Psssst... wanna buy an airplane company?

Dana

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Dana
Parts, tooling, and the Type Certificate!

LUSCOMBE AIRCRAFT FACTORY​



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LUSCOMBE AIRCRAFT FACTORY • AVIATION AUCTION • This timed online only auction will include the ENTIRE Luscombe 8A Aircraft Corp. Manufacturing Factory as 1 package! Included in the package is the Type Certificate, STC's, Jigs, Dies, Shop Equipment, Tools, Molds, New & Used Inventory. Located at 3301 Turner Rd. Jamestown, NY. 14701 on the Jamestown Airport (KJHW). Auction closes Thursday December 19th at 1pm Eastern Time. Open house will be December 9th-13th from 830-5. For questions contact Steve Starman 402-681-6456. Starman Bros. Auctions • VISIT MY WEBSITE • Contact Scott Moore - STARMAN BROS. AUCTIONS , Event Coordinator - located Mesa, AZ 85215 United States • Telephone: ---------- • ---------- • BUSINESS CARD • Posted December 4, 2024 • Show all Ads posted by this AdvertiserRecommend This Ad to a FriendEmail AdvertiserSave to WatchlistReport This AdView Larger Images
 
I sooooo wish I could afford to buy that. It may be a long shot, but it still has potential.
 
The current high bid is $150.
Well, heck, I have $ 300 !!!

(They do say the best way to make a little money in aviation is to start with a lot of money.)
 
Unfortunately, it's likely to go for the tools and scrap value. If that happens hopefully somebody (is there a Luscombe type club?) will make a deal for the drawings and type certificate. But maybe another optimist will come along. The radial engined version they were testing looked pretty cool.
 

Where it said "Do not write below this line," I wrote "OK."

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that there will be more bidders running up the bid on the bogus lot before it ends. They'll be excited about winning for an incredible price, having never scrolled further to the real auction.
 
What’s the story on this? and is the hangar included?
 
A Rotax-powered Luscombe would be so great.
This isn't an unreasonable plan. There are (at least) 2 "type certificates" for Luscombes, the CAR 4 Type Certificate and an SLSA "Type Certificate". As far as I know, there is only one SLSA Luscombe 8, but I know there was a push to sell more.

(In my opinion) Part of the reason there was not much interest in the SLSA Luscombe was that with the O-200 and a 1320 gross, it didn't have much useful load. With the SLSA, a Rotax could be added, evaluated to "industry consensus standards" and put into production relatively quickly. The Rotax could reduce empty weight and increase the useful load, and the airframe has a reputation for being very stout. With the 100hp and some new load testing the Gross Weight could likely be increased if/when MOSAIC happens.
 
I couldnt find how much time you had to get the stuff out. Just the scrap and parts value is more than it is going for now. I will be interested in what it goes for. I agree the Rotex would make the Luscombe a nice plane but not sure if it could compete with the many other light tail draggers already on the market. It is a nice looking plane so maybe that will push up the value. There is a pristine one in the hangar I share.
 
Just sold for $160K.

Somebody got a good deal, i think the tools alone are worth that. I wonder what the new owner is going to do with it.....
 
If he's smart, he'll make and sell parts for a while. Then develop a few STCs for the fleet. Then maybe build them as SLSAs, once MOSAIC kicks in and they can have a decent useful load.
 
If anyone finds out who the new owner is, I would like to know. I agree - good price and good opportunity. Get a Rotex mount and you have a very cool looking plane has a history.
 
If he's smart, he'll make and sell parts for a while. Then develop a few STCs for the fleet. Then maybe build them as SLSAs, once MOSAIC kicks in and they can have a decent useful load.
Like the old owners tried to do but walked away after a few years?
 
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Didn't they focus more on building aircraft rather than making parts?
 
Didn't they focus more on building aircraft rather than making parts?
"The two Steves will start by building parts for owners of an estimated 1,600 Luscombe aircraft flying today. That will start some cash flow for the new enterprise and will surely be a great relief and a treasured resource to those present-day owners."

A potential client pool of 1600 owners who may or may not need parts is a big hill to climb
 
How, exactly, do you build an aircraft without parts? -Skip
There's a big difference between trying to build new complete aircraft (with all the additional costs that implies) instead of just focusing on building the spares required to keep the fleet happy.
Sounds like they tried that, but were not successful.
 
When I opened this, I was expecting it to be a certain plane “company” from a guy who is “good with that”…
 
You tell lots of rich people you’re going to build an airplane, get their money, and spend it without anything to show for it.

No, wait…that’s “entrepreneurship.”
This! There are companies valued at $1B, who say that they are going to build infrastructure in space.
 
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