Just saw this on the AOPA website. I'm sure the Cubcrafters guys will weigh in here. Will they continue to support the airplane in the US? Just curious what this will mean for the current owners of these airplanes.

http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/July/20/Top-Cub-certificate-sold-to-Chinese?CMP=SM.FB.21July15.BP

Change the name to "Panda Cub"?

Fuck fuck and double fuck

Sounds like a win win for Cub Crafters, not the sellout story that it sounds like. They will continue to build and sell and service the US Top Cub, while reaping the benefits of the sale of the type certificate, and probably some sort of royalty for each Chinese Top Cub sold overseas-(total speculation on my part but that would be a good deal).

Also sounds like the revenue generated from the sale will provide the capital to work on some fun new stuff.

The only downside will be when the Chinese start building them and then packing them into containers and selling them back to us for a third the price of an "All American" Top Cub.

http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/lsasport/cubcrafters-sells-top-cub-tc-chinese-firm

You would think people would say enough is enough and just say NO CHINESE, but cheap always wins.
I think I should set up a new school to teach MANDRIN the new native language of north America.

C'mon people. Commerce is commerce, without race or nationality.

Some people with money bought something from someone that wanted to get rid of that something in exchange for money.

Its the same way we all buy and sell our airplanes.

I hope the buyer and seller both do well.

My kids did learn Mandarin in school, btw.

So how many CC-180's are there?
Less than 500? Sounds like making some money from a less than stellar selling product line.
Dave

d.grimm wrote:So how many CC-180's are there?
Less than 500? Sounds like making some money from a less than stellar selling product line.
Dave

Good question. While doing my research, they don't build near as many Top Cubs as Carbon Cubs...but that's just the market. Not a lot of market for a ~250K certified cub when there are so many good (even CC rebuilt!) cubs on the market (outside of Govt. Sales). Carbon Cub is a beast.

I was HARD into that market before buying my last 185. Was ready to fly to Wa and get the deal done. Just didn't value assess for me. I can buy a 185 and a $100K SC for lest than a top cub. Oh well.

As far as the Chinese thing though, to me it's just business. Nothing out of the ordinary. Both parties got what they wanted I'm assuming. Maybe an inexpensive "international" version of the Top Cub is exactly what the Market needs. Assuming they actually plan on building them.

Bill

8GCBC wrote:

They're having the new "Panda Cub" decals for the tail made up as we speak.....

I spoke to Jim this AM at the show about it. He said this injection of cash is gonna help them with some cool new products... Says some neat stuff in the pipeline... I guess we shall see. Regardless, its a bummer about the Chinese, but good for CC. Jim and his team has worked long and hard over the years so its a well deserved sale.

I'm with Rob on this one.

Unless they gave CC enough money to hire an army of lawyers (to prevent the Chinese from using whatever they learned manufacturing Top Cubs to flood the market here with cheap copies) then it may turn out to be a bad deal for everyone on this side of the ocean.

Granted they can use a Cub type aircraft there in China, and I'm all for CC making money on that. But not if it drives any sort of a stake into the companies here that are trying to do business.

Well, I guess that Cirrus is not doing too bad since a Chinese investor bought them...
Where is also all the high quality stuff, like iPhones, made nowadays? Right, China...

Frankly, I have a lot to do with Chinese suppliers - while there are still a lot of crappy companies in China, many of them have become absolutely top notch. China is also not the cheap place anymore which it used to be, the salaries for qualified jobs continue to increase rapidly. Countries like Vietnam are the ones which have adopted the role of the cheap producer, which China previously had.

Other than many larger US organisations, Chinese companies also tend to be more willing to make long-term strategical decisions and investments and to stick with them longer than to the next quarterly report.