Podcasts · Backcountry Aviation Radio
Shane Madson from Mad Custom Cubs...Rotary Engine and Turbine Cubs?! Oh MY!
· 1 h 33 min · S4 E9
Episode Shane Madson from Mad Custom Cubs...Rotary Engine and Turbine Cubs?! Oh MY!
Shane Madson runs Mad Custom Cubs out of Westlock, Alberta — and he builds airplanes the way he used to build Harleys, one weld and one custom touch at a time. Before he ever picked up an aircraft-grade torch, he spent years on Alberta drilling rigs and running gas plants, then became a motorcycle mechanic and competitive racer, before a chance conversation with a parts-shop regular convinced him airplanes were actually simpler than the choppers he was already building.
We get into the story behind the Patina Cub...the radial-engine build that put him on the map. Shane met a fellow builder named Sam Thieme online, both of them deep into the same kind of Super Cub project, trading ideas and talking about going into business together. Then Sam passed away before they ever met in person. Later, Sam's dad reached out and asked Shane to finish his son's airplane. Shane took it on, built it his own way with the radial engine he'd always wanted, and the result became as much a tribute as a build.
From there we get into what he's chasing now: a turbine-powered bush plane, built in front of thousands of people watching online, with backers getting their name on the finished airplane. And on top of all of it, Shane's mid-move from Canada to Idaho — E2 visa approved, hangar hunting already underway — chasing a bigger builder-assist market and a flying culture that doesn't exist the same way north of the border.
If you've ever wondered what it takes to go from oil rigs to one of the most distinctive shops in backcountry aviation, this one's for you.
Follow Shane and Mad Custom Cubs on Instagram
See the builds on YouTube
Support the Turbine Cub and get YOUR name on the plane HERE
Sign-up for our newsletter, The Scout Report: HERE
Want to support Backcountry Aviation Radio? Shop HERE to get the gear.
Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.