Newark's Luscombe Query ?

and advertised plans to recreate a fully airworthy Hornet!

Historic Aircraft Connection

There is a connection here to old aeroplanes, beyond the particular microlight in question. Patrick Luscombe was, I understand, heavily involved with the ill-fated British Air Reserve at Lympne and owned the former Southend Sea Fury which is now flying in America.

G

Not an issue to me but you might need to be mindful of any copyright issues as the PDF was created directly from a photocopy of an original copy created for ‘research purposes!’

The guide book quote earlier in the post is OK as I prepared the original text!

It’s nice that more NAM Archive material is getting an airing! 🙂

Not a problem at all TO, I thank you very much for the excellent input you have provided so far, and will post more of this very soon if that is ok ?

Happy New Year to all at Newark and Thank You !

Keith. 🙂

Sorry that I didn’t include the ‘Vitality’ adverts in the scan Keith, there were several in the file but I hadn’t appreciated their connection – too many other bits to do on Thursday!! 😮

Well, firstly Happy New Year to all ! Today is indeed 1.1.11 🙂
That nice man ‘Das Plugmeister’ has indeed sent me lots of info on this small machine, I hope it is ok to share it with you good people ? firstly some views of the aircraft with wings attched and a three view ! both from our friend Twin Otter …..

Also via email from Aerial, Also I hope its ok to share ? A copy from an advertisement with date attached ! Thank You Both …..

Keith.

Keith,

I’ve emailed through some more information on the Rattler – albeit not quite as much as I anticipated. That said it did make it into several editions of Jane’s under various guises.

As far as NAM goes the Rattler falls into the following category of the Collecting Policy:

“Aircraft flown privately if they are significant to the development of the type and represent unique examples which otherwise would be destroyed”

School groups love it and they call it “The James Bond aircraft!”

Sorry TO ! Yes Thursday will be supurb ! There is no time limit, just my idle curiosity ? thinking this looks like a well engineered piece of equipment that has no history ??

Keith.

Keith would Thursday be OK?

I know in the exhibit file there are further schematics of the configuration / designs; although I don’t believe there are any details of any ‘recorded Ops!’

I also seem to recall some recent contact with the Luscombe family who understood that the airframe had been lost!

Ah ! Thanks for that TO, although possibly only an experiment ? It seems there is little known about it ??

Or is there ???

Keith.

Keith, a pm to you.

Luscombe P3 Rattler Strike G-BKPG

Keith,

The following text on the Rattler Strike is a lift from the current NAM Guide Book; please let me know if this is sufficient information for your requirements.

If not leave it with me until Thursday when I will be able to check in the Museum Archive, where I know there has been some new material put on file! 🙂

“Luscombe P3 Rattler Strike G-BKPG

NAHR status – Noteworthy

Aircrew: One
Span: 10.97 m (36´0˝)
Length: 4.57 m (15´0”)
Height: 1.83 m (6’0”)
Proposed Armament: McDonnell Douglas 7.62 mm chain gun, optional rocket launchers and anti-personnel mine or chaff dispensers
Typical Speed: 145 km/h (90 mph)
Range: 1,595 km (990 miles)
Service Ceiling: not known
Loaded Weight: 839 kg (1,850 lbs)
Power Plant: One 63 kW (85 hp) Limbach 2000 engine

Luscombe Aircraft was formed at Lympne, Kent to design and build lightweight sporting aircraft for private operators. The first project design was initiated in 1971 for the Luscombe Vitality. Subsequently, the company developed a lightweight military version of this aircraft, known as the Rattler and also an ultra-light two-seat civil variant named the Valiant. Later the company also initiated the development of a smaller version of the Rattler known as the Viper.

Subsequently the company started work on a two-seat tandem-wing general-purpose aircraft known as the Ranger, a four-seat variant with a longer fuselage, known as the Super Ranger and a twin-engined development known as the Twin Ranger. Rights in the Ranger series of aircraft eventually transferred to United Aerospace Technologies Ltd, based in Plymouth, Devon. (Mr T Luscombe becoming a joint Director of the Company).

G-BKPG was the pre-production airframe and it flew for the first time on 2nd November 1983. The aircraft was designed to provide quick reaction close military support and also to be easily dismantled for quick deployment around the battlefield. Advice on the best mix of weapons was obtained from the Royal Ordnance Factory but it is not known whether any of the proposed weapon systems were ever tested on the aircraft.

The Luscombe P3 Rattler Strike G-BKPG joined the collection in December 2000. Having been based at Egginton, Derbyshire the Luscombe P3 Rattler Strike was placed on extended loan at the Museum thanks to the good offices of Bill Fearn.”