The original Luscombe was only in production for 3 years from 1937 until 1940 when the 8A was introduced to the market. These are the specs of the Luscombe 8A: Later models of the Luscombe 8 series had similar specs as the 8A, but more powerful engines were eventually installed - upgrading the Continental A-65hp to a 75hp. The two-blade metal propeller remained attached to the engine. In the UK, some of the 8A models have been converted to 8F specification by the installation of wing fuel tanks and a Continental C90-12F engine. Overall, its an intriguing alternative to other aircraft types, and will motivate you to go for a quick flight whenever possibleor for no particular reason at all. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 110. John Larsen, son of Moody, now runs things at Larsen Field. This site also participates in other affiliate programs including but not limited to ShareASale, CJ, and ClickBank, and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Become a member and get exclusive access to articles, contests and more! SkyTough.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. On a gusty day in a Luscombe with questionable brakes, the sweating occupant of the left seat may be in full agreement. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store. Yes, sadly, it has already crashed. Buying a plane is a major investment and if you look at the prices of aircraft on the market, the cost of buying one can quickly go into the hundreds of thousands. Read more about us, here. Different lord mounts may be required. The private pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Recovery is conventional and only requires the pilot to reduce back pressure on the stick rather than shove the nose down. Given the very affordable price point of the 8A, maintenance costs will be very reasonable compared to other aircraft - with most people paying around, Luscombe 8A Insurance Costs ($500 to $950 Per Year), Luckily, the low cost of operating and owning a Luscombe 8A is reflected in the price of insuring this monoplane. The airplane is powered by a horizontally opposed, four cylinder, direct drive, normally aspirated, air cooled, carburetor equipped engine. See every aircraft on the Internet from one location. A survey of Luscombes listed for sale found 16 active listings. Ercoupe, Forney, Alon, M-10 Cadet. The witness stated that the pilot " was going to do a loop," because he saw the airplane begin a dive and then pull up. I flew a 65 hp 8A for a couple years. Private ( F-PMCD) | Luscombe 8a Silvaire. Please read and search carefully before posting, as many popular topics have already been discussed. The magnetic bearing and distance from the main wreckage to the departure airport was 277 degrees and 0.36 nautical miles respectively. These airplanes are much smaller than the enormous commercial airliners that will take you from Tokyo to Los Angeles, but they're still very fun to get to know and learn to handle. When new pilots and aircraft owners buy their first plane, they are often shocked by the variable costs that come with operating their aircraft. Here, its possible to find well-sorted examples and some that have been upgraded with more powerful engines. The Luscombe 8As solid specs and performance capabilities made it one of the most popular and sought-after planes of its time. In cruise the 8E or F will scoot along at a little better than 100 mph on about 5.5 gph. Add to Compare. my Luscombe is the only plane I've flown. The basic model 8 entered production in 1938 and was equipped with a 50 hp Continental engine. Two of the most important elements of a good ownership experience are parts availability and a vibrant community of owners. Video of the takeoff showed a normal takeoff near the midpoint of the runway followed by a level-off about 30 ft above the ground. Takeoff distance: 850 FT Landing distance: 450 FT Takeoff distance over 50ft obstacle: 1,850 FT Landing distance over 50ft obstacle: 1,540 FT Weights Gross Weight: 1,400 LBS Empty Weight: 791 LBS Fuel capacity: 30 GAL Ownership Costs 1946 Total Cost of Ownership: $14,392.61 Total Fixed Cost $4,217.65 Annual inspection cost: $746.00 Storage: $840.00 Base/used Price: $13,000. The Luscombe 50 (Model 8) was to become the company's most famous product. If the skins on top behind the fuselage are wrinkled it had a nose over. BUT, doing so costs 20 lbs. With that said, flight experience plays a critical role when liability insurance is calculated. Overall, the airplane is most pleasant to fly and travels cross-country