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Luscombe and starter motors
Does anyone know which Luscombe models have starter motors? I am looking
for a Sport Aviation airplane with a starter motor and apparently only the 8, 8A, 8B, and 8C are Sport Aviation airplanes. Danny Deger |
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Luscombe and starter motors
On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 17:43:43 -0600, "Danny Deger"
wrote: Does anyone know which Luscombe models have starter motors? I am looking for a Sport Aviation airplane with a starter motor and apparently only the 8, 8A, 8B, and 8C are Sport Aviation airplanes. The 8E was the first to come with the C85 as stock, but I gather there was a lot of retrofitting. The sentiment seems to be that changing the engine does not change the model -- the question for LSAs, is: does it change the gross weight. Just learn to hand-prop; it it's no big deal. OTOH, I think the fuselage tank is bad, because it makes you pull carb heat on takeoff -- to prevent you from pitching up so much that you uncover the fuel intake port. Don |
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Luscombe and starter motors
On 2007-01-29, Don Tuite wrote:
OTOH, I think the fuselage tank is bad, because it makes you pull carb heat on takeoff -- to prevent you from pitching up so much that you uncover the fuel intake port. I'm curious - how does carb heat stop you pitching up? Surely just not pulling the stick quite as far back will do the same job without the reduction in power? -- Yes, the Reply-To email address is valid. Oolite-Linux: an Elite tribute: http://oolite-linux.berlios.de |
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Luscombe and starter motors
On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:41:30 -0000, Dylan Smith
wrote: On 2007-01-29, Don Tuite wrote: OTOH, I think the fuselage tank is bad, because it makes you pull carb heat on takeoff -- to prevent you from pitching up so much that you uncover the fuel intake port. I'm curious - how does carb heat stop you pitching up? Surely just not pulling the stick quite as far back will do the same job without the reduction in power? As I understand it, (I only flew an 8E.) the objective of pulling carb heat on takeoff in the C65-powered birds was to reduce engine power -- less airflow over the horizontal stabilizer, less pitch-up capability. This was only done at low airspeeds close to the earth. In power-on stalls at altitude, Luscombes stall fairly abruptly and with incipient spin tendencies if the controls are uncoordinated. It was in an 8E that I had the classic cross-control stall demonstrated to me. *Very* interesting. (Explicitly, the airplane rolls abruptly toward the inside wing and you find yourself starting a spin semi-inverted. You can do it in any plane, but the :Luscombe's fast break is distinctive.) While I may still have the attention of the fellow who wanted a Luscombe as an LSA, let me also call his attention to the main gear. Not only is the track relatively narrow, requiring attention to the rudder at all times, but there is virtually nothing to prevent the gear from collapsing inward if the plane is drifting sideways in a crosswind landing. Also I have witnessed a person stand an 8E on its nose by applying both brakes simultaneously during landing rollout. After that repair, the rule for those of us who flew the plane was to apply brakes alternately. Luscombes are wonderful, fun planes -- far more fun to fly than, say a Taylorcraft or a 150 -- But you need a comprehensive checkout. (And if I weighed now what I weighed 30 years ago, I'd go out and buy one in a New York minute. That was the most fun -- including flying to Bryce and the Grand Canyon, that I've had in any airplane.) Don |
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Luscombe and starter motors
On 2007-01-30, Don Tuite wrote:
On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:41:30 -0000, Dylan Smith wrote: On 2007-01-29, Don Tuite wrote: OTOH, I think the fuselage tank is bad, because it makes you pull carb heat on takeoff -- to prevent you from pitching up so much that you uncover the fuel intake port. I'm curious - how does carb heat stop you pitching up? Surely just not pulling the stick quite as far back will do the same job without the reduction in power? I owned a Luscombe 8A for about 17 years. The reason the requirement for the carb heat on takeoff, as I understand, was actually the gravity flow fuel system in the 8A from the tank behind the seat. The gravity flow would not provide enough fuel to satisfy the FAA fuel flow specifications and rather than redesign it or add a pump of some sort, the addition of carb heat reduced the power of the engine, hence fuel needed, and then met the FAA specs. I don't know whether or not this applied to the 8E, which often had tanks in the wings. There is a wonderful book outlining the history of Luscombe, "The Luscombe Story", by John C. Swick (pub SunShine House). It begins with the factory before the advent of the 8A and has pictures of many designs they actually built, but never entered production. Just as a bit of trivia, there was a four place plane built and tested called the Colt. This was _not_ the Sedan or model 11. The Colt looked identical to the 8A/B/C series but had 4 seats. The only remaining Colt prototype was bought by a gentlemen who has an airport south of Ft. Worth, TX, and who refurbished it. I flew down to the grass strip and saw this plane along with several other Luscombes. He said there were a few mistakes in the above mentioned book, but otherwise a good history of the company. The Luscombe is a great airplane and a pleasure to fly. It got a rather undeserved reputation, but you must remember it was a 'hot' airplane for its day along side planes in its size group. As with any plane you must fly it within its boundaries, but is a real joy to fly. I always regret selling mine (don't we always) and would enjoy having another, if I could keep my present Maule, also. ....Edwin -- __________________________________________________ __________ "Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, there you long to return."-da Vinci http://bellsouthpwp2.net/e/d/edwinljohnson |
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