E-flite/Horizon Hobby Carbon-Z Cub SS 2.1M
This giant-scale classic is back and better than ever!
It’s ba-a-ack! And better than ever! E-flite turned the giant-scale scene on its head in 2013 when they introduced the Carbon-Z Cub. Here was a true IMAA legal model (over 80-inch wingspan) made of foam, which was both cost-effective and a hoot to fly. Equipped with large foam bush wheels and a 6S power system, the Carbon-Z Cub features light wing loading and typical Cub flexibility. At local flying fields, it wasn’t surprising to see four or five out on a weekend. While I was attending the electric line at Joe Nall or SEFF [Southeastern Electric Flight Festival] it appeared as if they were multiplying like tribbles.
Horizon has done several rekicks lately to bring back our favorite airplanes with new paint schemes and technical refinements, while still retaining the charm of the original release. Such is the case with the 2.1-meter Carbon-Z Cub. The Carbon-Z Cub SS is an injection molded and painted Z-Foam airframe. The bush-style landing gear is included, and like its predecessor, the Carbon-Z Cub can be equipped with an optional float set. The instructions are clear and well written, and all the hardware needed is included in clearly labeled packages.
I usually only recommend Cubs to pilots with some sport flying experience, but the Carbon-Z Cub flew so well with SAFE Select enabled, I have no hesitation in recommending the Cub to anyone who is comfortable with their primary trainer plane. It’s available in either Bind-N-Fly Basic (BNF) or Plug-and-Play (PNP). I tested the BNF version, which includes an AS3X receiver and requires only a flight battery. The PNP version requires a battery and the receiver of your choice.
UNIQUE FEATURES
The Carbon-Z Cub is a makeover of the original. This update has a new, brilliant orange paint scheme and arrives with the decals applied at the factory. The model is packaged extremely well in a modular foam shipping container, with parts individually wrapped and everything properly protected.
The big Cub requires a five-channel radio and comes equipped with the usual flight controls, plus large (and very effective!) flaps. The ailerons, flaps, and elevators are already hinged using molded foam hinge lines, but the rudder requires some thin Zap to glue the CA-style hinges. The model’s new drooped wingtip design increases wing and aileron area for significantly improved slow speed performance and control. Also new with this release are beveled flap hinges and an extra set of pushrods so the flaps can be coupled to act as full span ailerons.
The power system consists of a 50-size 525Kv brushless electric motor and 60-amp speed control spinning a noticeably more robust 15x7 electric prop. I tested the power system and it draws 52 amps while producing 1160 watts with a fully charged Spektrum Smart 6S battery. The resultant power loading is 142 watts per pound, which promises excellent performance. The speed control uses an IC5 connector that works with either the new Spektrum battery connectors or EC5 connectors.
Another upgrade involves the battery tray. Modeled after a popular third-party option for the original Cub, the new snap-in battery tray can accommodate 3200mAh to 7000mAh batteries, and allows you to easily lock the battery in the appropriate position to obtain the proper center of gravity.
In addition to the above, the landing gear has been given a makeover with stronger mounts and new strut covers. One sore spot for me on the original was the hard foam tires, and that has been addressed with a new set of softer and larger bush flying tires for better ground handling.
The optional float kit is available to convert your Carbon-Z Cub to float operations. Like the main landing gear, E-flite also beefed up the rear float mount bracket. The Cub can tow up to 3-meter gliders, so hardware is included to add a glider tow hitch; all you need is an optional servo to actuate the release.
The radio system includes four installed 26-gram metal gear digital servos and two 13-gram digital MG servos, all with ball linkstyle pushrods. The receiver is the AR-636, which includes both AS3X and optional SAFE Select.
IN THE AIR
The Carbon-Z Cub is large, and it requires some basic assembly at the field, including plugging in the wing servos and using the supplied clevis and cotter pins to attach the struts, which can fold down flat for transport. The wing bolts are thumb screws, and the whole thing goes together in just a few minutes. Battery access through the front hatch is excellent design, and the new battery tray is very convenient.
With plenty of power, takeoff with or without flaps is pleasantly quick, and the big tires will handle most surfaces. The shockabsorbing landing gear works well, and ground handling is excellent. After I got used to it, setting full flaps and giving full throttle resulted in takeoff rolls less than the length of the plane, with near vertical climb. FUN!
The big Cub slows down nicely, and is well behaved during landing—with flaps or without, but with flaps fully deployed, landing speed is little more than walking speed.
Stability: Whether in SAFE or AS3X mode, the Carbon-Z Cub is very stable and barely notices the wind picking up. SAFE Select is especially stable, and makes the big Cub easy to fly.
Tracking: The AS3X kept things going straight and the Carbon-Z Cub tracked well—both on the ground and in the air.
Aerobatics: The Carbon-Z Cub is surprisingly aerobatic! The combination of large surfaces and plenty of power means the Cub is a lot of fun to throw around doing loops, rolls, stall turns, and knife edge. It also does a gorgeous flat turn; give full rudder and just enough opposite aileron to keep the wings level and it will do circuits as flat as a saucer around the field.
Glide and Stall: Huge wing + light wing loading = amazing glide performance. The curved wing tips, new to the Carbon-Z SS model, help here too. It will stall, but it must be forced into it and recovery is a cinch.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
Slow flight: CHECK! Aerobatics: CHECK! Touch-and-go landings all day long: CHECK! The Carbon-Z Cub does a bit of everything and does it well. Plenty of power and big flaps mean short-field performance is outstanding, and the tundra-style gear can operate on just about any reasonable surface.
All this out of the box makes the Cub an excellent value, and you can expand its flight envelope by coupling the flaps to the ailerons or adding floats.