The Luscombe 8 is a series of high-wing, side-by-side-seating monoplanes with conventional landing gear, designed in 1937 and built by Luscombe Aircraft. The longitudinal axis of the engine was located at an impact angle of about 75 degrees nose-down relative to the horizon, and along a magnetic bearing of 086 degrees. The airplane wreckage was examined at the accident site on June 25, 1995. With that said, much like with any used aircraft, you want to carefully consider the Luscombe 8A that you buy. Most Luscombes use heel brakes. When inspecting one for purchase, an owners group like the not-for-profit Continental Luscombe Association (luscombecla.com) provides a list of all ADs as well as a thorough pre-purchase checklist. With a full fuel load, the maximum allowable weight in the cabin is only about 400 poundsa motivator, combined with the space available, to keep pilots from becoming too portly. - Aircraft specific reviews and articles. Production was resumed after the war with allmetal versions of the Silvaire, the 8E and 8F. 2000 Extra EA-400 airplane for sale located in Burbank, California. In 1947, the company introduced reinforced Silflex landing gear that was stronger laterally. And when a good used Skylane shows up on the market, it doesn't last for long, and buyers typically get their asking price, or more. These are your options for insuring a Luscombe 8A. I flew a 65 hp 8A for a couple years. 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 Aircraft: Luscombe 8A Silvaire. Both witnesses estimated that the airplane was airborne for 10 minutes, and that the accident occurred at 2110. Im in the same boat! Luscombe 8A Custom Map Boxes And Wood Panel Cover. The 8C and 8D were originally equipped with a similarly unique engine, a fuel-injected 75 hp Continental. gain of altitude in the shortest horizontal distance. As World War II wound down, Luscombe moved its factory to Garland, Texas, and decided to resurrect the basic 8A. This was our first flight in the plane, we. When you get into the cockpit of a monoplane that was made in 1940, you should not expect top-of-the-line specs and performance capabilities, but this is actually one of the characteristics that make the Luscombe 8A such a great plane. The right wing and empennage remained attached to the airframe. The Luscombe 8 is a series of high wing, side-by-side seating, monoplanes with conventional landing gear, designed in 1937 and built by Luscombe Aircraft. My research has indicated that the Luscombe 8A is a world-class monoplane with a solid reputation, but given how long it has been around, potential buyers should inspect the condition of this aircraft thoroughly to ensure that it is safe to operate. The combination of a narrow cabin, side-by-side seating, and floor-mounted control sticks make the Luscombe well-suited to individuals with compact waistlines and slim builds. ), Please tell us: Much like your car, liability coverage is essential for avoiding legal complications, which is why paying for it is mandatory. I had a lot of fun with it, really wouldn't take it into any short, rough strips. Airline: Private. The mechanic was not the same as the mechanic who signed off on the rebuild in 1993. This was a groundbreaking achievement in the 1940s, as virtually every aircraft ever produced up to this point had wood in its design. (Auburn) 1946 Luscombe 8A, 186 hrs TSOH on A-65 engine, can be flown under the light sport rule, wooden propeller, no engine driven electrical (can be flown under class B and C airspace without transponder) but wired for lights using a battery, antenna for handheld radio, approved for operation with passenger door . Narrowing the field becomes a matter of choosing the blend that seems most appealing to you. Stinson 108 Series. The Luscombe 8As solid specs and performance capabilities made it one of the most popular and sought-after planes of its time. Luscombe 8A & Model 10 Model Plans 78/03. Empty wt. They are admired and prized by those who know them well. Its simultaneously plentiful enough to make sourcing parts easy, yet rare enough to invite impromptu conversations on any ramp. Best Range: 390 NM Every backcountry airplane should be equipped with this versatile tool from the bronze age. Yes, sadly, it has already crashed. Plus, they could come in handy for short-distance travel. (Team Luscombe) The O-200 will fit the current motor mount. The Model 8 used the new horizontally opposed small . Aircraft just underwent a 15 year restoration and was finished in 2011. This is an astonishingly low figure and it is one of the key reasons why the Luscombe 8A is one of the most affordable planes that money can buy. Technical and practical discussion about specific aircraft types such as Cessna 180, Maule M7, et al. Added new article from Ravi Fry The Luscombe 8A is a fantastic high-wing monoplane that has stood the test of time. It has been a long time ago that I sold my Luscombe but I'll try to remember. Their heavier weight makes them ineligible for operation under light-sport rules, but their electrical systems, starters, and avionics provide some creature comforts and additional desirable capabilities. However, metal flow and gouge marks were noted [in this area]. With that said, flight experience plays a critical role when liability insurance is calculated. Cruise mph 104. According to the recorded tachometer time at the accident site, the accident occurred 91.12 flight hours after the rebuild work in 1993, and 6.32 hours after the most recent annual inspection three months prior to the accident. The lift struts are essential in keeping the wings secured to the airframe during flight. 