Luscombe Purchase Checklist

This checklist of things to check when purchasing a Luscombe was culled from a variety of sources, including old Luscombe Association newsletters from the 1980s. Remember, you're dealing with a 50+ year old bird. It's certainly not complete, and additions/corrections are encouraged -- email suggestions to Feedback@PopularAviation.com.

• Open your wallet and hire a knowledgeable Luscombe A&P to do a thorough prepurchase inspection, involving some disassembly. Be prepared to walk away based upon his advice.
• Don't be awed by paint and interior.
• Pay very close attention to wing spars (for exfoliation corrosion). There should be a series of inspection ports in the wing to comply with a service bulletin.
• Also check that the one-time AD was complied with that addressed intergranular corrosion.
• Inspect cabin spar carry throughs (for corrosion)
• Take a real good look at the engine by removing a sparkplug in a cylinder (or four) and using a borescope.
• Ask yourself the question, and answer it honestly, "Would I fly my kid around in this bird?"
• Inspect all cables and attach points for wear and fraying, but especially for rudder cable fraying around gear box pulleys. The rudder pulley just behind the seats is too small to wear well.
• Are control cables under the "keeper pins" that are designed to keep the cable from popping out? We know of an incident in 2000 that caused a crash. The cables were not under the keepers, and frayed within 10 hours of operation. Result was loss of rudder authority in the air. (Didn't make a good impression on the girlfriend...)
• Rudder hinge pin slop
• Elevator hinge pin slop
• Check for toe-in of main gear (none)
• Gear legs should be ice-pick tested where axle meets the leg to test for internal corrosion.
• Look for drain holes in the bottom of the axle. This is a relatively recent service bulleti after several failures resulting from internal rust.
• Excessive wear in door hinges
• Cracks in cowl hinges
• Top of windshield popped out
• Check the rubber grommets around lines that poke thru the firewall
• Look for equipment added without log entry (Cessna 150 seats in particular)
• Bendix Mags: there should be a log entry every 500 hours for impulse check, including serial numbers. These mags have a 1000 hour life expectancy.
• Check for control play. Have someone hold the stick steady while you wiggle control surfaces. Then rapidly whip the stick from side to side. You should hear the cables slap the inside of the wing. If they don''t they are rigged too tight with the result that there will be excessive pulley wear, and the controls will be too stiff.
• See if the stiffener at the bottom edge of the panel has been cut. (It's a structural part of the aircraft.)
• One wing heavy in flight?
• Do trim tabs look too large? Investigate why.
• Thoroughly inspect the #8 bulk head if the airplane has spent much time outside, because it can crack around the lower hinge if the wind blows too much
• Compare airplane to service bulletins and ADs on the FAA's website.
• Pay for an oil analysis. This service is available from companies who advertise in Trade-A-Plane, and may be the single most important investment you make (could save your behind).
• Look at the plane from the front, after backing way up. Do the wings look right?
  If not, the aircraft may have incorrect struts. There are several types, depending on the wing used.
• Use a flashlight and mirror to look in wings for nests, dead rodents, etc.
• Cracked tailwheel bracket (pervasive issue -- requires dissasembly of tailwheel) [ photo ]
• Cracked vertical stabilizer bracket -- requires removal of vertical stabilizer
• Crack in firewall near lower left engine mount -- Aerobatic flight or hard landings can cause cracks inside the firewall and doubler (hidden by the interior and rudders). Hard to see without really getting in there and cleaning out dirt.
• Rudder return springs (broken)
• Gear attachments -- The upper leg swing fitting and shackle are grease lubricated. Failure mode is seizure, and ultimately a broken bolt. Seizure is not apparent by looking -- you have to remove the bolt. (If you can remove it, it's not seized :)
• Cast aluminum aileron fittings. Ramp tramps may have cracks around the bolt, due to high winds slamming the plane around.
• Rivets, especially the wing spar and horizontal stabilzer bottom. Tap on them to see if they pop loose.
• Hat section carry-thru.
• Inspect the front vertical fin attachment bracket. If cast, it should be replaced with a welded unit (see AD 94-16-02).
• Vertical stabilizer rear spar attach fitting – check that AD 48-49-01 has been complied with.
• Rear stablizer reinforcement overlay. Look for corrosion and corrosion proofing. Ice pick test from aluminum side annually.