Luscombe 8

My Grandfather gave my Dad Dual in NC2063K in June of 1948 in St Louis, MO

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Soloed a Luscombe in 1948.Never thought it was a hard airplane to fly. Ferried several times from factory to the local dealer-took my wife on our first date- Had a great time until we ran out of room (kids & dogs) do not fit well in a 2 place airplane

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In my comments dated 12.12.2014 I neglected to add that by using carburetor heart on takeoff, performance was decreased somewhat making it less likely that fuel starvation would occur due to the decreased climb angle.

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I worked @ Luscombe in Altus, OK, Is that place still in business? Jerry was the main guy, test pilot, engineer, expediter, he flew a twin Cessna. would like to hear if they are still building airplanes.... Preston

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I bought a 1946 luscombe with my son and his new wife and it is currently being rebuilt as it sat in a field in Virginia for years. She will be numbered with my late husbands date of birth [ he was a top notch fighter pilot, a CFI, and flew for Eastern and Rich International].,in addition her tail numbers will end with Sierra Bravo, my sons last initial and my last initial. She is being completely rebuilt by the great team at Ormond Aircraft Brokers in Ormond beach Florida....KOMN....watch for her soon in the Florida skies...519SB

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I owned Luscombe 8E, N2301K in Sept. 1960 for several months while stationed at McConnell AFB. Ka. Out of the B-47 and in to the Luscombe. A big Change but real fun in the Luscombe. The 8E was all electric. No spinning the prop. To fly out of McConnell AFB I had to have an radio installed. Total cost of AC and radio was about $1800.00
Had to sell AC and ended up in Japan and Korea C-119
ATR 185875 Mims, Fl.

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I owned a 8e with metal wings. Had to check the breaks first then gas and oil. This plane had a ground-loop built in, had to tap break to stop loop on roll-out. I put many hrs on that plane N-2915 K I lived in Baytown TX plane is in Cal now.

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I had 1 /2 ownership in an 8-f for, 6 years it had 3 fuel tanks and the pilot side window lowered. Shell Oil Co used it for pipe line patrol before we got her. She went to Tillamook Ore. in 68 when we sold her

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I learned to fly in a Luscombe 8A, N25236. I soloed in it on my16th birthday and receive my Private license in it on my 17th birthday. As a young flight instructor I taught a number of people to fly in a Luscombe 8A. I never knew why the Luscombe was tagged as a difficult airplane to land. It wasn't!

I am surprised that no one has made mention of a plaque on the instrument panel that read, "Full Carburetor Heat for Takeoff and Landing. Using carburetor heat on takeoff was unique to a Luscombe 8A

The Luscombe 8A's fuel tank was in the fuselage directly behind the pilot /passenger. Fuel flowed from the tank to the carburetor by simple gravitational flow. It was, therefore, possible with a low fuel level to climb at an angle that would place the carburetor slightly higher than the level of the fuel in the tank. When this happened the engine would quit due to fuel starvation.

The 8A also addressed this issue with a standpipe that extended up from the fuel cap, containing a little scoop-like attachment on the top. The resulting airflow created a downward pressure on the fuel that provided some assistance in insuring adequate fuel flow to the engine.

Later Luscombe models, such as the 8E, had fuel tanks in the wings and, thereby, eliminated the need to use full carburetor heat on takeoff. Indeed the Luscombe was a great airplane, perhaps ahead of its time.

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Started flying the Luscombe 8 after the Aeronca Champ while working on my Private ticket with Dick McVey in 1947. Used to love snap rolling and doing the required spins in the plane. Any body out there remember?

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Hi, Ron, been a while since we met. Like 30 years or so.
Your's truly no longer flies but still nearly gets whiplash
every time a flying machine goes over. Can send you a copy of the Luscombe 4 article if you can use it. Glad to see you are still active. Cheers, y'all.

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Hi, enjoyed reading Mr Jordan's comments on the Luscombe Model 4. He is correct that I own N1337 and it is now at Sonoma Skypark Airport in Sonoma, CA. I would enjoy getting in touch with him and maybe learning more about the 4 and Luscombes in general.. Ron Price

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The Luscombe 8 was the first airplane that took me up...in May 1943, in Laurens, South Carolina. I was at a CTD - College Training Detachment, in Clinton. The Air Corps thought it a good idea to get us in the air before official training began. No one soloed in the Luscombe. Ended up flying P51 Mustangs in England a year and a half later.

