Light, single engine monoplane produced 1937 - late 1940s, "EAA's Listing of Special Light-Sport Aircraft", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Luscombe_8&oldid=1135919850, 1930s United States civil utility aircraft, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 17:55. They have been the victims of unfairly critical accusations about their ground handling. The tachometer read 1,850 revolutions per minute. If you think otherwise, you are new at this sport. A Bellanca Citabria is considered an easy tailwheel airplane to handle on landing. 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. Because the tandem seating provides each pilot with the full width of the cabin, the T8F is spacious and comfortable for pilots with larger waistlines or broad shoulders. Ps. 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. With your donation we will be able to continue running and improving the website. Jack Lane's Luscombe 8A 11 - INT - Mystery Plane.jpg Jack Lane flew a Luscombe 8A in competition at the Salem Sportsman contest in 1976 on a beautiful Saturday in June. The J3 was a lot of work but very rewarding. Best Range: 519 NM This airplane is certificated in the normal category. Add To Cart. 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 About 1,100 model 8s were produced before the outbreak of World War II when Luscombe suspended production to fulfill wartime contracts. 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. $17,500. For pilots who fit comfortably, however, the cabin is perfectly adequate, and has visibility on par with most other small, two-place, high-wing types. Returning to the field for landing, plan on using carburetor heat when the power is reduced, then slow the airplane to about 65 to 70 mph on finalor slower if flying one with flaps. . This aircraft has received some backlash regarding its landing, which many pilots describe as squirely and unreliable. Ultimately, the maintenance costs of owning one of these planes needs to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Taxiing one in a stiff crosswind is work. Private ( F-PMCD) | Luscombe 8a Silvaire. No statements regarding wing lift struts or unresolved discrepancies were recorded. Model Year: 1946. See the airplanes P.O.H. All rights reserved. No evidence of preimpact mechanical deficiencies was found. $120.00. About three inches of the blade tip was twisted forward. ), Please tell us: Fuel cost per hour: Bulky footwear and boots are to be avoided in the interest of dexterity. A toxicological analysis (report attached) was performed on specimens taken from the pilot by the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Their website is https://www.luscombeair.com/. [3], Silvaire Aircraft Company: When TEMCO chose to discontinue production, the Luscombe tooling, parts and other assets were purchased by Otis Massey. L8A LUSCOMBE 8A OWNERS MANUAL $6.35. The "G-meter" read a negative 1/2 g. The altimeter read 350 feet and was set to 30.13 inches of mercury. By 1960 over 5,800 aircraft has been produced by Luscombe Aircraft Corporation and subsequent companies. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. Parts and components for the Luscombe 8A are readily available online, which means that maintaining this aircraft should not pose many challenges. $80.45 shipping. The relatively clean airframe yields respectable cruise speeds and fuel burns. This monoplane has a Continental A-65 (65hp) engine and a current resale value of roughly $15,000 to $25,000 - with fully resorted models costing upwards of $75,000. Alternatively, less-perfect examples are among the most affordable aircraft on the market, costing about as much as a new Yamaha sport touring motorcycle. 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. 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. 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. 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. Turned forum post from MTV into article. One witness stated that the pilot, the pilot's wife, the pilot's daughter, and the daughter's acquaintance, had just landed at the Lenhardt Airpark in Hubbard in a Cessna 182 after returning from dinner. - Features that would be useful to you. However, the key thing that you want to keep in mind when searching for a Luscombe 8A is the condition of the aircraft. Yes, sadly, it has already crashed. The 8A is equipped with a Continental A-65-8 engine. Related ICAO Provisions. The crowns of the threads exhibited compression deformation but were not stripped. . Search more Extra airplanes on Hangar67. Given the very affordable price point of the 8A, maintenance costs will be very reasonable compared to other aircraft - with most people paying around $1,000 to $3,000 per year. 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. 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. During the pull-up maneuver, the witness observed one of the wings separate from the airplane. Similar small, two seat, inexpensive to operate. This damage was consistent with the threaded end of [the bolt] bending within the mouth of the lug through-hole. Total Time Aircraft: 1068 hours. This plane has been around for a long time and just because there are still quite a bit of Luscombe 8 series models in circulation that does not mean that every aircraft is going to be worthy of your money. This was a groundbreaking achievement in the 1940s, as virtually every aircraft ever produced up to this point had wood in its design. