Cessna 120 vs Luscombe 8

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Cessna 120
33 ft × 22 ft ⭥ 6 ft
1× Piston Conventional Unpressurized
Luscombe 8
35 ft × 20 ft ⭥ 6 ft
1× Piston Conventional Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Cessna 120Luscombe 8
Stall speed 40 kt35 kt
Approach speed 61 kt60 kt
Cruise speed 94 kt85 kt
Range 395 nm182 nm
Service ceiling 15500 ft14000 ft
Rate of climb 640 fpm550 fpm
Fuel burn 5.0 gph4.5 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Cessna 120 Avgas
5.0 gph
Baseline
395 nm range 18.8 nm/gal 25 gal usable $32 fuel/hr 5h 00m endurance
Cessna 120: 5.0 gph at cruise, 395 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 0 minute endurance, 18.8 nautical miles per gallon.
Luscombe 8 Avgas
4.5 gph
Baseline
182 nm range 18.9 nm/gal 14 gal usable $29 fuel/hr 3h 06m endurance
Luscombe 8: 4.5 gph at cruise, 182 nautical mile published range, 3 hour 6 minute endurance, 18.9 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing over 50 ft obstacle

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Cessna 120 Avgas
$73 /hr
Baseline
Cessna 120: $73 per flight hour — fuel $32, maintenance and reserve $41.
Luscombe 8 Avgas
$66 /hr
Baseline
Luscombe 8: $66 per flight hour — fuel $29, maintenance and reserve $37.
Cessna 120 Piston
$5,375 /yr Baseline
Cessna 120: $5,375 per year — insurance $900, hangar $2,600, annual inspection $1,875.
Luscombe 8 Piston
$3,358 /yr Baseline
Luscombe 8: $3,358 per year — insurance $647, hangar $840, annual inspection $1,871.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

+ cargo
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1
Cessna 120 Piston
2 / 2 seats cargo 25 gal / 25 gal fuel 515 lbs wet payload 665 lbs useful 1,450 lbs MTOW
Luscombe 8 Piston
2 / 2 seats cargo 14 gal / 14 gal fuel 426 lbs wet payload 510 lbs useful 1,260 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: → · two fingers to move map

+ cargo
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1

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