LUSCOMBES

[unclearthur]

Having had a most enjoyable day at Wroughton last weekend, I am now fired up with enthusiasm to get my hands on a good Luscombe Silvaire. A friend of mine had one up until last year and I have grilled him on the pros and cons of the type. Issues discussed include engines, wing spar corrosion and tail wheels. Before I take the plunge I would appreciate any advice that may be available through this medium. Any views?

[fallen eagle]

Hi only a personal opinion,but a very plesent little a/c to fly,not a brilliant cross wind performer,but economical from a fuel point of view,if poss all tin is good can be left outside.in its class only surpassed by a cub. Bye for now

[Toppers]

All I know is that Popham is a haven for them. Drop in to the maintenance co. there, they know a thing or two about them.

Personally I know b****r all about them, nice looking aircraft though

[IanSeager]

Fallen Eagle, you say that they aren't brillinat cross wind performers. I'm not sure what the limits are, but I've seen (and been in the passenger seat) for some very stiff cross wind landings with them. The chap flying had hundreds if not thousands of hours on Luscombes and is a bloody good pilot, so I'm not saying that they're easy, just that its possible.
Ian

[fallen eagle]

Hi Ian yes you are correct in what you say they can be flown in a fairly stiff x/wind I have been there and done it on more than a few occaisions.I think the key to your statement is the guy that you were flying with, thousands of hours on Luscombes,wasnt Cliff Lovell was it, cos that would explain it.In my post I maybe assumed the thread had been started by someone with not too much experience and thus feel it proper not to infere that an A/C of that design in average piloting hands will perform as easily as a modern training A/C.As always no matter what the book says its the pilots skill and currency that counts.Worth mentioning that it would be a good idea to get some practice on wheel landings as this will improve the crosswind performance.Get some dual training else things could go astray.there are poss loads of pilots on this site that will tell you all you need to know about this A/C good luck BFN

[LowNSlow]

There are a few for sale in the latest Popular Flying mag. Before buying, be sure to get a good inspector to check for intergranular corrosion in the wing spar (especially the left one for some reason). It's very hard to spot so if you can find an engineer who's seen it before so much the better.

Check out PF magazine for the address of the Luscombe owners club. I'm sure they can point you in the right direction.

It was only the E model that was all tin, the previous models had a fabric wing and need to live inside.

I knew a guy who had a 150hp Lycoming in his. It climbed like a homesick angel and could cruise a few knots short of the VNE!

If you are thinking of an aeroplane like this, membership of the PFA is a must.

[unclearthur]

Many thanks to all of you for your advice. I have had numerous private e mails (which did not appear on pprune) and for those thank you. I even had two from Alabama. I am now much better informed. If any of you have any more advice please keep it coming.

One thing that was mentioned by one of the private e mailers was his suspicion that an AD was imminent on all fabric wing versions. Does anyone have any news on this?