- by Dianna Lopez
Luscombe Phantom: A Sleek Monoplane For A New Age
- by Dianna Lopez
Access Denied
IMPORTANT! If you’re a store owner, please make sure you have Customer accounts enabled in your Store Admin, as you have customer based locks set up with EasyLockdown app. Enable Customer Accounts
The Luscombe Phantom was once one man’s dream for a sleek plane for a brand new era. Today, restoring a rare Phantom to fly again is the dream of Andrea and Kevin Eldridge. MotoArt had the opportunity to learn more about their restoration project and get some material for PlaneTags.
The Golden Age of Flight
The years between World Wars One and Two were an exciting time in aviation history. Wood and fabric-covered biplanes reached their performance limits, leading the way to the evolution of all-metal monoplanes. They were not only more efficient with less drag, but as time went on, improvements in structure and weight made them faster and more maneuverable.
Civil aviation expanded. Distance and speed records were made and broken. Here are just a few of the aviation headlines of the day.
- May 1918 - The U.S. Post Office begins airmail service.
- May 1919 - A U.S. Navy flying boat, NC-4, crossed the Atlantic for the first time, flying from Newfoundland to England with stops in the Azores and Portugal. Just two weeks later the first nonstop Atlantic flight took place, from Newfoundland to Ireland in 16 hours, 27 minutes.
- May 1923 - The first nonstop U.S. transcontinental flight was made between New York and California in 27 hours.
- 1924 - Four Douglas planes embarked on an around the world flight, from Seattle to Seattle. Two of them made the entire trip, in 175 days.
- 1920 - The Pulitzer Trophy Race, which became the National Air Races in 1924, captured the attention of the public and introduced faster aircraft.
- 1931 - The Bendix Trophy Race, a transcontinental speed race, was added to the National Air Races.
- May 1927 - Charles Lindbergh was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic, from New York to Paris in 33.5 hours in a single seat Ryan monoplane. In 1932 Amelia Earhart also flew it solo. In 1928, she was the first to fly the Atlantic as a passenger.
What is the Luscombe Phantom?
Donald A. Luscombe took his first airplane ride in France, where he had served as an ambulance driver during World War I. That ride in a Voisin III stayed with him and inspired his love of aviation. When he returned to the U.S. after the war, he learned to fly in a Curtiss JN-4 and began to envision an aircraft design of his own. Luscombe formed the Central States Aero Company with several business partners, and in 1927 produced the “Monocoupe” - a two-seater light plane for personal use.
Luscombe : Phantom flickr photo by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives shared with no copyright restriction (Flickr Commons)
In 1933, he left to form another company, Luscombe Aircraft Development Corporation, which began producing an all-metal monocoque fuselage aircraft. Its Model 1 was the Luscombe Phantom. It first flew in 1934 and was then manufactured until 1937. It was of all metal construction and featured a side-by-side, two seat luxury cabin and was powered by a single 145 hp Warner “Super Scarab” 7 cylinder radial engine. Only 25 Model 1s were built.
Luscombe Phantom Specs
Seating: 2
Empty Weight: 960 LBS
Max Takeoff: 1,725 LBS
Range: 486 NM
Ceiling: 15,000 FT
Max Cruise Speed: 123 KTS
Engine: 1 x Warner “Super Scarab” Radial Engine @ 145 HP
Luscombe Phantom Photos
Luscombe : Phantom flickr photo by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives shared with no copyright restriction (Flickr Commons)
NC1043: A Phantom Restoration
This plane was the 14th of the 25 original Phantoms built, with serial number 114 (numbering began with 100). It was built at the Luscombe production site in Trenton, New Jersey. It was test flown for the first time by Edgar S. Davis on December 21, 1936. It last flew in 1955; Now it is being restored and its owners Andrea and Ken Eldridge expect it to fly again in 2023. It will be the third of the original 25 Phantoms to return to the skies.
While Kevin was a mechanic for Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California, he learned to fly in a Luscombe. The Eldridges bought their first Luscombe in 2000. A few years later, they bought another project that took two years to rebuild out of parts lugged in a U-Haul truck. The couple flew those two planes for a while until Kevin felt the urge for a new project.
