Luscombe 8#Specifications: Model 8A (Silvaire)

{{Short description|Light, single engine monoplane produced 1937 - late 1940s}}

{{Infobox aircraft

|name= Luscombe 8

|image= File:Luscombe8E, G-BSHH.jpg

|caption= 1946-built Luscombe 8E

|type= civilian

|manufacturer= Luscombe Aircraft

|designer= Donald A. Luscombe

|first_flight= December 17, 1937

|introduction=

|produced= 1937 – c. 1940s

|retired=

|number_built= 5,867 (1960)Jackson 2003, p. 705.

|status=

|primary_user =

|variants =

}}

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.

File:luscombe.8a.g-ccrk.arp.jpg

File:Luscombe 8F nose.jpg

Subsequent companies

After building 5,743{{cite book |last1=Swiick |first1=John |title=Luscombe's Golden Age |date=2005 |publisher=Wind Canyon Books |location=Brawley CA |isbn=1-891118-51-X |page=255 }} Model 8 airplanes, the original Luscombe Aircraft closed in 1949, with its assets purchased by Temco Aircraft.Gunston 2005, p. 294. Temco built about 50 Silvaires in Dallas, Texas, before selling the rights to the Silvaire Aircraft Corporation in 1955.

When Temco discontinued production, Otis Massey headed up a new corporation that purchased the Luscombe tooling, parts, and other assets. Massey had been a Luscombe dealer since the 1930s. His new venture opened in Fort Collins, Colorado as Silvaire Uranium and Aircraft Corp (later renamed Silvaire Aircraft Corp). From 1956 to 1961, this firm produced 80 aircraft. The make and model for all 80 was Silvaire 8F, with "Luscombe" shown in quotation marks in company literature.

The Colorado firm's first airplane, N9900C, serial number S-1, was built in 1956. This aircraft was constructed from spares or Material Review Board (MRB) parts that were serviceable but remained from Temco's prior production. The Temco parts supplied Silvaire Aircraft Corp. with enough inventory to complete approximately four aircraft. N9900C (equipped with wheel pants {{cite book|last=Swick| first=John C.| year=2005| title=Luscombe's Golden Age| edition=1st | publisher=Wind Canyon Books| location=Brawley, California| isbn=1-891118-51-X}} and flaps{{cite book |last1=Roberts |first1=Russ |title=Unlearning to Fly: Navigating the Turbulence and Bliss of Growing Up in the Sky |date=2021 |publisher=Holt & Grooms Co. Ltd. |isbn=978-1-7356413-2-4 |location=Carson City, NV |pages=56}}) first flew on September 10, 1956. According to the Swick, one other airplane, serial number S-5, was built in 1956. Six aircraft, S-2, S-3, S-4, S-6, and S-7, were built in 1957, with two of them, S-2 and S-3, being shipped to Buenos Aires, Argentina.{{cite book|last=Swick| first=John C.| year=2005| title=Luscombe's Golden Age| edition=1st | publisher=Wind Canyon Books| location=Brawley, California| isbn=1-891118-51-X}}

After building eighty airplanes, the Silvaire Aircraft Company closed down. The last airplane was completed on {{cite book|last=Swick| first=John C.| year=2005| title=Luscombe's Golden Age| edition=1st | publisher=Wind Canyon Books| location=Brawley, California| isbn=1-891118-51-X}} May 17, 1960.

Moody Larsen of Belleville, Michigan acquired the tooling, parts, and type certificate on December 6, 1963. In 1965 Larsen developed and acquired a supplemental type certificate to install 150hp Lycoming engines in existing Luscombe 8s. In 1968 Larsen sold his Luscombe intellectual interests to a Georgia group which incorporated as the Luscombe Aircraft Corporation. The tooling remained, exposed to the weather, in Michigan .{{cite book|last=Swick| first=John C.| year=2005| title=Luscombe's Golden Age| edition=1st | publisher=Wind Canyon Books| location=Brawley, California| isbn=1-891118-51-X}}

The assets, including parts, tools, jigs, and the FAA-type certificate (A-694) of the legacy Luscombe companies, were acquired by Testrake Aviation in 2019. The company intended to restart production of the Luscombe 8.{{cite web |title=Luscombe Now |url=http://www.luscombeair.com/about-us |website=Luscombe Aircraft Corporation |access-date=9 May 2023}}

Variants

;Model 8

:Initial variant with a {{convert|50|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental A-50 engine.

