Luscombe Phantom

Phantom
Role	Two-seat cabin monoplane
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Luscombe Aircraft Engineering Company
First flight	1934
Number built	25

The Luscombe Phantom was a 1930s American two-seat cabin monoplane and the first product of the Luscombe Aircraft Engineering Company.

Design and development

Donald A. Luscombe formed the Luscombe Aircraft Engineering Company in 1933 at Kansas City, Missouri. The Phantom or Model 1 was the first aircraft built by the company, and first flew in 1934. It was a high-wing braced monoplane with conventional fixed tail-wheel landing gear, and was powered by a nose-mounted 145 hp (108 kW) Warner Super Scarab radial engine. The fully enclosed engine cowling, with individual air vents for each cylnder, was unique for a radial engine aircraft. Apart from the fabric wing surfaces, the aircraft was all-metal, and had a luxury interior with two side-by-side seats in an enclosed cabin. All compound curves were formed by one employee, Nick Nordyke.^[1] As a luxury aircraft, it failed to sell in the economical climate of 1930s America, and the company went on to develop cheaper and simpler aircraft.

Specifications

Data from Air Progress

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 1 passenger
• Length: 21 ft 6 in (6.6 m)
• Wingspan: 31 ft 0 in (9.4 m)
• Height: 6 ft 9 in (2.1 m)
• Wing area: 143.25 ft² ( m²)
• Empty weight: 1320 lb (599 kg)
• Gross weight: 1950 lb (885 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Warner Super Scarab radial engine, 145 hp (108 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 168 mph (270 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 130 mph ( km/h)
• Range: 560 miles (901 km)
• Rate of climb: 700 ft/min ( m/s)

See also

Related development

• Luscombe 8

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Monocoupe D-145

References

1. Gene Smith. "Phantom!". Air Progress: 45.

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.