|
| Following a series of less successful designs of similar configuration came the lighter, highly regarded and commercially successful Luscombe Model 8, which proved popular in both private and flying school markets.
Donald A. Luscombe founded the Luscombe Aeroplane Company five years before the Model 8 first flew, having moved the company from Kansas to New Jersey. Luscombe himself was eased out of the company in 1939, just as early versions of the Model 8 were being rolled out.
The Model 8 was a high-wing, tail-wheel monoplane, with an all-metal fuselage and fabric covered wings. In 1949, the company was sold to Temco, and then to the
Silvaire Aircraft Company. When production ceased in 1961, an estimated 6000 Model 8s had been produced.
| MODEL | Model 8-E |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x 85hp Continental C-85 flat-four piston engine |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 635 kg | 1400 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 10.67 m | 35 ft 0 in |
| Length | 6.10 m | 20 ft 0 in |
| Height | 1.91 m | 6 ft 3 in |
| Wing area | 13.01 m2 | 140.04 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 196 km/h | 122 mph |
| Ceiling | 4875 m | 16000 ft |
| Range | 821 km | 510 miles |
| Chuck Rhodes, e-mail, 27.08.2010 04:47 Worked for McKenzie Flying Service in Springfield,Oregon where we certified the Lycoming conversions in Luscombes and Cessna 120 /140. My Luscombe had a 115 engine and the "boss" Lee DeJean went for a 150. Understand there has been 180's installed. Makes a real "hot rod' and is strong enough to handle the power. Great fun!!! reply | | john heale, e-mail, 12.05.2010 07:41 I am looking to purchase a Luscombe 8E or 8F, must be in excellent condition with preferably low time for its age reply | | Ross TOWNSEND, e-mail, 21.04.2010 20:26 I started flying at age 41, and immediately bought an 8E, C-FGJF ,flew it for 12 yrs., across Canada and USA, twice, over 800 hrs...never ground looped it...a great little aircraft.. very agile in the air, but cranky on the ground reply | | Peter Zuras, e-mail, 21.04.2010 06:26 In 1952-53 I used to fly a Luscombe Observer, with a 90HP engine, electric starter, and tandem seating. The door panels were plexiglass ass well as the top and sides of the rear seat. It was all metal and as I remember, Luscombe had built it as a military observer. I can't remember much else about the airplane other than it had a stick instead of a yoke. reply | |
| | Victor Nazarian, e-mail, 08.04.2010 22:17 My grandparents S. Rolfe Gregory and Ann T. Connolly (Nancy) both worked for Luscombe in the 1938 - 1946 time frame. They met there and in addtion to working 'regular jobs' there (he became chief engineer, she office clerk) they were also used as models to pose with the Silvaire. My grandmother's still alive and she is currently trying to remember the names of all of the people on several of the sitting-on-the-wing-of-the-plane promotional photos. I'm going to try and record some video of her and get her to tell me a few stories about those old days in NJ.
Also, I'm getting married myself in a few days and my wife-to-be told me it was OK to start saving up for a Luscombe. I fly as a crew member for the Coast Guard Auxiliary and I've got about a dozen hours of 'stick' time in various light planes. I hope I can learn to fly the plane my grandfather helped design. Can anyone point me to a good resource to purchase a Luscombe? I'd like to get an E or F model. I recently purchased tickets from the Luscombe Foundation for the T8F they are giving away. I hope I win. reply | | Milo, e-mail, 30.08.2010 19:05 The comments about the landings tickle me. We had a 65 HP 8A in our flying club at Ft. Allen Puerto Rico in the early '60s. Was a real grass eater. Upon landing on the narrow asphalt runway it was going for the grass on one side or the other. I finally placed a 2x4 across the front of the wheels ar axle height and used a framing square to check the toe-in of each wheel. Right gear was in by a quarter inch. After I set the toe in properly it would go strait as an arrow down the runway. It was a good fast airplane for 65 HP. reply | | Mark Spencer, e-mail, 29.03.2010 06:33 At age 48 I took my first fright lessons in a 65hp, hand-flipped Luscombe 8A. During my 8 hours worth of lessons, I learned about: sinkers @ 300' on final-final; surprise yellowjackets in the cockpit @ 500' after takeoff and; sometimes the instructor might forget to check the trim before takeoff, and the stick becomes a whole 'nuther animal...no harm done, just flew the airplane. Oh, and that Luscombes can get pretty hairy on takeoff roll... reply | | Bill Corvello, e-mail, 11.03.2010 11:57 I learned to fly and soloed a Luscombe 8E on floats in 1948 while a line boy at New Bedford Aviation in Mass. Will never forget the joy of that first solo at age 16 and that sweet airplane. reply | | Bob Bourgoin, e-mail, 13.02.2010 07:27 I have a 48 8F, had it for 13 years now. beautiful flier. I polished it until my arms fell off then flew it to canada a couple of years ago and had it painted solid crimson red w /black numbers.Life changes have me toying with the idea of selling. Hard as my 8 yr old daughter has been my copilot since she was 2, she calls him Mr. Lucky.Lots of memories. Nothing like a Luscombe. reply |
| Bob Franklin, e-mail, 10.02.2010 22:37 Forgot to add tne N number in my comments below. It was N2063K, a 1947 model, and if it is currently in operation I would like to hear from the owner. reply | | Bob Franklin, e-mail, 10.02.2010 00:10 Two coworkers and I formed a club in l961 and bought a low time 8E. Hired a local man to instruct us, and I soloedin 8 hrs. Accumulated about 17 hrs. when it was wrecked in a wind storm. Later as an instructor I taught myself to loop and snap roll in an 8A. Great little airplanes! reply | | Dick Loew, e-mail, 05.09.2010 05:43 There were two, 1516B & 2258K. Wilbur Paris, (Navy four stripper) bought them and then went on to fly the Berlin Airlift. He left the two, his wife Dolly and Everette Moss Hargon at SDF. Mossie as he was known on the field was an ex-early WW-II P-51 pilot and my first instructor. Took me thru private and first part of Commercial. I finished com. after putting in my weeks as NAVCAD in Pensacola.
