A historical airplane of the ’40s done new in the 2000s, Luscombe Silvaire Aircraft Company’s LSA-8 borrows its designation from the 8-series Luscombes that once sold about 1,200 units (about as many as all LSA flying in the U.S. today). Employees loaded the wings of the lightweight but sturdy Luscombe design. Watch for my pilot report in EAA Sport Pilot this summer.
Clyde Cessna. William Piper. Walter Beech. Al Mooney. William Boeing. You knew all that. But do you recall the name Donald Luscombe? You probably should. The Luscombe Aircraft Company built some 8,000 aircraft, 6,000 of them the Silvaire model alone. And they once pumped out as many as 23 per day, yes, per day! In 1948, Luscombe produced more than 2,700 aircraft in a calendar year. That’s more than twice as many as all LSA companies combined have sold in three years. *** Fortunately, it isn’t just a history lesson. Thanks to John Dearden and staff at Flabob Airport in Southern California, the Luscombe was revived as the LSA-8 earning approval as a Special Light-Sport Aircraft. *** Lucky me, I went flying in it with John and a pleasure it was. Great manners in a responsive, good performing, all-metal, Continental-powered LSA that is 100% Made in the USA. Selling for around $90,000 LSA-8 looks inexpensive compared to euro-denominated LSA now running to $130,000. Since the European FAA, called EASA, is chugging through the process of accepting ASTM standards, LSA-8 could sell in Europe for 58,000 euros (before shipping or taxes). And with its vintage appeal in a modernized form (glass cockpit available), who knows what interest might follow?
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