Thinking of picking up one of these. Both look interesting, have 1 hr in a 140, so don't know %#$@.

Thoughts?

If you care about weight, probably the 140. The 8E is probably a smidge more fun to fly. Actual useful load is probably my #1 decision on that if other things like TT and SMOH are equivalent. I've owned a 120 which is nearly identical except for the flaps and a Luscombe 8A as well.

I have a 120 which I really enjoy flying. It's light on the controls, goes no where in no hurry, has no bad habits, is surprisingly comfortable for one and not bad for two, is dirt simple, easy to operate, easy to move around, sips gas and is an attractive little airplane. There really isn't anything not to like.

The 140 is basically the same plane with flaps and most have metal wings. I prefer the fabric wing just because.

The Luscombe is a bit narrower in the cabin which may or may not be a big deal for you. It's a great little airplane. It uses sticks instead of yokes which I'd actually prefer. On the other hand I keep my left hand on the center of the yoke where the rod enters it and it's almost like a left hand stick operation so I don't know that it really matters.

There is an active120/140 owners group. I'm sure there is one for Luscombe. I'd suggest joining both and reading everything there you can.

https://cessna120140.com/

I don't think you can go wrong either way. I'd just look for the nicest, best maintained, lowest time, lowest price example of either you can find and buy that. You'll have fun flying it!

Wow...thanks Tony! Gonna dive right in!

Chris: I have flown and enjoyed both the ragwinged 120 and the Luscombe. Both are wonderful hamburger-getters, and either should serve you well. The only word I can find to describe the Luscombe as it sits, poised on the ramp waiting for the next adventure, is: Pugnacious.
In that sense, it has it over the 120. Also, remember that all real aviators and fighter pilots hold the stick in the right hand, and the throttle on the left.
BTW, the Luscombe is a bit more "sporty" on the landing rollout, so it makes a great teaching platform for those progressing to the Pitts Special.
Best,

Tom

That's awesome Tom! Thank you!

120/140 wins.

- Cabin is less cramped; more width and legroom
- Fuel in the wings; the 8’s have fuel in the cabin, right behind your head
- Wider track = easier ground handling
- If still considering an 8, insure that the tail casting AD was completed.
- C120/140 yokes make entry/exit easier
- C120/140 has hydraulic toe brakes, the 8 has mechanical, cable heel brakes
- Get the T-shirt with a C130 pic and the caption: This is a C130, I fly a C140!

I did a prebuy on a C140 with a fresh annual after it had been a training dummy for a
An A&P school. Looked nice. Aileron cables routed wrong. Starter mis adjusted. The empenage had one bolt loose with the nut plate broken. There are only four holing it on. It was cross threaded. The starboard elevator had been replaced with no log book entry which would not have been
noticed but it was off an earlier plane that had an AD for the hinge not been complied with.

It looked nice.
I only remember it vividly because my wife ferried it to the shop and I was pissed. The school paid for the repairs after the two A&P/IAs came up and verified the squawks.

It looked nice.

We had usage of a 140 I helped resurrect. hard to get in and out Could not fill the tanks with both of us in it.

C120 with rag wings wins. More delightful to fly and handles higher crosswinds more easily on pavement. Look for one that has all the C140 mods save the 35# of flaps and mechanism you don’t need - D windows, electrical system, interior and maybe baggage shelf. Available with C85, stroked C85 (personal favorite), and O-200 typically.

Since 3:1 production ratio was in favor of the c140 the c120 is a bit less common.

Luscombe is still a good plane, will eek a few extra knots out from the same mill, but from experience still prefer brand C.

C120/140 are very simple aircraft but still require specific knowledge. The issues you mentioned can occur on any aircraft, Cessna, Luscombe, or Bonanza. Caveat Emptor.

There's a nice one for sale on Facebook:

Key is the washout angle on the 120-140 wing.

Also the same goes for the early 2 strut Luscombe wing.

They all fly great with the washout right but terrible if someone messed up and set wash in (outer wing twisted trailing edge down)

I believe this contributed to the Cessna 140 stall spin crash at the STOL contest a not long ago.

Check the 140 for broken inboard flap hinges, vertical tail spar issues, center upper engine mount cracks at firewall, worn out flap handle parts, gear box repairs done wrong, tail cone rivets especially at the tailwheel leaf spring attach and just forward.

Paperwork paperwork paperwork. Normal old airplane applies, AD lists, STCs documented, Repair signed 337 forms, Signed 337 for fabric work. Even with all those get a records CD from FAA to see if they were actually mailed in.

Little Continentals have their own tricks. Review the Flybaby homepage Harry Fenton tips. http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/fenton.html

That's what started my thought process...

If you buy a 120/140 get a light one. Some of them are fat pigs.

Sarge is a pretty rare item in terms of condition and pedigree... Definitely a nice one.

I don't know if you have any taildragger time - I had precious little when I started on my "classic taildragger" journey earlier this year. I had heard lots of bad things about the ground handling habits of the Luscombe Model 8. So far they appear to mostly be Old Wives Tales.

I opted to buy a 1940 Model 8C which had been upgraded to 8E configuration with metal wings, a C85 with starter and a modern alternator, a decent radio, intercom, ADSB-out etc. Mine has some history, a story which includes damage which caused a rebuild of significant enough extent that the rebuilt aircraft qualified under the then-current rules to be registered as an Amateur-Built. So here I have what in every respect is a Luscombe 8E, but that's not what its data plate says it is! My maintenance costs benefit significantly from being able to do the work myself.

I quite enjoy the handling of the Luscombe. It's much more direct and immediate than many of its contemporaries. Still, it's a rudder airplane - no doubt about that. It three points amazingly well - just get the stick all the way back and hold it there and it lands perfectly. Now that I've found the magic recipe it also sticks wheel landings in some pretty ugly winds.

The original Luscombe seating surfaces are, well, rudimentary. Some artful application of modern seat-making technology goes a long way to making the airplane more comfortable. My airplane has standard baggage with the full hat rack level with the D windows - lots of space to store stuff.

There was an earlier comment about the Luscombe 8 having a fuselage-mounted fuel tank. If you've been looking at the 8E you will, no doubt, have learned that wing tanks are standard on that model, giving 25 gallons of tankage. Mine is an oddball in that it somehow ended up with 28 gallons. Nope, I'm not complaining!

The Luscombe has some significant maintenance items that are really worth investigating. The ugliest one is spar corrosion - this resulted from improper heat treatment at the time of manufacture. This was a single batch of material, not common to all Luscombes but only to those that received these spars. Most have been replaced but it's always good to have a look when doing a pre-buy. The other ugly spot is the rudder cables; they fray as they go around a small-diameter pulley in the belly. It's an item one has to keep an eye on at every inspection. They seem to go a long time in service without problems but diligent inspection is the key to safety.

There's a good support network with parts available from Univair and Classic Aero. Doug Combs at Classic Aero knows the airplane inside out.

I really enjoy being able to taxi with my elbow out the window - I feel like I should be wearing a 1940's business man's suit and a fedora when I do this! There's no need to do S-turns while taxiing as over-the-nose visibility is quite good.

Oh, I should mention mine has hydraulic heel brakes. These have received a bad rap in the rumor mill - ignore those Old Wives Tales - if you're accustomed to hydraulic brakes in other airplanes you'll have no trouble modulating brake pressure.

Here's wishing you great success in your quest. If I can be of help with "what's it like to be a new owner" kind of info, please feel free to reach out.