Mossie did things with that Luscombe that were his alone! he taught me how to fly! The Luscombe is a hot airplane for its time and he used every "corner" showing what to do as well as what not to do. They were great days! 1516 was a bit more limber and more responsive,to a light touch, consequently most everyone who flew them would pick 1516 over 2258K.
Years later had opportunity to haul one of these from down in West Virginia back to Ohio. The aircraft is up and flying from a small community airport called Hale's Landing located just off I-77 west of Parkersburg, WV. reply | | Jim Pice, e-mail, 01.02.2010 10:10 Have owned 3 8A's and plan to keep the last one N72032, Best buy for the money. Looking for a split exhaust system to replace the cross over. Any one know of an inexpensive one that is available? reply | | Dennis L. Rainey, e-mail, 24.01.2010 17:43 Back in the early 60's, I and six other buddies decided to get an airplane. We looked around for awhile And came up with an 8A. We charged ourselves $5 /hr wet to fly that plane and after expenses, we actually made money. We finally traded up to a Cessna 170 B Model so that more of us could go together at once. I have a fond spot in my heart for that little Luscombe. reply | |
| | Joe Pribilo, e-mail, 15.01.2010 06:28 I have owned seven Luscombes.8A,8E ,8F & T8F models.They fly like an airplne is supposed to fly.My current Luscombe 8A /F N77L was grand champion at the Columbia Fly in. reply | | Don Rogers, e-mail, 07.01.2010 20:48 I owned a Model 8 back in 1953 in El Paso, Tx. It had a Contineltal 85 engine and once while flying to Las Cruses, New Mexico I encountered a headwind in a pass over Mount Franklin and saw that my ground speed was zero! Returned to El Paso. I bought the plane from Shell Oil. It was used as a pipeline inspection craft and I remember the last
numbers were zero-two-Kilo. Had to sell in 1954 for $1600 and I made money on the sale. Fun to fly, but you had to fly it all the time. It was all metal and was a 1946 model. reply | | Don Rogers, e-mail, 07.01.2010 20:43 I owned a Model 8 back in 1953 in El Paso, Tx. It had a Contineltal 85 engine and once while flying to Las Cruses, New Mexico I encountered a headwind in a pass over Mount Franklin and saw that my ground speed was zero! Returned to El Paso. I bought the plane from Shell Oil. It was used as a pipeline inspection craft and I remember the last
numbers were zero-two-Kilo. Had to sell in 1954 for $1600 and I made money on the sale. Fun to fly, but you had to fly it all the time. reply | | Tommy Thompson, e-mail, 03.01.2010 05:36 Jan 2, 2010 > I currently own a Luscombe 8A fabric wing with serial #3272 and registration NC71845. It has the Cont A-65-8 engine and a McCauley 74X49 metal cruise prop. It was made July 30th 1946 in Dallas, Texas. It was 4th from the last fabric wing made. I'm the 19th owner and it is based at KEXX in Davidson County, NC near the city of Lexington. You can visit my blog to see some interesting photos. luscombeflyers dot blogspot dot com reply | | Myron W. Collier, e-mail, 03.01.2010 03:54 I leaned to fly in a Luscombe 8A, soloed in a Luscombe 8A and received my Private pilot license in the same Luscmbe that I soloed in.
As a young flight instructor in the early 1950s I taught a number of people to fly in Luscombes and to the best of my knowledge they never had any prohlems.
I was able to locate this very same Luscombe and flew it once again, 50 years later to the very day of my solo flight in the old bird.
The Lucombe paved the way for a wonderful carreer as a professional pilot. reply | | Clyde Williams, e-mail, 01.01.2010 04:10 My first Luscombe was a 1939 8C I bought in 1978 for $2,200. I flew it for three years until I traded it for an 8E which I flew for another four years. Although I had many adventures with both airplanes, I never had any problems. They taught me and my many USAF jet pilot friends how to use the rudder. reply |
|
Do you have any comments?
|
| 
All the World's Rotorcraft |
Do you still have your luscombe?
reply