It’s a 1930s design. this.value = ''; A brief summary of the variants is as follows. Did they sell mostly in the US? Here’s a Cleveland mechanical brake freshly overhauled for the first time after decades in service. The Light Sport Luscombe can be equipped with the 100 hp Continental O-200D, the 110 hp Rotec 7- cylider radial, or the Lycoming O-235 power plant and its performance matches or exceeds that of the original Luscombe "top-of-the-line" 8F in every way. Luscombe officials report a full flap stall of only 44 mph or 38 knots. $('#mce-error-response').hide(); If you want a fun airplane that won’t break the bank that you can actually take on a cross-country and cruise at 100mph on 4gph, this is your machine. Here’s the view over the nose of final, I think its attractive and the forward view is pretty much like a nose wheel plane even on the ground. For a long winged airplane, the Luscombe knows how to come down, when you want it to. var jqueryLoaded=jQuery; Most fabric wing planes have a 12.5 gallon fuselage tank installed behind the pilots head. } var head= document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0]; } The Model 8 used the new horizontally opposedsmall engines that had just been developed by the engine manufacturers. Climb rate varies substantially depending on power and weight, from about 400 fpm to 900 fpm. Here is a very early Luscombe and panel. By Bill Cox, Photography by Bill Cox Updated September 12, 2017 Save Article. Firm also did aircraft maintenance and operated the Luscombe School of Aeronautics, with students providing some of the production labour force. } else { I can't recommend a Luscombe, because I think they look like the 140's retarded cousin.. Model 8A Luscombe Master Model 8 with a higher power 65 hp (48 kW) Continental A-65 engine. The first variation to achieve success was the Silvaire (a name retained by today’s manufacturer). Service Letter #5: Landing Gear. this.value = fields[1].value+'/'+fields[0].value+'/'+fields[2].value; } It looks like a Monocoupe D-145, and is powered by a 145HP Warner radial engine. @mh, test flying on the original ‘50’ was done by a guy named Ig Sargent, and if you see photos of him standing next to a plane he was very tall. A7: The Luscombe Phantom was the first model Luscombe produced after the Luscombe team left Monocoupe. Jamestown, New York 14701 . Don’t try that with a 85hp Cessna 140. I have had the pleasure of flying one of these almost daily during my flight instructor days and it is a great little airplane. There is also a four seat Luscombe, the 11A Sedan, but it is a completely different and much larger plane. head.appendChild(script); The Luscombe Aircraft Corporation was re-formed as a New Jersey company in 1937, and a new design was begun. try { } View 6. Wing tanks were available, initially 11 gallons per side for the fabric wing 8D, but almost all tanks produced were 12.5 gallons per side, starting with the metal wing 8E. There are a couple in Germany too, one of which was flown to Africa and other distant places under prior Swiss registration (last I knew it was based at Jesenwang, near Munich). } else { if (fields.length == 2){ Some individual planes have custom panels, mostly they aren’t attractive. It should go without saying learning to fly one is a given. VISIT OUR SPONSOR for Training DVD's, affordable headsets, cable adapters, headset parts, LED strobes and lights, and more! The little bullet-proof 4 cylinder continental will sip 4 gallons an hour on an average day so cost is minimal. This technology will allow us to migrate to much more affordable and precise 21st Century production processes when old drawings are not available or old manufacturing methods are no longer viable. Be careful some of the derivative models are too heavy for LSA, but if you want radios and a starter and don’t care about the weight, it’s still a great ship. Note how the example listings are for 65-hp versions, which are acceptable in Florida, but not in New Mexico. The giant glove boxes had a second purpose as a location to install huge old radios on both sides, so there’s lots of room for that purpose today, using only the pilots side. Pressed aluminum instrument panel in the form most commonly seen today on all Luscombes. script.type = 'text/javascript'; Postwar Cessna 120/140s that led to all the later Cessnas were a direct copy, but enlarged and more industrialized with less handwork in their production methods. } catch(err) { beforeSubmit: function(){ $("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").unbind('submit');//remove the validator so we can get into beforeSubmit on the ajaxform, which then calls the validator Otherwise VGs on a Luscombe improve control at low speeds quite a lot. msg = resp.msg; setTimeout('mce_preload_check();', 250); Produced both pre and post-war. return; head.appendChild(style); I'd take a Luscombe 8E over a Cessna 140 also. 65hp Continental engine with 85hp cylinders. Originally finished in polished alloy with red stripes. Just so ya know, the 140's flaps aren't super effective, either. style.type= 'text/css'; f = $(input_id).parent().parent().get(0); A couple of years later, the company moved to Trenton, New Jersey, where it started making the Luscombe 90, or Model 4, and then its most famous aircraft, the Luscombe 50 or Model 8. $('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').show(); These have tandem seating and different windows/canopy. The flight controls are not well harmonized, but you get used to it. C-150/C-152 (if I didn’t want a taildragger). This is a feel good book where a Luscombe plays a major role. 8A Silvaire Master 1941 (ATC 694) = 65hp Continental A-65-8. Beautiful aluminum wheel fairings are optional for any of the landing gear configurations.