efficiently. I can feel one of my turns coming on, where owning an all-metal Luscombe 8A with no electrical system begins to sound like a good idea. Landing gear notwithstanding, the airplane is enormously fun to fly. [2] Temco built about 50 Silvaires before selling the rights to the Silvaire Aircraft Corporation in 1955. Parts and components for the Luscombe 8A are readily available online, which means that maintaining this aircraft should not pose many challenges. Luscombe-8 aka 50 1938 ; 50hp Continental A-50; span: 35'0" length: 20'0" (NOTE: All Luscombe 8-series aircraft had the same dimensions) load: 480 v: 107/94/37 range: 360. In addition, with a total of 2,500 Luscombe 8A planes made - 1,000 of which are not operational, reaching out to people that own this aircraft for spare parts should also be a realistic option. 44 Another witness, a pilot, observed the airplane from his home located about 1/2 mile from Lenhardt Airpark. ( CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF ANOTHER MAINTENANCE PERSON TO ADEQUATELY INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT FOR PROPERLY SECURED BOLTS. On a small grass strip four miles south of Henry Fords behemoth B-24 plant at Willow Run, Larsen lived, worked, and quietly became the Luscombe doctor. Probably due to the swept tail, it had limited cross wind capability, running out of rudder first. it and the airplane jumps in that direction. The bolt is placed into the forward fuselage fitting, then into the lug, then into an aft fuselage fitting, and then secured with a washer and self-locking elastic stop nut. Best Cruise: 117 KIAS While the cost of a Luscombe 8A is considerably less than most modern planes, having additional coverage ensures that your investment is protected. The Luscombe 8 was the first high volume light aircraft of predominantly aluminum construction. (Team Luscombe) The O-200 will fit the current motor mount. $900.00. Luscombe 8A Mechanical Recording Tachometer Indicator (Hours: 287.87) Pre-Owned $66.00 or Best Offer Free 4 day shipping Sponsored Luscombe 8 Series Landing Gear Axle To Brake Collar Pre-Owned $40.00 or Best Offer +$10.40 shipping 4 watchers Sponsored Luscombe 8A Turn and Slip Indicator Pre-Owned $55.00 or Best Offer Free 4 day shipping Sponsored - Send us pictures of your plane. Will This Perfect Day for Flying Go Unpunished. ( Ps. Production was resumed after the war with allmetal versions of the Silvaire, the 8E and 8F. As World War II wound down, Luscombe moved its factory to Garland, Texas, and decided to resurrect the basic 8A. Fairly large quantities of fuel in the fuselage tend to give most pilots the heebie-jeebies, so the wing tanks are an improvement, despite the substantial concern Luscombe showed in 1937 for crashworthiness in designing and protecting the original fuselage tank. Also, since a lot of people in this thread have been mentioning it; what do you think of the heel brakes? Just out of curiosity, how the hell do you fit Duke in there? The engine is a Continental Model C85-12 and is rated at 85 horsepower. The "G-meter" read a negative 1/2 g. The altimeter read 350 feet and was set to 30.13 inches of mercury. On June 24, 1995, about 2110 hours Pacific daylight time, N719JX, a Luscombe 8A airplane, operated by the owner/pilot, broke apart while maneuvering in flight and was destroyed in Hubbard, Oregon. Two wing tanks and two 170 lb people and you where at gross. 1940 LUSCOMBE 8A Piston Single Aircraft Price:USD $52,702(Price entered as: EUR 50.000) Payments as low as USD $491.65 / monthly* Aircraft Location:Locarno, Ticino, Switzerland Serial Number:1230 Registration #:HB-DWF Total Time:2,578 Engine Notes:overhauled in 1999 by Heliservice AG No oil burn. It was designed for civilian aerial observation and aerial application (crop dusting) duties, and it sports tandem seating with a massive bubble canopy for the rear passenger. They make it clear that they will not tolerate a milquetoast on the stick and rudder but will reward the pilot who truly knows how to operate those devices. $120.00. Landing distance (50) 1,540. The 8, 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D were equipped with various engines ranging from 50 to 75 hp. The power-on or departure stall demands that the ball be kept in the center, or the airplane will roll briskly and drop the nose sharply at the break. The reason for this placard is that during takeoff acceleration and initial high-angle-of-attack climb, the fuel flow may not be adequate for proper operation. Empty wt. Continental A-65-8F, McCauley 1-B-90 