Departure
86%
vs 95% ▼ 9
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
The Monster NX Cub is a freeware modification for Microsoft Flight Simulator created by the modder GotGravel, of the Got Friends development group, that reworks Asobo's default Cub Crafters NXCub bushplane into a higher-fidelity, more powerful STOL machine. It fits an uprated Lycoming 393i 215hp engine and, in a deliberate departure from realism, a nitrous-oxide injection system for short bursts of extra power, making it a favourite among the simulator's bush-flying and backcountry-strip community.
The Monster NX Cub is not a real-world aircraft but a simulator-only rework of the CubCrafters NX Cub as modelled by default in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The NX Cub itself is essentially a tricycle-gear version of the CubCrafters XCub, aimed at pilots who want STOL bush-flying capability without the handling demands of a taildragger. GotGravel's Monster NX Cub takes that base airframe and applies a custom flight model, an upgraded engine, and an added nitrous-oxide boost system, turning an already capable light STOL type into something more extreme for simulator use.
The Monster NX Cub grew out of GotGravel's earlier work modifying Asobo's default aircraft for greater realism, following on from other STOL-focused mods released under the Got Gravel banner. It takes as its base the Cub Crafters NXCub bushplane that Asobo introduced with the GOTY Edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator, and reworks it into a standalone aircraft that installs separately in the hangar without requiring the original NXCub to be present. A major revision, version 2.0.0, was released on 3 January 2023, bringing a new computational fluid dynamics based flight model, improved stall behaviour, a redesigned suspension and reworked propeller physics. The mod has since spawned further community offshoots, including a STOL Addicts livery pack by TheHodge146 and a separate reimagined edition called the Heretic, created by repaint artist Waffler11 after being inspired by GotGravel's original nose-wheel Cub concept.
The airframe is that of the default NXCub reworked with a tailored wing lift profile and higher angle of attack modelling, propwash effects over the rudder and elevator for control authority early in the takeoff roll, and CFD-based ground effect modelling. The powerplant is an upgraded Lycoming 393i rated at 215hp, fitted with custom thermodynamic modelling of oil and cylinder head temperatures intended to closely match the real engine's behaviour. The signature feature is a Nitrous Oxide System (NOS) providing up to three minutes of total injection, which lifts output from 215hp to 315hp; the system is engaged via a dedicated switch or the War Emergency Power keybind, and the bottle refills automatically on refuelling, though oil temperature can reach critical levels within about ten seconds of use. Maximum nosewheel steering angle has been increased to 60 degrees left and right, matching NXCub specifications and aiding tight turns on narrow strips. The aircraft uses the default Asobo Garmin G3X avionics suite, with a strong recommendation to add the Working Title G3X mod for additional functionality, and includes a customised engine panel, radar altitude readout below 2,500 feet AGL, automatic pitot heat, and a windshield de-icer operated from the cabin heat lever. It comes with 23 professional liveries by STOL Addicts alongside the default paint scheme.
The Monster NX Cub is quoted as capable of a cruise speed of over 130 knots, a maximum altitude of 14,000 feet, and a range of 750 nautical miles. Demonstrated take-off distance is 120 feet and landing distance 80 feet, matching the published figures for the real NXCub 393i, with a demonstrated crosswind capability of 11 knots. Clean stalls are modelled to settle into a 600 feet-per-minute parachute-like descent, as observed in the real aircraft, with stall speeds around 41 knots at the maximum gross weight of 2,300 lb with or without flaps, dropping to roughly 32 to 34 knots when in ground effect. Typical power settings include Normal Rated for take-off at 2,700 rpm and 30 inches of manifold pressure, Performance Cruise at 2,450 rpm and 24 inches, Economy Cruise at 2,350 rpm and 21 inches, and Ferry Cruise at 2,050 rpm and 15 inches.
The core package is the Monster NX Cub itself, distributed through Got Friends and flightsim.to, and included in the Got Friends Legacy Collection available on the Xbox in-game marketplace. Around it have grown a small family of community variants: the STOL Addicts Pack by TheHodge146 adds a set of liveries built around the Lycoming 393i theme, while the Monster NX Cub Heretic, created by Waffler11, is a separately packaged version carrying its own custom livery set inspired by the original nose-wheel Cub concept.
Within the simulator, the Monster NX Cub is used chiefly for bush flying, gravel-strip operations and STOL competition-style flying, exploiting its short take-off and landing performance and the NOS boost for tackling obstacle-laden departures. It is distributed free of charge and supported through the Got Gravel Discord community, and its liveries and variant packages have been produced by multiple community repaint artists, reflecting its popularity as a go-to bush aircraft for backcountry and off-airport flying in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Pilots find the Monster NX Cub responsive from the very start of the takeoff roll thanks to propwash modelling over the tail surfaces, and the tailored wing lift profile with higher angle of attack gives it strong short-field manners, including a gentle, parachute-like clean stall rather than a sharp break. The nitrous system adds a genuinely different dimension to the type, letting pilots call up an extra 100hp in short bursts for steep obstacle climbs or aggressive STOL departures, at the cost of rapidly rising oil temperatures if overused. Custom camera views, including a GoPro-style angle for river running, and a detailed engine panel showing fuel and range data add to the immersion, while small touches such as a modelled coffee-cup holder underline the light-hearted character of the mod alongside its otherwise serious flight-model work.