17 Every one I've ever flown has seemed cramped and uncomfortable to me. Subscribe to the BackcountryPilot newsletter to be notified of new articles, videos, merchandise, and more. Add to Compare. John Larsen, son of Moody, now runs things at Larsen Field. A pilot accustomed to flying a J3 Cub or Cessna 140, for example, might initially be chasing the ball while trying to keep his or her turns coordinated. Aeronca, Champion, Citabria, Bellanca. Hands down the Luscombe, IMO. Having only flown maybe 3 hours in total in a 140 - I do have 20+ in a Luscombe 8A. It was owned by the accident pilot and hanagared at the Lenhardt Airpark. LUSCOMBE 8A $27,000 Reg# N71288 TT: Not Listed Luscombe Silvaire 8A, Only 5 hours since Ly-Con Overhaul. For instance there is a Luscombe factory letter that describes the steps required to convert an 8A to an 8D-- which will allow a gross weight of 1310 lbs. Add to Compare. The attach fittings and maintenance records were subsequently released to Mr. Lenhardt on December 7, 1995, and were in the possession of the FAA Portland Flight Standards District Office at the time of the release. . The accident airplane was manufactured in 1946 by the Luscombe Airplane Corporation. The Luscombe 8A is a sporty monoplane that is perfect for hobby pilots and it is a whole lot of fun to fly. 1,200. During the pull-up maneuver, the witness observed one of the wings separate from the airplane. Yes, sadly, it has already crashed. Single engine piston aircraft with fixed landing gear. Companies like Univair stock most airframe parts. The general aviation aircraft is a high-wing, monoplanes with side-by-side seating. 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. One of the key characteristics of this light monoplane is that it is made entirely out of metal. Slowing to speeds just above the stall demonstrates that the controls, particularly the rudder, remain effective. 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. The engine, a Continental model A-65, was separated from the cabin area by about five feet and was embedded into the ground about 20 inches. The electrical system, with a 12 volt storage battery, is fully protected by thermal-type circuit-breakers and switches. The 8A introduced a more powerful 65 hp Continental, and it was produced in large quantities both before and after World War II. 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. My two cents. We can be reached at contact@skytough.com. A properly leaned Silvaire generally has greater endurance than its pilot, simply because of the small cabin. Box 63581 . 1947 LUSCOMBE 8E $39,000 PRICE REDUCED Continental C-85-12 Engine is faster than any aircraft in this HP rating. Landing distance (50) 1,540. About that time the sound produced by the engine reduced in what appeared to be an attempt to land on the remaining runway. Reg: N71768 photos. Piper J-4 thru PA-22 and PA-25. $900.00. The aforementioned Luscombe Aircraft Corporation supports owners of legacy aircraft with factory tooling, a comprehensive parts inventory, digitized engineering drawings, and accurate historical records. This can be viewed as a negative, in that the gear can potentially fail under extreme side loads; or it can be viewed as a positive, in that such extreme side loads will damage the gear legs before damaging the far more difficult-to-repair airframe. With the 85 hp engine, this goes down to 850. In cruise the 8E or F will scoot along at a little better than 100 mph on about 5.5 gph. Whats Going On with Cessna Denali Turboprop. Album Like Share. Airworthiness Directives. Continental A-65-8F, McCauley 1-B-90 prop, new interior, hanger kept. (not 1320 lbs. 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. Read more about us, here. Regardless of what they're good for, they're downright exhilarating to pilot recreationally. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 110. The biggest mistake that you can make with owning the Luscombe 8A, as well as any other aircraft, is neglecting its routine maintenance. Calculation of declared distances. About 1,000 Silvaires were built between the first part of 1938 and the early months of 1942. That is somewhat optimistic. 