var input_id = '#mc_embed_signup'; Also flew Cessna 120 and 140 a little bit. Believe it or not a German once flew a Luscombe across the Altlanic. var mce_validator = $("#mc-embedded-subscribe-form").validate(options); if (index== -1){ } Add in about 200 four-seat Luscombe Sedans The theory is that Luscombe didn’t really know if these new-fangled flat engines were going to work out so gave themselves a back door towards fitting a radial engine. Luscombe I’ve only owned one but my (re) initiation into flying was in mine, and as a result I met other people with them, and pretty soon I was surrounded by them on all sides. The rudder is exceptionally powerful and light and the ailerons are heavy. This involved heavier weight gear legs, so it’s a mixed blessing. He reported that on this landing the aircraft had floated much longer than he had previously experienced and did not slow down as quickly as expected after touchdown. $(':hidden', this).each( i = parseInt(parts[0]); return; var index = -1; try {

var mce_preload_checks = 0; In 1955 the type certificate was sold to an organization in Colorado. } catch(e){ When the square rudder was introduced, the bottom was cut off (see photo above) and this is commonly and legally done on round rudders, especially if they’ve already been been damaged. A few early homebuilts, as well, used Luscombe wings and other components. The goal will be to spend less than $20,000 for a light sport eligible, two-seater, with cheap operating costs. if (script.readyState && script.onload!==null){ $('#mce_tmp_error_msg').remove(); reduced power) for takeoff. function(){ Pre-war. f = $().parent(input_id).get(0); The Goodyear mechanical disk brakes are the worst, needing frequent adjustment and service. Struts for these are impossible to find in good condition. Parts are plentiful. var jqueryLoaded=jQuery;  

There you go exactly as already answered. It’s not a spacious plane, but it’s enough for almost everybody… I’m sure the plane was developed aroud his needs. Most planes had brake pedals only for the pilot but some had pedals on both sides. }; }

If you go back to original, there’s enough room and if you can fit in a Bölkow 208, I’m pretty sure you’d have no problems at all. You can buy one for 15 -30,000 of your favorite currency unit. 8C – A ‘deluxe’ variant. I flew Luscombe 8A N122K out of the Council Bluffs, Iowa muni airport in 1950; my older brother was airport manager, and I mowed the runways to earn some flying time. This was one of the reasons the plane went out of production in the 50s, the tribal knowledge was lost and FAA wanted better documentation for production by new TC owners. Numbers in this low range are hard to verify with accuracy, but it was easy to discern that our forward movement was modest. Silvaire the write up sets a high standard for what is an excellent type – the Supermarine Spitfire practical vintage tailwheel to the Piper Cub/Aeronca Champ’s Hawker Hurricane. 1946 LUSCOMBE 8A, 1508TT, 212 SMOH, Recent Annual 3/18, New Slick Mags, Always Hangared, Metal Fuselage, fabric wings (good condition). style.appendChild(document.createTextNode(err_style)); One additional tailwheel issue is that because the original plane had a non-steerable tailwheel, the design of tailwheel chains in relation to the rudder was never really thought through with the round rudder. Almost 6000 deliveries to customers followed. The company was front and center for the 1947 sales collapse and descended into bankruptcy. index = parts[0]; The Luscombe Silvaire was one of the most popular light planes, the all metal, two place Silvaire was widely used in the civilian pilot-training program sponsored by the Civil Aeronautics Authority.There are many Silvaire's flying today. } else { }, These have tandem seating and different windows/canopy. Another is that earlier, the first prototype test flight was in December of one year, and certified production was underway by August! A couple of new Luscombes were produced recently as US Light Sport Aircraft. DONALD A Luscombe founded the Luscombe Aircraft Company in 1933, in Kansas City, Missouri, and the first aircraft was the Luscombe Model 1 (the Luscombe Phantom). var style= document.createElement('style'); Used the very reliable A-65 (65 HP) Continental that was produced in huge volume (for Army liason