The reason is what I'm calling the "renter's dilemma." Flying is expensive. Enough so, in fact, that just spending rental fees at $90+ per hour puts a dent in most people's (mine included) finances. What the dilemma means, in practical terms, is that as long as you keep paying for frequent airplane rentals, you can never really save the kind of money you want to become an airplane owner. Sure, you could finance an airplane, as most people do. But my wife and I don't do debt. And we certainly don't go into debt on a potentially depreciating "toy" like an airplane!
So I'm going to save some money, and hopefully more quickly get to a point where I can buy an airplane. Of course, paying all cash for an airplane more limits what types of planes one can get. I looked at a lot of options, and I think I've decided to work on buying a Luscombe 8A Silvaire. It's a modest high wing airplane with the same Continental A65 engine powering a Piper Cub, with the Luscombe cruises about 105mph instead of the Cub's 75mph. Like the Cub it has no electrical system and requires hand-propping to start.
Luscombe Model 8A "Silvaire"
The Luscombe is a bit different from other airplanes I've flown, besides the lack of electricals. It's also a "tail dragger" meaning that it has a tailwheel instead of the currently more common nosewheel. When the Luscombe 8A was built (1937 to 1949) the tailwheel arrangement was the norm, and is often called "conventional gear" by pilots.
The main difference with a tailwheel aircraft is the ground handling. Because the center of gravity (CG) is so far ahead of the tailwheel, the plane naturally wants to swap ends. That means that on the ground the pilot has to really stay on top of things, paying close attention to winds, taxi speed, and the track of the airplane. If the tail comes out too far the airplane may "ground loop," spinning itself around. This is bad. You can't really stop "flying" a taildragger until it's stopped and parked. I'll have to get trained and get a tailwheel endorsement, but that should be fun as well, and I can wait and do that when I buy the plane and actually train on my own plane.
The advantage of the tailwheel is that it's a lot smaller than a nosewheel, and doesn't hang down as far. That means much less drag, which is very important in an airplane with only 65 horsepower. Every airplane is eventually speed-limited by drag, and anything that can be done to reduce drag aids performance.
So wait, I'm looking at buying an airplane that is 60+ years old? Am I nuts?!? Won't it fall apart and kill me? Nah. First, the FAA regulates airplane maintenance in such a way that an airplane that is not airworthy should not be flying at all. Every system and critical component must be inspected annually (or every 100 hours of flight time if the plane is used for commercial operations). Also, the Luscombe has been around long enough that folks know the trouble spots. A good pre-buy inspection by a mechanic familiar with the type will reveal any corrosion problems or other trouble spots. A properly maintained Luscombe is no less safe than a newer airplane, and in many ways may be more safe, just due to the simplicity of the airplane.
