Luscombe Aircraft
The Beginnings - Kansas City, Missouri
Don Luscombe founded the Luscombe Aircraft company in 1933, in Kansas City. Luscombe had already made his reputation as an airplane designer with the Monocoupe series of light aircraft, but he felt that the tube-and-fabric method of construction was too expensive and inefficient. He planned to create a light aircraft that was of all-metal, stressed-skin construction.
The new company's first airplane was the Luscombe Model 1 , commonly known as the Luscombe Phantom. This was a high-wing, two-place monoplane of all-metal construction (except for the fabric wing covering). The Phantom was tricky to land, and was never a financial success.
Trenton, New Jersey
In the winter of 1934-1935, Luscombe Aircraft moved to Trenton, New Jersey, and was incorporated as the Luscombe Aircraft Development Corporation. Shortly afterwards, the Luscombe School of Aeronautics also opened. Trainees from the school worked in the Luscombe factory, and the school helped support the aircraft company for many years.
In 1936, the company designed and began flying a simplified version of the Phantom known as the Luscombe 90, or Model 4. Much of the Phantom's complex compound-curved sheet metal was eliminated in favor of simplified single-curved sheets, and the hand-formed fairings were eliminated. Performance was not impressive.
Model 8
The Luscombe Aircraft Corporation was re-formed as a New Jersey company in 1937, and a new design was begun. The Luscombe 50 (Model 8) was to become the company's most famous product. The Model 8 used the new horizontally-opposed small engines that had just been developed by the engine manufacturers. Just in case these engines didn't pan out, the aircraft was designed with a round firewall that would allow the installation of a small radial engine if needed.
The 50 followed in the Luscombe tradition of using no wood in the construction, and had a monocoque stressed-skin fuselage with fabric-covered metal wings. For a cheap, light airplane, this was a revolutionary construction technique. Its competitors were built of fabric-covered steel tubing, with wooden spars and sometimes ribs in the fabric-covered wings. Luscombe's construction techniques allowed him to build his airplanes quickly and cheaply, without sacrificing strength. His airplanes were also more efficient than his competitors, cruising 10-20 mph faster on the same power.
The new Luscombe sold well, and soon the factory was making changes to the design. Continental had upgraded the A-50 engine to the A-65 engine of 65 horsepower. Luscombe quickly certified this engine on the Model 8, and began producing it as the Model 8A. In 1938 and 1939, though, personality conflicts arose within the company, and Don Luscombe was forced out of the company in a proxy battle. Many Luscombe employees left at this time, also.
March of 1940 saw the introduction of another version of the Model 8, the 8B. This airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-145-B3 engine of 65 horsepower. A month later, the company developed the deluxe model 8C, powered by a Continental C-75-12 engine. The interior was finished off with maroon cloth and tan leather upholstery, with a shock-mounted section in the instrument panel. The deluxe model was named the Silvaire, and was sold with full-color advertising.
With war raging in Europe, stocks of aluminum began to be rationed. Since the model 8 was widely used in the Civilian Pilot Training Program, Luscombe was able to maintain production and get a reasonable allotment of the lightweight metal. To insure future allotments and increase its share of the CPTP market, Luscombe developed the model 8D. The instrument panel was changed so that it could be equipped with the necessary instruments for instrument flight and training, and so that radios could be installed easily. The 8D used the same 75-hp Continental engine as the 8C, but the 14-gallon fuselage tank was replaced by two 11.5 gallon wing tanks for greater range.
The man who had forced Don Luscombe out of the company was an Austrian named Leopold Klotz. The government considered him to be an enemy alien, which led to the company being taken over by the government during World War II. Luscombe Aircraft spent the war years doing subcontract work for other manufacturers. In 1944, the Vested Claims Committee ruled that Klotz was a resident neutral rather than an enemey alien, and his Luscombe holdings were restored to him.
Dallas, Texas
After the war, Luscombe Aircraft moved from Trenton, NJ to Dallas, TX. In anticipation of the postwar aircraft boom, Luscombe set up a large factory and re-tooled with new jigs capable of higher production volume than the pre-war factory had been capable of. Due to several factors, including a fire at one plant that destroyed most of their stock of cushions and upholstery, production in the latter part of 1945 was quite limited. The airplane was also redesigned at this time to simplify construction of the fuselage.
Early in 1946, Luscombe decided to redesign the wing to an all-metal stressed-skin design, eliminating the fabric covering and simplifying the construction. The company also produced a prototype of a single-place low-wing design called the Model 10. This was never placed into production, since the market for single-seat aircraft was considered to be too small.
The model 8 was upgraded once again in June, producing the 8E. This aircraft had an 85-horsepower engine, and the fuselage tank was replaced by two 12.5 gallon wing tanks. This freed up space to install rear windows and a hat shelf in the space formerly occupied by the fuel tank. For a while, both all-metal and fabric-covered wing Luscombes were produced before the fabric-covered wing was phased out in favor of the all-metal design.