prop, new interior, hanger kept. Luscombe was acquired by Temco Aircraft Corp. in 1948, but only some 50 Silvaires were manufactured before the line was suspended for a second time due to military commitments. That airplane was in Oshkosh last year and attracted a lot of attention, so there is hope that the proud heritage is not over. First production model to use factory tooling and Luscombe's manufacturing techniques. However, you can expect very reasonable variable costs that range from $45.00 to $55.00 per hour. Those who have sat in the new Renaissance Luscombe and experienced the magic that John Larsen did to the interior are astonished that what had been cramped confinement is now far more comfortable. Luscombe Aircraft closed in 1949, with its assets purchased by Temco Aircraft, also US-based. Visibility over the nose is outstanding. Observation Facility, Elevation: F45,22 ft msl Observation Time: 12:30 Local Distance from Accident Site: 8 Nautical Miles Temperature/Dew Point: 28C /19C Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 9 knots / 18 knots, 150 Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 3600 ft AGL Visibility: 10 miles Altimeter Setting: 3020 inches Hg On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from. An autopsy was performed on the pilot by Dr. Larry V. Newman, M.D., of the Oregon State Police, Medical Examiner Division, Portland, Oregon, on June 26, 1995. The aircraft has a cruise speed of 78 knots and a stall speed of 37 knots. My two cents. Rotation speed is about 55 mph. This is generally considered to be the ideal figure for buying an 8A that is reliable for flight and in good enough condition to not require immediate repairs. Now, because they are pushed by ones heels rather than toes, there are those who insist they are a nefarious plot on the part of those who make airframe replacement parts to ensure a steady flow of business. Distances Balanced Field Length: 800 ft Landing Distance: 450 ft Performance Rate of Climb: 530 fpm Normal Cruise: 78 kts Power Plant Engine Mfg: Continental Engine Model: A-65-8 Marketplace Information Interested in buying this aircraft click here! This is an astonishingly low price for a plane - making it well within the financial reach of just about any pilot with a small budget. Flying is dangerous. Stereo microscope examination of the bolt remnant after it was removed from the through-hole of the lug revealed crown damage consistent with the threaded end of the bolt bending within the lug through-hole The bolt remnant measured approximately 0.2 inch long and contained the manufactured threaded end of the bolt. Any complaint about the airplane's directional control on the TEMCO supplied enough inventory for the completion of approximately four aircraft. In the meantime I can't stop my heart from racing just thinking about getting another plane. ) - Use this form or email to reach out to us: feedback@planephd.com. By Staff Updated February 22, 2016 Save Article. Most Luscombes now have 12.5-gallon fuel tanks in each wing, converting to the style of the later marques and away from the original 14-gallon tank behind the seat. This gear could be retroactively installed on earlier model 8s. McCauley metal prop. - Use this form or email to reach out to us: feedback@planephd.com. The Silvair monoplanes that were made in the late 40s had virtually identical specs to the original 8 series - with some modernized improvements here and there. Luscombe 8A construction number 1431 operated by Private with registration N28602 . He lost control of the company within sixteen months and resigned in April 1939, never again to be involved with the organization that continued to bear his name. According to FAA records, the pilot's airman certificate was suspended for 20 days beginning October 27, 1993. 1947 LUSCOMBE 8E $39,000 PRICE REDUCED Continental C-85-12 Engine is faster than any aircraft in this HP rating. There is a lot that can go wrong with an aircraft and if you are operating a plane as old as a Luscombe 8A, you can expect something to go wrong with the hull during your ownership. If the 8F has flaps and a C90, that would be a nice setup. Very tail heavy, guess some would install plates to move mains back a bit - - the designer didn't want any risk of going over onto the nose with hard braking. for a restored Luscombe 8A. Luscombe Aircraft Corporation now manufactures new Luscombe aircraft based upon the 8 series. 0.0 Hull coverage is not mandatory insurance like liability protection. 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