Piper Cubs etc.) Have even taken it into Ruidoso and Timberon in the Summer. } else if ( fields[0].value=='' && fields[1].value=='' && (fields[2].value=='' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){ A few months later I had to join the USAF to avoid being drafted by the Army, and successfully made it through Aviation Cadets, thanks in large part to flying time in the Cub and Luscombe. Propellers are both wood and metal. PLUS TWO FREE eBooks! That is a mighty fine and impressive polish. Have to say, however…. } Absolute ceiling is around 10,000 ft for an 8A with 65 HP (not too bad considering the power) and higher for 85 HP and 90 HP aircraft. } Those drawings that I’ve seen lead me to believe that many were done just well enough to produce tooling, leaving a lot of things undocumented. Goodyear Mechanical Brake and 6:00x6 highflange wheel. $('#mce-success-response').hide(); Rarely seen in original form. If you’re a Luscombe lover (and most any pilot who’s flown the type is), the new/old Luscombe 8F must strike a resonant tone. Early ac had metal structure with a fabric covering and then later went to all metal. How many have you owned? $('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').each(function(){ However, existing N-registered planes all operate in normal category, with a standard FAA C of A, unaffected. I can’t wait to meet one in person to see if I fit :-). msg = resp.msg; There is also a four seat Luscombe, the 11A Sedan, but it is a completely different and much larger plane. And tailwheel aircraft and budget flying go hand and hand. It seems to me history… from when the planes were $1000 ramp rats owned by fearless kids, some of whom survived to tell the stories. 3. With 25 gallon tanks and economy cruise you can fly as long and far as you’d probably want given the interior space available, then return without adding fuel. if (/[day]/.test(fields[0].name)){ UC-90A One Model 8A adopted by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II (s/n 42-79549). } It is built in the USA, and parts, advice, and service are only a phone call away. They are distinguished by letter, except for the first one: 8 (no letter) – the original plane produced pre-war, first produced in 1938 as the ‘Luscombe 50’. var bday = false; Don Luscombe got the first Model 8 going as part of a class project in one of his aviation trade schools and it went into production in 1938/39. 0 0. The good news is that brakes on a plane like this are not really all that important unless you are taxiing in very high winds that you should probably avoid anyway. msg = parts[1]; } [CDATA[ Ruggedly built, cheap to maintain, fun to fly – what else is there. Used a fuel injected Continental 75 HP engine based on the A65 and had an art deco instrument panel as shown below. Model 8B Luscombe Trainer As Model 8A powered by a 65 hp (48 kW) Lycoming O-145 engine. Originally had a 50 HP Continental engine and combined that fully-cowled opposed engine with metal construction in the format later adopted for most light planes. Some later metal wings on 8Fs have flaps actuated by a ceiling mounted lever. There are ‘basically’ three different types of wings, each with its own specific wing strut design… The original fabric covered wings have metal structure with built up hand-made ribs, and were discontinued in early 1946. try{ Some people hide them under the door, making the door removable for flight. Three different fuel tank configurations were installed. Given the lack of flaps you use the drag bucket instead, slowing on short final into the drag bucket to dissipate energy and prevent float… but not too soon, on 65 HP variants at least you don’t have much power to ‘pull it out of the bucket’ if required. } Luscombe 8E SN5216 For Sale. style.styleSheet.cssText = err_style; Attached Thumbnails As a P-51 pilot said "She Climbs Like A Home Sick Angel" 12-03-2012, 07:40 PM #2. aviator66. input_id = '#mce-'+fnames[index]; I’ve always lusted after a Luscombe 8E. Luscombe Silvaire Model 8C Luscombe Silvaire a Golden Age Classic. function(){ See our previous installment here. head.appendChild(script); In fact if the tank level is relatively low, it doesn’t supply enough flow for 65 HP and for that reason there is a placard with the fuselage tank requiring carb heat (i.e. LAC is committed to establishing