Model 11
In 1946, Luscombe also introduced the four-place Model 11, designed to specifications produced by the Flying Farmers of America. This was designed as a combined family/business aircraft, capable of carrying four people. With the back seat removed, up to six milk cans could be carried. Eventually, the Flying Farmer market proved to be a myth, so the Model 11 Sedan was finished with a more plush interior to appeal to the businessman. Certification was accomplished in May of 1948.
The Air Force, in 1947, released a specification calling for an 85-hp, high-wing tandem-seating aircraft to use as a liaison aircraft for Army ground forces. The proposal required an aircraft that was in current production, so Luscombe decided to convert a model 8E to a tandem configuration. This model passed the military tests, but lost out to the entry from Aeronca, who quoted a low price of less than $1700 per airplane. Luscombe obtained a type certificate for the T8E anyway, in anticipation of future off-the-shelf buys by the military.
The final simplification made to the Luscombe 8 design was the introduction in 1948 of the Silflex landing gear. This was a cantilever tubular-steel gear attached to a spring-oleo unit. It was four inches wider than the original wire-braced gear, simpler to manufacture, and stronger in side-load. It also reduced the incidence of ground-looping, and was less prone to damage when ground loops did occur.
The last major upgrade to the Silvaire came in 1948. The Model 8F was introduced in January using a 90-hp Continental engine. The tandem aircraft was simultaneously upgraded to produce the T8F model. Sales were not strong, however, and the company was failing. In December, its major suppliers put Luscombe on a COD basis. More financial problems followed, and the company closed its doors in 1950. Since then, attempts have been made several times to resurrect the company, but none succeeded.
Specifications
:Model 1 (Phantom)
Engine: 145 hp Warner Super Scarab
Length: 21 feet, 6 inches
Height: 6 feet, 9 inches
Wingspan: 31 feet
Gross Weight: 1950 pounds
Useful Load: 630 pounds
Max Speed: 168 mph
Cruise Speed: 142 mph
Range: 560 miles
Model 4 (Luscombe 90)
Engine: 90 hp Warner Scarab Jr.
Length: 20 feet, 11 inches
Height: 6 feet, 6 inches
Wingspan: 32 feet, 1 inch
Gross Weight: 1725 pounds
Useful Load: 622 pounds
Max Speed: 136 mph
Cruise Speed: 120 mph
Range: 580 miles
Model 8 (Luscombe 50)
Engine: 50 hp Continental
Length: 20 feet
Height: 5 feet, 10 inches
Wingspan: 35 feet
Gross Weight: 1200 pounds
Useful Load: 535 pounds
Max Speed: 115 mph
Cruise Speed: 98 mph
Range: 370 miles
Model 8A (Silvaire)
Engine: 65 hp Continental
Length: 20 feet
Height: 5 feet, 10 inches
Wingspan: 35 feet
Gross Weight: 1200 pounds (1260 pounds optional)
Useful Load: 535 pounds (595 pounds optional)
Max Speed: 115 mph
Cruise Speed: 105 mph
Range: 370 miles
Model 8B (Silvaire)
Engine: 65 hp Lycoming
Length: 20 feet
Height: 5 feet, 10 inches
Wingspan: 35 feet
Gross Weight: 1200 pounds
Useful Load: 535 pounds
Max Speed: 115 mph
Cruise Speed: 105 mph
Range: 370 miles
Model 8C (Silvaire)
Engine: 75 hp Continental
Length: 20 feet
Height: 6 feet, 3 inches
Wingspan: 35 feet
Gross Weight: 1200 pounds
Useful Load: 535 pounds
Max Speed: 125 mph
Cruise Speed: 110 mph
Range: 370 miles
Model 8D (Silvaire)
Engine: 75 hp Continental
Length: 20 feet
Height: 6 feet, 3 inches
Wingspan: 35 feet
Gross Weight: 1310 pounds
Useful Load: 630 pounds
Max Speed: 125 mph
Cruise Speed: 110 mph
Range: 500 miles
Model 8E (Silvaire)
Engine: 85 hp Continental
Length: 20 feet
Height: 6 feet, 3 inches
Wingspan: 35 feet
Gross Weight: 1400 pounds
Useful Load: 630 pounds
Max Speed: 128 mph
Cruise Speed: 112 mph
Range: 500 miles
Model 8F (Silvaire)
Engine: 90 hp Continental
Length: 20 feet
Height: 6 feet, 3 inches
Wingspan: 35 feet
Gross Weight: 1400 pounds
Useful Load: 630 pounds
Max Speed: 130 mph
Cruise Speed: 115 mph
Range: 500 miles
Model 11 (Sedan)
Engine: 165 hp Continental
Length: 23 feet, 6 inches
Height: 6 feet, 10 inches
Wingspan: 38 feet
Gross Weight: 2280 pounds
Useful Load: 1000 pounds
Max Speed: 140 mph
Cruise Speed: 130 mph
Range: 500 miles
Much of the information in this article comes from the book "The Luscombes", Stanley G. Thomas, TAB Books, ISBN 0-8306-3618-8.