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from. Mine was all metal, don't know anything about the rag wing, some say the rag wing is faster. Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. ( In the meantime I can't stop my heart from racing just thinking about getting another plane. The electrical system, with a 12 volt storage battery, is fully protected by thermal-type circuit-breakers and switches. Friend had a Texas Taildragger conversion on a swept tail C152. Annual inspections are relatively quick and affordable. We can be reached at contact@skytough.com. The combination of light weight and relatively high power results in an impressive 600-foot takeoff roll and 128-mph cruise speed. Best Range: 390 NM The impact site coordinates of the main wreckage were 45 degrees, 10.68 minutes North; and 122 degrees, 44.06 minutes West. It will challenge you to refine your stickand-rudder flying skills, and will make you feel like a superstar when you rise to the challenge. 1946 Luscombe 8A. All fractures appeared typical of overstress separations. . http://www.luscombe-silvaire.com/team_luscombe.aspx, Family Float Flying: Our Journey To Adventure, The Ultimate Boundary Waters Bush Flying Platform, Flying to Extremes: Memories of a Northern Bush Pilot, Water Dog The Amphibious Aviat Husky A-1C. They are admired and prized by those who know them well. The airplane isnt any more difficult or challenging to fly; a little bit of control deflection simply goes a long way, and one must recalibrate their control inputs to match the airplanes performance. The 8, 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D were equipped with various engines ranging from 50 to 75 hp. Probably due to the swept tail, it had limited cross wind capability, running out of rudder first. The right wing and empennage remained attached to the airframe. 0.9 This is fortunate because the early Luscombes, in particular, are airplanes you want to land in a careful manner. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF ANOTHER MAINTENANCE PERSON TO ADEQUATELY INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT FOR PROPERLY SECURED BOLTS. PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK REGISTRATION: N_99LS SERIAL NUMBER: SLS-00 . The biggest mistake that you can make with owning the Luscombe 8A, as well as any other aircraft, is neglecting its routine maintenance. The engine is a Continental Model C85-12 and is rated at 85 horsepower. A properly leaned Silvaire generally has greater endurance than its pilot, simply because of the small cabin. The airplane is powered by a horizontally opposed, four cylinder, direct drive, normally aspirated, air cooled, carburetor equipped engine. Best Cruise: 100 KIAS 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. The O-200 is STC'd for the Luscombe 8A for about $75. It has a 36 ft wingspan to support only 800 or 900 lbs empty weight plus useful load, and a fairly thin wing, so it performs pretty well on low power when you consider the age of the design. There are a handful of insurance options to choose from, but ultimately, it should not cost more than $500 to $950 per year. As noted, all pre-war Luscombes were built with fabric-covered wings. Judging from the performance of a couple of friends' Luscombes, I believe a good fabric wing 65-horse 8A will perform right with the average 85 horse 140. 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. 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. Rejected Take Off; Aircraft Performance & Definitions One of our Planephd Experts will be in touch with you shortly. Troubleshooting is equally straightforward. Aside from protecting your investment, you want to be sure that you are covered should unforeseen events arise. Naturally, the better the condition, the higher the price. flyer1 | Lashenden / Headcorn. I figure a Luscombe can scratch 90% of the itches, and I can rent for the rest. Climb rate for the 8E and 8F was claimed to be 800 feet per minute. They exist because of the determination of an affable scalawag to create and mass-produce all-metal airplanes. The brakes are actuated by independent floor pedals that were a marvel of innovation in their time. Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. Initial climb rate 900. Private ( G-LUSK) | Luscombe 8E Silvaire Deluxe. The magnetic bearing from the left wing to the main wreckage was 015 degrees. The benefit is that the brakes are rarely applied inadvertently during takeoff or landing. Airline: Private. The recorded tachometer time next to this entry was 190.7 hours. Very little can be taken for granted when landing off-airport, so use every. (Team Luscombe) The O-200 will fit the current motor mount. . I dont mind having to use the rudder. He dropped progressively larger engines into the tough, diminutive airframes until, by the late 1960s, 150-hp stud brutes were rocketing off of the grass at Larsen Field. One of the rarest Luscombes, only 24 currently appear on the U.S. registry. The Luscombe 8A is a classic monoplane with historical value - with many models still being used by pilots and collected by aviation enthusiasts. 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