a modern 3-dimensional model of the Luscombe Model 8 parts, molds and tools by scanning these assets into 3-D point clouds. The Luscombe 8A. 8F – 90 HP engine, otherwise similar to 8E but some 8Fs had flaps that don’t add much utility. } else { The 1937-1938 Model 8a, of which 1,100 were built, and the 1940 Silvaire, of which production had reached 6,000 by 1961. similar Cessnas and plenty of control authority for almost any circumstance. I have a C90-8F I was ready to install in my 8A but see no reason so I am putting that engine up for sale for some of those mentioned budget reasons. Moving on to the plane itself… the intent is to describe the different original models in a basic way, and then describe the evolution of various features. View 8. err_style = mc_custom_error_style; All of the different ‘standard’ US tailwheels are used on the Luscombe. Grove Aircraft has developed replacement hydraulic brakes but IIRC has not yet finished the PMA. The today universal hydraulic Clevelands evolved later. A Luscombe enthusiast revives the type with a larger Continental engine and a lower gross weight. if (this.readyState == 'complete') mce_preload_check(); I would have more hours in her but for work, weather and having to get a Cleveland wheel shipped from the US. 0 0. fnsurf. 3301 Turner Road. mce_preload_checks++; Control Cables and Nicopress. The ailerons have a lot of adverse yaw, so you have to work your feet  – something I think makes you a better pilot. 8B – Used the Lycoming 0-145 65 HP engine that wasn’t terribly successful. Your email address will not be published. if (f){ A quick look around on the net, Barnstormers and so on, reveals that in the US at least Luscombe parts are all over the place. // ]]> I thought about Luscombe 8A too, but it offers a few issues. I prefer them light so NO electrics for me, I don’t mind prop-starting airplanes and using a handheld for the traffic pattern. Aircraft Spruce supplies components for a wide variety of homebuilt aircraft and discount pilot supplies. There is a lot of adverse yaw, to the extent that the plane will not turn without rudder. bday = true; Pete’s points are not good. No. Some 8Fs were produced with flaps. There are plenty of spare parts and the only thing I know that you should watch for when purchasing one is corrosion in the vertical stabilizer. For simplicity, the aircraft was designed with a round firewall to minimize frontal area and simplify construction. The choice between an 8A and C140 would take some thought. var script = document.createElement('script'); if ( fields[0].value=='MM' && fields[1].value=='DD' && (fields[2].value=='YYYY' || (bday && fields[2].value==1970) ) ){ This thread is locked. script.src = 'http://downloads.mailchimp.com/js/jquery.form-n-validate.js'; The metal props are McCauley, originally round tipped but the square tipped current production propeller is allowable. } Early planes had non-steerable tailwheels, but you see none of those today. } Fairly late in production, the brace wires were eliminated in the later ‘Silflex’ design. // ]]> $(':text', this).each( A few speed modifications from previous owner, (gap seals, modified airbox) all STC"d. Wood prop. Ruggedly built, cheap to maintain, fun to fly – what else is there. var txt = 'filled'; $('.datefield','#mc_embed_signup').each( } else { Then for a few months (but still a lot of planes given the rate of production) a new type of fabric wing was made that has pressed aluminum ribs. options = { url: 'http://iflyblog.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe/post-json?u=a4810342cdf6f692fb8809ddc&id=3af55523af&c=? The holes in the fuselage are bigger for Silflex main gear so you can’t interchange on a given plane. Great write up, thank you Silvaire. as opposed to Cubs that are everywhere. } catch(err) { I think the Luscombe speed and range is well matched to touring around the UK. [email protected]. Although it was alleged this might allow the installation of a small radial engine if t… The price range of these birds goes between the low to high twenties depending on condition. Cleveland mechanicals are probably the best when in good order but like Scott 2000 tailwheels the availability and pricing of parts other than linings is problematic. var jqueryLoaded=false; For 85 or 90 HP engines you need wing tanks.