File:Luscombe UC-90.jpg

;Model 8A Luscombe Master

:Model 8 with a higher power {{convert|65|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental A-65 engine.

;UC-90A

:One Model 8A adopted by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II (s/n 42-79549).

;Model 8B Luscombe Trainer

:As Model 8A powered by a {{convert|65|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Lycoming O-145 engine. One impressed by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II as UC-90 (s/n 42-79550).

;Model 8C Silvaire Deluxe

:As Model 8A powered by a {{convert|75|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental A-75 engine.

;Model 8D Silvaire Deluxe Trainer

:As Model 8A with steerable tailwheel and other minor changes.

;Model 8E Silvaire Deluxe

:An improved Model 8C with increased gross weight and powered by an {{convert|85|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental C-85 engine.

;Model 8F

:High-performance variant with a {{convert|90|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Continental C-90 engine. Some 8Fs were built with manually operated wing flaps.

;Model T8F Luscombe Observer

:A tandem two-seat variant of the 8F for observation duties.

;Model 8G

:Was a proposed variant of the 8F with a tricycle landing gear, not built.

;Luscombe LSA-8

:Model for the US light-sport aircraft category, produced by the Luscombe Silvaire Company of Riverside, California and introduced at Sun 'n Fun 2007. The LSA-8 is powered by a Continental O-200 engine of {{convert|100|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}. The design is a Federal Aviation Administration accepted special light-sport aircraft.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 64. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X{{cite web|url = http://www.sportpilot.org/learn/slsa/|title = EAA's Listing of Special Light-Sport Aircraft|access-date = 1 June 2012|author = Experimental Aircraft Association|author-link = Experimental Aircraft Association|year = 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140228070151/http://sportpilot.org/learn/slsa|archive-date = 28 February 2014|url-status = dead}}Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 67. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}{{cite web|url = https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/light_sport/media/SLSA_Directory.xlsx|title = SLSA Make/Model Directory|access-date = 6 March 2017|author = Federal Aviation Administration|author-link = Federal Aviation Administration|date = 26 September 2016}}

;Dair 100 testbed

:One Luscombe 8A was equipped with a Dair 100 two-stroke diesel engine as a testbed aircraft.{{cite web|url = http://www.dair.co.uk/documents/engine/pictures.htm#|title = Various Pictures|access-date = 15 March 2018|author=Diesel Air |work =www.dair.co.uk}}

Specifications (Silvaire 8-F)

File:luscombe.8f.g-bulo.arp.jpg

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62Taylor 1961, p. 321.

|prime units?=imp

|genhide=

|crew=one

|capacity=one passenger

|length m=

|length ft=20

|length in=0

|span m=

|span ft=35

|span in=0

|height m=

|height ft=6

|height in=3

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=140

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=870

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=1400

|fuel capacity=25 US Gallons (95 L)

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Continental C90

|eng1 type=air-cooled flat four

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=90

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=metal fixed pitch

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=5

|prop dia in=11

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=128

|max speed kts=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=120

|cruise speed kts=

|stall speed mph=40

|stall speed note=(flaps down)

|range km=

|range miles=500

|range nmi=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=17000

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=900

|more performance=

|avionics=

}}

Sub-Model T8F has tandem seating but is generally similar in dimension, Sprayer version approved for Restricted category operations can have higher Gross Weight with operational limits.

References

=Notes=

=Bibliography=

{{cite book|last=Gunston|first=Bill|title=World Encyclopedia of Aircraft Manufacturers|year=2005|publisher=Sutton Publishing|location=Stroud, UK|isbn=0-7509-3981-8|edition=Second|author-link=Bill Gunston}}
{{cite book|last=Jackson|first=Paul|title=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004|year=2003|publisher=Jane's Information Group|location=Coulsdon, UK|isbn=0-7106-2537-5}}
{{cite book|last=Swick| first=John C.| year=1992| title=The Luscombe Story| edition=3rd |publisher=SunShine House| location=Terre Haute, Indiana| isbn=0-943691-00-1}}
{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=John W. R.|title=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62|year=1961|publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Company|location=London|author-link=John W. R. Taylor}}
{{cite book| last=Thomas| first=Stanley G.| year=1991| title=The Luscombes| edition=1st| publisher=Tab/Aero Books| location=Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania| isbn=0-8306-3618-8| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/luscombes00thom}}
{{cite book| last=Zazas|first=James B.| year=1993| title=Visions of Luscombe - The Early Years| edition=1st| publisher=SunShine House| location=Terre Haute, Indiana| isbn=0-943691-09-5}}