Luscombe aircraft was a United States aircraft manufacturer from 1933 to 1950.
Donald A. Luscombe founded the Luscombe aircraft company in 1933, in Kansas City, Missouri. Luscombe had already made his reputation as a winged-aircraft designer with the Monocoupe series of light aircraft, but he felt that the tube-and-fabric method of construction was too expensive and inefficient. He planned to create a light aircraft that was of an all-metal, monocoque construction.
The new company's first aircraft was the Luscombe Model 1, commonly known as the Luscombe Phantom. This was a high-wing, two-place monoplane of all-metal construction (except for the fabric wing covering). The Phantom was tricky to land, and was never a financial success.
In the winter of 1934/35, Luscombe Aircraft moved to Trenton, New Jersey, and was incorporated as the Luscombe Aircraft Development Corporation. Shortly afterwards, the Luscombe School of Aeronautics also opened. Trainees from the school worked in the Luscombe factory, and the school helped support the aircraft company for many years.
In 1936, the company designed and began flying a simplified version of the Phantom known as the Luscombe 90, or Model 4.
The Luscombe Aircraft Corporation was re-formed as a New Jersey company in 1937, and a new design was begun. The Luscombe 50 (Model 8) was to become the company's most famous product.
In 1946, Luscombe also introduced the four-place model 11, designed to specifications produced by the Flying Farmers of America.
The firm was bankrupt in 1948 and its assets were purchased the following year by Temco.
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