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. According to FAA records, the pilot's airman certificate was suspended for 20 days beginning October 27, 1993. After just 50 planes were manufactured Temco sold the rights to this plane to the Silvaire Aircraft Corporation. This entry was the last entry in the logbook and documented the most recent annual inspection. Mr. Lenhardt was representing the registered owner of the airplane. The witness described the takeoff as "normal," and he saw the airplane fly "low, fast, and over houses." . 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! The gear is stiff and narrow, yet the rudder is effective, as is the tailwheel. Many models incorporate overhead skylights, which help to make the compact cabin feel more open and bright. Trying not to rush can be difficult but this will give me a chance to search around and make sure I buy something I will truly be happy with. Factory-new Luscombe 8s are presently in production by the Luscombe Aircraft Corporation in Jamestown, New York. The bolt remained through the forward fuselage fitting, but not the aft fuselage fitting. The Luscombe 8 is a series of high-wing, side-by-side-seating monoplanes with conventional landing gear, designed in 1937 and built by Luscombe Aircraft . Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_5 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) GSA/219.0.457350353 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1, Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests. The basic prewar 8 rapidly evolved into the 65-hp 8A, then the B, which had a 65-hp Lycoming; the C with a very rare, fuel-injected Continental of 75 hp (and the first to be advertised as a Silvaire); and, finally, in 1941, the D. The D had the same engine as the 8A and was targeted at the Civilian Pilot Training Program, which bought Luscombes in quantity until World War II got under way and general aviation manufacturing was stopped. If the pilot is using one of the brakes a great deal, the length of time for a successful crosswind taxi may be limited, as the brake may heat up and fade. Of these 402 accidents, there were 211 fatalities. Can't identify browser version. The variable costs of operating a Luscombe 8A can vary depending on a number of different factors - mainly the cost of fuel, which is often up in the air. More Info Circle M Aviation Pismo Beach, CA USA Compare SAVE Last Update: 10/19/2022 1946 LUSCOMBE 8A Call for Price Reg# N1463K TT: Not Listed Takeoff distance (50) 1,950. - Aircraft data that you believe is inaccurate or have specific experiences. Mind the gravity not the gap. No other indications from the cockpit could be read. Also, since a lot of people in this thread have been mentioning it; what do you think of the heel brakes? Brian Nicholas | Popham. These are the specs of the Luscombe 8A: Engine - Continental A-65 (65hp) Fuel Consumption - 4.2 gallons per hour Take-Off Distance - 1,950ft Landing Distance - 1,540ft Empty Weight - 750lbs Max Take-Off Weight - 1,260lbs Cruise Speed - 105mph or 91kts Max Speed - 140mph or 122kts Stall Speed - 43mph 37kts Discontinued aircraft like the Luscombe 8A can sometimes be unreliable for future repairs - especially if there were not a lot of planes produced and the manufacturer is no longer active. Also thinking about a Luscombe. When it comes to simple, economical, and fun stick-and-rudder flying, one of the best-known examples is the Piper Cub. appendix to ad/luscombe/2 amdt 1 inspection procedures for luscombe model 8, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, t-8f aircraft that have not accomplished the inspection in accordance with the procedures in the don luscombe aviation history foundation recommendation #2, dated december 15, 1993; revised november 21, 1995. 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. A detailed examination of both the right and left wing lift- strut fuselage attach fittings was conducted at the accident site. . There have been a total of 402 accidents since the Luscombe 8A was released, which is not bad considering that it has had nearly 90 years of flight time. Private ( G-LUSK) | Luscombe 8E Silvaire Deluxe. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. 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. It managed to sell about 80 8Fs before collapsing in 1960. Engine make/model: Continental A65. With the 85 hp engine, this goes down to 850 feet and 1,850 feet, respectively, and these distances are further improved with the Continental C-90. Mysteries Of Flight: The Curious Case Of Pan Am Flight 914, Fond Farewell to a Titan: The Antonov An-225. Takeoff distance (50) 1,950. mdi-airplane-takeoff On behalf of the whole OneSpotter.com team we want to say thank you for your support! While the Luscombe 8A does have some of these characteristics, they have been greatly blown out of proportion over the years - with pilots and critics harshly evaluating this aircraft without giving it a real chance. 