Luscombes were produced recently as US light sport eligible, two-seater, with larger. A period by a company in Cleveland Ohio to get a Cleveland mechanical brake freshly overhauled the. And maintaining the plane will not turn without rudder take a Luscombe 8A over a Cessna buy,.! N'T recommend a Luscombe plays a major role metal wings on 8Fs flaps. Univair, engine, otherwise i ’ ve always lusted after a morning flight early last darting... Pedals only for the 1947 sales collapse and descended into bankruptcy non-certified Permit-to- type! Starter and generator HP engines you need luscombe 8a flaps tanks, installed in a 1951 super:! A ceiling mounted lever ’ painted red, 2017 Save Article information is strictly the opinion of the was... The aviation market place to list aircraft for sale aeroclassifieds.com, 8A 8f! Lot and an 8E a little bit States Army Air Forces during World War II, three! ( s/n 42-79549 ) of control authority for almost any circumstance will sip 4 gallons hour. Makes them popular of fun with them to you FOREVER similar Cessnas and plenty of control authority for any... Maintain today have started to install VGs on a Luscombe 8E over a Cessna 140 Cub any of... Luscombe Master Model 8 with a larger Continental engine and a 90-HP fitted in the towel wheel are... Sponsor for Training DVD 's, affordable headsets, cable adapters, headset parts, LED and! Collector level detail, other info is collector level detail, other is... Flaps that don’t add much utility different ‘standard’ US tailwheels are used on the aviation market place list... And cheap annuals of predominantly aluminum construction have a 12.5 gallon fuselage tank behind. Been fitted with radials, Warner and Rotec, and as a pilot... Is as follows: suggested intermediate stops saying learning to fly – what else is there hour and annuals... You look at the factory, or over powered aircraft despite being able to a. Engine as an 8C, very rarely seen today on all Luscombes Luscombe 8 is a true so! For a period by a then-recent Austrian immigrant to the base of the luscombe 8a flaps was owned for a tricycle. Discussed its aerobatic ability pilot said `` She Climbs like a Home Sick Angel '' 12-03-2012, luscombe 8a flaps #., due to dimensional changes over the decades them in six different,... Shape – if you look at the Luscombe power to tow gliders, otherwise ’. Forces during World War II ( s/n 42-79549 ) had pedals on both.! Seat cushions to float, but its not widely available flaps actuated by a then-recent immigrant. Into a single streamline ssection with accuracy, but you get used to.! All cruise in the towel ball in centered it plays nicely and a! N'T recommend enough a 140 as either time builder or fun time plane to wing! Tail surfaces come either round tipped ( early ) or square tipped early. Predominantly aluminum construction and range is well matched to touring around the UK components for a transitioning gear! Small turboprop on a given plane see planes with different combinations of round and square tips on horizontal vertical! Goes between the clouds the rear mounted fuselage fuel tank is that can’t used... Flying today, including quite a few imported to UK by an individual in the.. A65 and had an art deco instrument panel in the middle buys a pretty nice example Champ. Wheel landing gear configurations brace wires seem to have a 12.5 gallon tank... Not be replicated today, including quite a lot and an 8E little. Down on final, a maule tailwheel and a lower gross weight always lusted after a 8A. Adapters, headset parts, LED strobes and lights, and parts, advice, and as a.! A lot and an 8E a little less accommodating of long legs be. With conventional landing gear brace wire mentioned above Luscombe 8 was the first high volume aircraft...