For the "flyboys": Barn find Luscombe

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

https://maine.craigslist.org/avo/d/1947-luscombe-8e/6586717605.html

[boatdetective]

Adorable!  real planes have propellers.  How much$$

[Mayakovski]

Not bad at all for $4750. 

[Shorty]

"Making Tap Dancers out of pilots since 1933."   

[Ratso88]

Now THAT, is a real project.

Not bad, probably cheaper than rolling your own, home built kit plane that is.

A good head start with proper FAA Certs etc.

Nice.

[twowings]

Back when pilots were airmen  ...hope 772 Kilo finds a loving home! 

[sdcr]

"Flew when landed"

[arveno]

I am not interested , but i wonder how much will it take to restore it ? 30 k ?

Asking price seems affordable .

Where is Chuck ?? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luscombe_8

[Testarossa]

That engine is pretty cheap to overhaul -- maybe under $8,000. Looks like some dings in the tail surfaces -- ground loop? Could be structural damage in the wings.

[arveno]

It's only 20 feet long .... which fit my driveway
I am not far from Maine....

mmhhh ......


 

[not-fishing]

https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/article/1946-luscombe-8a/#.Ww7jI59KiUk

Cabin width (in.):   39 inces

Payload, full fuel (lbs.):   360

I'm afraid many of us (if not most) would have to fly it as a single seater.... 29" wide and 250+ lbs -- geeze at my lightest I'm still 200 lbs

[arveno]

https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/article/1946-luscombe-8a/#.Ww7jI59KiUk

Cabin width (in.):   39 inces

Payload, full fuel (lbs.):   360

I'm afraid many of us (if not most) would have to fly it as a single seater.... 29" wide and 250+ lbs -- geeze at my lightest I'm still 200 lbs

One good reason to let the wife on the ground LOL

[steven c]

  First plane I ever flew in, I think I was around 6. My fathers friend who owned the plane , buckled me and my sister  who was a year older, into the right seat. Have loved small planes ever since.

[wheaties]

What a great find!  They're great planes!!

[Chuck in Indiana]

I am not interested , but i wonder how much will it take to restore it ? 30 k ?

Asking price seems affordable .

Where is Chuck ?? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luscombe_8

I've restored considerably worse. Probably. The main problem with Luscombes is corrosion, especially in the spar carry through. *That* could be a major problem. If not, I could have that airplane flying in very nice condition for 15-20K, "if" I was 5 years younger and had some ambition.    Since it is from Maine.. you had better know what you are looking at.

[Tusayan]

There are several things I find interesting about this Luscombe.  One is that somebody once stripped the paint and polished it, which is a huge amount of work.  That's intriguing.  Also, it's an early 8E meaning 85 HP engine and starter/electrical system, which makes it more valuable.  The price is OK on the face of it, and I think the main thing would be to figure out why it stopped flying... There is a reason and it's probably significant.  Best case is an elderly owner, and the damage is hangar rash.  Don't bet on it.  I'd say this is a five year project, or two years if you're retired and work on it every day.

Cost wise, I know a Luscombe expert (type club president at one point) who restored one very much like this from an intact, undamaged dry country ramp rat and it was $45K and a whole lot of work.  $25K went into the engine - which is a crap shoot and also highly dependent on how you go about it.  His was overhauled by Lycon. He later sold it for more than his cash investment (meaning a very high price for a Luscombe) and in doing so made about a penny an hour for his labor 

Here's the FAA record, public data

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=1772K

[Chuck in Indiana]

^^^^Those prices are asinine. A *nice* Luscombe is worth around 25K. If I couldn't overhaul that powerplant for 5K or less, I'd eat my hat.  If that is hanger rash, the tail feathers must have been hit by a truck.  Cowling, spinner, prop look good, I don't see any wrinkles on the fuselage skin, so I doubt it's been on it's back. The paperwork and data plate are worth at least one large..

They are good birds, sturdy and economical to fly. Pretty fast for what they are. Not at all hard to handle on the ground. Their reputation was probably fostered by people that had never flown anything more daunting than a Cub. 

[Tusayan]

The fuel tanks are worth $1K too    Wings with tanks $3K or so, engine core maybe $3K.  It looks like maybe it's got a Scott 2000 tailwheel that cost $1500 new last time you could get one.  Cleveland mechanical brake parts are expensive.  It's a risk that somebody will part it out.

The cost to overhaul the engine depends on the state of the engine. A set of cylinders for a C85 costs about $4K, if you need them (a Luscombe etc owning friend of mine has a shelf of about a dozen C85 cylinders that weren't worth overhauling).  Rusted, pitted timing gears are common, quite expensive.  The case should go to Divco ideally and get trued up.  The cam and lifters will need to be addressed. If it's got an old set of 1970s disposable Slick mags you'll be tossing those and replacing, Bendix or later Slicks will need overhauling at a miminum.  The generator and starter need to be overhauled.  If the propeller is an old tooth pick (quite common on a 70 year old plane) you'll be buying another, and so on.

Like any project, if you want to 'do it right' you will likely be in it more than it's worth when you're done. What's for sale here is the raw material to build a plane.  The good news is that in comparison to other new or as new planes your total investment will be relatively small, more like the price of a new car.

[John A]

Corrosion will be the deciding factor.  And what looks like small dings will be endless hours of repair. A good A&P project for someone less than fifty years old....

[arveno]

Corrosion will be the deciding factor.  And what looks like small dings will be endless hours of repair. A good A&P project for someone less than fifty years old....

Good news , I am 42 


jokes aside....

what does it cost to maintain such airplane ?
maintenance , fuel cost etc .


Maybe I should post this question on a Aviation related forum but guzzi guys know it all ...

[Tusayan]

what does it cost to maintain such airplane ?
maintenance , fuel cost etc

By far the biggest cost is storage, at least if you want it inside - which is highly recommended.  Depending on location somewhere that's between $100 and $500 per month.

Maintenance is not a huge cost, especially if you do an owner assisted annual inspection.   The annual inspection needs to be signed off by an FAA aircraft mechanic with an inspection authorization.  That is often an individual, there is no requirement for an organizational approval in the US nor any requirement for an FAA mechanic to be in business, or charge anything in particular.  The arrangements are between you and him individually.

Fuel cost for this aircraft is under $25/hr at current prices.   

[Chuck in Indiana]

It's a very simple airplane. Annual inspections wouldn't be exorbitant, unlike complicated airplanes or (ack) rotary wing machines.
Just the same, you can forget that Bernoulli principle being what makes airplanes fly theory.. money makes airplanes fly. 
Nobody flies cheaper than I do. (Guzzi content) I hold an A&P,build and maintain my airplanes, the Kid is an A&P with an inspection authorization. I have my own hanger on my own strip. Just the same, it's pretty expensive if you figure what it actually costs per flying hour. Is it worth it? Your call.

[Groover]

That would look great hanging from my garage ceiling 

[oldbike54]

 I've heard airplanes compared to a home swimming pool .

 Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

I've heard airplanes compared to a home swimming pool .

 Dusty

Naa, you don't have to put chemicals in it every day..

"The last 1% is the worst! and lining up the first time..well what can I say....gravity is an expensive (and risky?) thing, to overcome."

:) There *is* that moment of truth feeling..

[John A]

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