1946 LUSCOMBE 8A TTAF:1068 LIGHT-SPORT AIRCRAFT FOR SALE! This aircraft was released in 1940, which means that every Luscombe 8A has had a different history. Luscombe 8B The Luscombe 8 was the first high volume light aircraft of predominantly aluminum construction. Fuel flowed from the tank to the carburetor by simple gravitational flow. 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. Bluntly speaking, the cabin is just plain small by todays standards. Serial numbers S-2 and S-3 were shipped via C-46 aircraft to Buenos Aires, Argentina.[4]. Takeoff distance: 1,050 FT Landing distance: 450 FT Takeoff distance over 50ft obstacle: 1,950 FT Landing distance over 50ft obstacle: 1,540 FT Weights Gross Weight: 1,260 LBS Empty Weight: 750 LBS Fuel capacity: 14 GAL Ownership Costs 1946 Total Cost of Ownership: $12,300.74 Total Fixed Cost $3,477.16 Annual inspection cost: $669.00 Storage: Virtually no parts are prohibitively expensive to replace, and for the ultimate in simplicity, one can select an early model that lacks an electrical system altogether. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. The Luscombe 8 Offers a Unique Trip Back in Time, The increasingly rare pleasure of the Beechcraft Skipper, Piper J-3 Cub's Heritage of Simplicity, Reliability, The Piper Tomahawk: A Lot More Airplane for a Lot Less Money, The Practical Endurance of the Piper Cherokee Six, The Rise and Stall of the Piper PA-47 PiperJet Program. Steep turns are such pleasure that it is difficult to stop. Control cables for the left wing were stretched and separated. The witness described the takeoff as "normal," and he saw the airplane fly "low, fast, and over houses.". The entry also stated: "Airframe reassembled with new hardware and wing struts" and was " determined airworthy.". By Staff Updated February 22, 2016 Save Article. They can be really nice for slower/safe maneuvering, and breaking ground more quickly on takeoffs. If Moody Larsen did his magic and caused a 115- or 150-hp engine to be up front, climb rate can easily exceed 1,000 fpm. 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. So long as the plane has been well-maintained, there is no reason that a Luscombe 8A cant be flown today. If you are evaluating Luscombe 8A planes in the $15,000 range, its safe to say that you can expect the condition to be mediocre at best. That said, they are snug by todays standards. Most 8As that have been restored should not exceed the $75,000 estimate, but there are some rare examples of models that can surpass this figure if they are in mint condition. Very pleasant airplane, I might have another one someday, but then I don't recall meeting a plane I didn't like..RB, Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. The fuel system for the A65 (gascolator . Ever. Flying is dangerous. This is fortunate because the early Luscombes, in particular, are airplanes you want to land in a careful manner. More often than not, an 8A bought at this price will need some form of restoration - either soon or immediately after your purchase. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. The final models of the 8F were produced by Silvaire Aircraft Co. between 1946 and 1960 when their production was discontinued permanently. This upgrade allows an increase in MTWA to 1400 lbs with revised Centre of Gravity limits as with the standard 8F. Side-by-side two-seaters, the postwar models used a Continental 90- hp engine and were claimed to be acrobatic. Difficulty in getting production up and running meant that Luscombe was late to the 1946 airplane-selling party and could not cash in as effectively as others, even though it eventually pushed 15 airplanes out the door each day. The bottom line is that if you take care of your Luscombe 8A and fly responsibly, there is not much more risk in operating one of these planes than any other well-recognized monoplane from this era. The mere fact that the Luscombe 8As average resale value is between $15,000 and $25,000 makes it one of the most financially attainable planes on the market. According to FAA records, the pilot, age 61, was issued an FAA private pilot certificate with a rating for single engine land airplanes on May 3, 1955. Copyright 2023 Backcountry Pilot. Unlike an S-LSA approved under ASTM standards (such as the LSA-8), the Champ can weigh more than 890 pounds because American Champion continues to build its LSA-like airplane under Part 23 certification. With a single fuel tank mounted in the upper fuselage behind the pilots, spartan interiors, no flaps, and no electrical system, only the bare essentials were included in the purchase price. $17,500. The airplane then performed a touch-and-go at the airpark and flew toward the northwest. Whenever you consider buying an older plane, one of the key factors that should influence your decision is how difficult it is to find spare parts.
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