1945: THE LUSCOMBE AIRCRAFT COMPANY

With the recent article in the local press relating to the vacant Ternstedt-Eastern Aircraft plant property, I have been doing some searching for the beginning stories that relate to our own Ewing Township and the very important part it played during World War II. Many of us in the senior citizen community recognize the Luscombe company who were an integral part of World War II history, and of course, Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors Corp. Above is a full page from a rare World War II issue of
"The Bomber;" a publication of Local 731 of the United Auto Workers. A full page "broad sheet" newspaper is a challenge to the average computer monitor, but I do believe that the articles will be legible. EnjoyQ

1935: DON LUSCOMBE'S WEST TRENTON BUILT AIRCRAFT

When I was a boy building "stick" model airplanes, one of my favorite models and as it turned out, one of my best was my model of the Luscombe "Silvaire." While most boy model builders focused on the very popular Piper "Cub," my fascination was with the locally built "Silvaire." How I wish I had kept that model that I worked on so hard back in the 1940's! It was one of the few that I built that actually flew true blue when I wound up that rubber band and lofted it into the air. Little has been written about Don Luscombe's aircraft plant over in West Trenton. This Trenton Sunday Times Advertiser feature with the page 2 continuation added to the right, will prove to be a "bear" in order to read the huge graphic, will undoubtedly be of interest to future aircraft historians, and others such as I who was completely absorbed with my devotion to my model "Silvaire."

1941 ARE FORCE CANDIDATES AT LUSCOMBE SCHOOL

One wonders how many of the young men in the photo actually went into Uncle Sam's United States Air Corps as a result of the meeting pictured in the photo above. Luscombe was a thriving aircraft manufacturer during this era. I was introduced to the building of model airplanes when brother Bud and his buddies Bill and Elmer Peters introduced me to the joys of model aircraft construction. Among my first "stick models" was the Luscombe "Silvaire." She flew like a trooper!

Luscombe Aircraft - West Trenton

When I was a boy those many years ago, one of the airplanes I built as a model airplane project was a "stick" model of the Luscombe "Silvaire." I can still see that aluminum clad beauty as it hung from my bedroom ceiling with a pristine covering of tissue painted with white "dope." Ahh, the memories!