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I made a post earlier, probably as couple years ago. In that post I told of the 65 HP Luscomb 8A we had in our flying club in Puerto Rico. Our base at Fort Allen, on the south coast at Ponce was an ourpost for the Military. Fantastic duty!! 500 people on the entire base!! Had this great(repeat GREAT) Army Captain named Holt. Young fellow and a real go-getter. We had a total of one H-19 helcopter and a L19 Cessna "Bird Dog" Fixed wing. Our L-20 Beaver was in Corpus Christi Texas for rebuild after a "nose over" on a landing on a very short strip in the PR mountains. Capt Holt thought it would be a good idea to form a Flying Club. We scouted around and found an 8A sitting at San Juan without an engine. Engine was in a basket in the Piper dealership in San Juan. We cut a deal with the dealership to purchase the Luscomb and the basket engine. I was the Non-com in charge of the
Aviation Section and the Crew chief the H-19 helicopter. I also had a A&P ticket in my wallet. We removed the wings and trucked the airpane across the mountains. /; This may not be accurate. 81 years take a toll. Anyway, I rebuilt the engine and Holt test flew it. That fellow had a basket full of balls!! He said that the Luscomb was the only one certified for loops nad aerobotics. Mind you this is my recollections. We went to altitude amd did a l;oop. Comming down out of the first loop he said the best time to do the next loop is comming down out of the first. Did three. The 8A had a couple faults. Shoulder room was the first, and the lack of visability to the sides and rear was the second. The 8A was the fastest 65 HP light airplane. Could do 110 in level flight with a light touch. BUT!! it was a pilots airplane. If a pilot became proficient in that airplane he (she) could fly anything any place. Far better than the Piper Cubs because you had to stay on top of it. Piper Dealership then sold us two Champion Tri-Champs. Easiest planes to fly..EVER!! We soloed people that couldn't even ride a bike. m Great Memories of my stay on the south coast of Puerto Roco and the people who I served with. If it had not been for the Navy coming in and taking over Our Base I would have been there till retirement. The Luscomb 8 would land clean and straight as an arrow if the pilot paid attention. A fantastic airplane. We need more of them. If Robert Holt ever reads this I hope he remembers what a fantastic instructor he has been to me over the years. Milo Taylor

Milo

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Soloed in a Luscomb on floats 1946 off Lake Killarney, Winter Park, fl. Tom Turners Aviation Country Club. Went on to fly during and just after the Korean conflict 86's and RF84-F's

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I learned to fly in an 8F in the 1970's. Wonderful plane.

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Luscombe only built two models before the model 8,the Phantom and the Model 4, which had a radial. Several Phantoms and one Model 4 survive. I've owned an 8A for 25 years, and think it is the ideal lightplane, as well as a very good trainer. I taught my son to fly in in a few years back, and he's now flying with US Air. They say that if you can fly a Luscombe, you can fly anything. The biggest insult you'll ever get when flying one into an new airport is "Gee, what a pretty Cessna." Actually, the Cessna 120 /140 series were copies of the Luscombe done sat the end of the war. The Luscombe is a great sportplane and an excellent trainer.

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Don Miller if you go to wendell hostetlers web sit he has planes and can put you in touch with national house off balsa for the kit.

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A friend bought an old 8A in 1960. He and I recovered the wings. Then we flew it from L.A. to the Bahamas and back in 1961. Met a pipeline inspector along the way who flew a beautiful 8E for Mobil oil.

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Years ago, I owned a 8-F. Very nice pilots plane! About as good as it gets. I did do 2,3 or 4 mods. The first was some frame work to take a 150hp. engine. C S prop.(you could run that baby ay about 1900 rpms.)A Maule tailwheel. also put the gear 24 in. wider(because the wind blew me over one time, when I was sitting still?) Also 20 more gals. of fuel. Wish I still had it!!

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