They chose the Phantom for their next project because of its rarity. At the time, only one of the original 25 was flying. Another especially unique feature is its distinctive Watters cowl and round engine, and its luxury Golden Age design. They have spent over ten years painstakingly restoring their Phantom. Most everything replaced has to be fabricated since parts cannot be purchased out of a catalog for a Phantom.Through much research and hard work, it has been returned to its original beauty. For example, it was reunited with the original Super Scarab 145 hp radial engine that was installed at the factory. It also recently received its landing gear for the first time in 47 years. The Eldridges hope to fly the Phantom to aviation events like Osh Kosh and Blakesburg in 2023.
About Andrea and Kevin Eldridge
Andrea is a former TWA pilot prior to the merger with American Airlines and a Designated Pilot Examiner who gives licenses to new private, instrument, commercial, and instructor pilots. Kevin is also a pilot, flying warbirds for several museums and collectors around the country, as well as being one of the USAF Heritage Flight Foundation civilian demo pilots. They are also both American Airlines pilots and often get to fly trips together in the Boeing 737.
Thank you Andrea and Kevin for sharing your story and the Phantom with us all.
Luscombe Phantom PlaneTags
MotoArt owner Dave Hall was stoked when he had the opportunity to get the original skins from the Phantom restoration. Like many aviation enthusiasts, he has incredible appreciation for the aviators, barnstormers, and dreamers like Luscombe who made it possible for us to soar. “It’s a real honor to offer a small piece of an aircraft that we will never see again,” says Hall.
The team was able to create a very limited run of 950 PlaneTags. Each one has been stamped from the original Phantom material which was provided by the Eldridges from the restoration. They are cleaned and polished by hand, imprinted by laser etching, and attached to a beautiful display card that tells about the plane and the restoration. The rarity of the Phantom and its important role in those early exhilarating years of flight make this a wonderful memento of the Golden Age of Aviation. They are available at www.planetags.com.
Latest Stories
The Airbus A330 That Helped Take Azul Beyond Brazil
The aircraft operated its final passenger flights for Azul before being retired from service and placed into storage. Like many widebody aircraft retired in recent years, its future was uncertain. For many airliners, retirement marks the beginning of a slow journey toward dismantling and recycling, with little remaining to tell the stories of the passengers and crews who flew aboard them. For PR-AIU, however, the story was not over.
When MotoArt founder Dave Hall learned the aircraft had been retired, he recognized an opportunity to preserve a piece of an important chapter in commercial aviation history. Rather than allowing the aircraft to disappear entirely, Hall and the PlaneTags team traveled to inspect and acquire material from the retired Airbus A330, ensuring that part of the aircraft would survive long after its flying days had ended.
Three Identities, One Aircraft: The Story of MH-47G 05-03761
Some aircraft serve a single role throughout their careers. Others evolve with the times.
MH-47G Chinook 05-03761 is one of the rare aircraft that spent decades transforming alongside the U.S. Army itself. What began life as a CH-47A Chinook during the Vietnam era would later be rebuilt into a CH-47D before ultimately becoming an MH-47G, one of the world's most capable special operations helicopters.
Grumman OV-1D Mohawk: The U.S. Army's Battlefield Eye in the Sky
The Grumman OV-1 Mohawk was one of the most capable and technologically advanced reconnaissance aircraft operated by the U.S. Army during the Cold War. Designed to gather intelligence close to the front lines, the Mohawk combined short takeoff and landing performance with sophisticated sensor systems that allowed it to detect and monitor activity on the ground in nearly any weather conditions.
At a time when battlefield commanders increasingly relied on timely intelligence, the Mohawk provided information that could not always be obtained through traditional observation methods. Equipped with infrared sensors, cameras, and side-looking airborne radar systems, it helped military planners track troop movements, monitor supply routes, and identify potential threats day or night.
Over a service life that spanned more than three decades, the Mohawk flew missions in Vietnam, served with Army intelligence units in Europe during the height of the Cold War, and helped pioneer many of the airborne surveillance techniques that later became standard throughout the military.
Today, PlaneTags made from OV-1D Mohawk serial number 62-5902 preserve the legacy of an aircraft that played a critical role in military reconnaissance during a period of rapid technological change.
Invalid password
Enter
Share:
Eastern DC 8: Welcome to the Jet Age
FAQ