Mon, Aug 18, 2008
It's been a long tough road for the folks of Quartz Mountain
Aerospace in their quest to bring a fabled airframe back to life.
Following years of sometimes-choppy operations, a small Altus,
OK-based planemaker might finally be heading for smoother skies.
Quartz Mountain Aerospace recently earned a significant milestone
on its way towards having its name associated with the likes of
Cessna, or Mooney: the company earned its first airworthiness
certificate from the FAA.
Aero-TV caught up with QMA at the 2008 AOPA Fly-In to see an
example of their handiwork. Formerly known as Luscombe Aircraft
Corp., the company says the Model 11E -- which will be used
primarily as a trainer -- is an adaptation of the Luscombe Model
11A Sedan, introduced in 1946. The new model is distinguished by
superior in-flight and landing stability over the
tailwheel-equipped Sedan.
Like with innumerable other upstart planemakers, QMA's trip to
this point hasn't been an easy one. As ANN reported in June 2007,
Quartz Mountain attributed the need for layoffs (since rescinded)
to delays in FAA inspections related to earning production
certification, and various parts, training, and supply issues. With
the ability to now produce sell its Luscombe 11E en masse, Quartz
Mountain's 110,000-square-foot work floor -- eerily quiet just a
year ago -- is now filled with the noises of a busy production
facility.
Quartz Mountain has also taken recent steps to show it's serious
about playing in the big leagues. As ANN reported last April, QMA
announced it will be the first to offer Garmin's G950 glass-panel
avionics suite.
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