana.

The milestone aircraft, a CubCrafters CC19-215 XCub, was delivered in Bridger Aerospace firefighting livery, the paint scheme itself a tribute to the company’s fleet of Canadair CL-415 “Super Scooper” water-bomber aircraft.

Mr. Sheehy comments that “Bridger Aerospace and CubCrafters have a relationship going back to 2016 when we worked together on a project for the US Military. We frequently base near their factory in Yakima, Washington during fire season, and I have always admired the passion the entire CubCrafters team has for aviation. I’m honored to welcome the 1000th aircraft to our fleet.” He continues, “The utility of this type of aircraft, especially for remote areas with limited aviation infrastructure like Montana is fantastic, and this is CubCrafters’ top-of-the-line flagship model. We will definitely put it to good use in support of our mission of protecting the American West from the threat of wildfires.”

The CC19-215 XCub is CubCrafters’ flagship aircraft. With the largest engine, a 215 HP Lycoming IO-390 with dual electronic ignition, and the best avionics, a modern lightweight Garmin glass panel with autopilot, the XCub boasts the most useful load, best range, and highest speed of the entire CubCrafters fleet. A fully FAA-certified aircraft, it is sold for personal recreational use, commercial utility purposes, flight training, and Government use.  

“Jim Richmond, our founder, would have been extremely proud of this moment,” added Brad Damm, Vice President of CubCrafters. “Although we lost Jim in 2021, this was exactly his vision, a strong American company continuing to design and manufacture fun and safe backcountry aircraft with amazing performance.”