The thought of aerobatics can be exciting and terrifying, but the knowledge and skills gained by learning how to control the aircraft upside down or rightside up will not only make you a better pilot but could also one day save your life.
Aerobatics forces pilots to look outside and make judgments based on their position relative to the horizon, and it demands precise stick-and-rudder skills. Learning loops, rolls, spins, Cuban Eights, Immelmanns, and other aerobatic maneuvers will make you more comfortable with unusual attitudes and give you the skills needed to recover from potentially dangerous flight conditions.
It also could help you overcome a fear of flying or unusual attitudes. Renowned airshow performer Sean D. Tucker was terrified of unusual attitudes and is quoted by the National Aviation Hall of Fame as saying, “When you conquer that fear, you become stronger. And I fell in love with what I was afraid of.” If, during the first couple of aerobatic lessons, you experience airsickness, don’t worry. The feeling is normal and will usually dissipate after more lessons.
With additional training, you can compete in International Aerobatic Club contests. Competition categories are broken into primary, sportsman, intermediate, advanced, and unlimited.
Your First Airplane
Metal Head
Mr. Luscombe’s all-metal airplane design
By Julie Summers Walker
Consider poor Don Luscombe: He spent most of his life designing, developing, and marketing an all-metal airplane only to lose control of his company in 1939, never again to be involved with the aircraft that bears his name. Luscombe founded his company in 1933, following his success designing the Monocoupe series of aircraft.
After owning a Curtiss JN–4, Luscombe didn’t want to construct airplanes using tube and fabric, so he built his airplanes using an all-metal, stressed-skin design. The Luscombe Model 8 is a side-by-side two-place, high-wing aircraft of all-metal construction (except for fabric wing covering in earlier models). It was the first light aircraft to use monocoque construction (where the metal skin of the airplane carries the load, instead of an internal framework).
It was a sporty little airplane, able to cruise at 100 mph on 65 horsepower. It acquired a reputation for being fast in the air and squirrely on the ground for pilots used to Piper Cubs and Aeronca Champs. Despite its reputation, pilots say it is remarkably easy to fly. The first Luscombe airplane was the Model 1, also known as the Phantom. The airplane wasn’t a financial success, so, in 1936, Luscombe released the Model 4, an improved Phantom with a 90-horsepower Warner radial engine. In 1938, Luscombe then created the Model 8 with a horizontally opposed engine, which was a new idea in the late 1930s.
Luscombe, however, wasn’t good at repaying his loans, and he lost the company to the war department, resigning in April 1939. The company was moved to Texas and eventually was taken over by Temco in 1955, which collapsed in 1960.
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