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THE LUSCOMBE ENDOWMENT, Inc.
2487 S GILBERT RD., STE. 106, PMB 113
GILBERT, AZ 85296
(480) 650-0883
FAX (484) 762-6711
Luscombe Endowment advises, “The WIN ME raffle is drawing to a close soon”.
There are less than 250 tickets remaining for the restored Luscombe T8F WIN ME airplane. The T8F Luscombe is a rare airplane with fewer than 100 originally built, and rarely more than a dozen licensed and flying at any given time.
“This is a fully restored and ready to fly airplane that will provide many years of maintenance e free service to the winner” said Aaron, one of the Endowment’s volunteer workers. I would be happy with the airplane or any of the other prizes offered!”
The Luscombe WIN ME forms and instructions for entering are available at www.Luscombe.org, along with many other useful tidbits about Luscombe airplanes. WIN ME! Entry fees are used to pay for the aircraft restoration, and to provide continuing Technical and parts support to the Luscombe aircraft community at large.
YOUR SUPPORT IS IMPORTANT! Please help us with this fundraiser by making a tax deductible charitable contribution or a purchase from the Luscombe Endowment to support its IRS 501C3 status and preservation mission. Win an airplane, GPS, air band radio, or other aviation materials. Questions? Visit our website, or call 480-650-0883
Doug Combs
THE LUSCOMBE ENDOWMENT, Inc.
2487 S GILBERT RD., STE. 106, PMB 113
GILBERT, AZ 85295
October 24, 2008
WIN ME! Luscombe promotion
Dear Luscombe Endowment supporter,
The 2008 Luscombe WIN ME drawing was conceived in 2006, then modestly promoted in 2007-2008. With some 12 prior WIN ME promotions upon which to draw experience, we understand the makings of a successful promotion, and the response profile upon which we can typically rely. The costs of such a promotion are as follows:
The Aircraft procurement and restoration usually represents some $60K to $65K- This year’s airplane ran into a budget of more than $71K for parts, component procurement, and labor expenses, due to some very unique parts fabrication.
Other prizes, Advertising, promotion, transportation, and expenses add about $5K-9K. Processing costs, bank fees, and professional fees related to the WIN ME are about $2K-5K. The total projected cost is roughly $80K to 86K for a WIN ME promotion. The ‘average’ ticket price is just $32, so it is necessary for us to sell nearly all of the 2500 tickets to meet the financial obligations. Historically speaking, the WIN ME drawing sells about 45-50% of its tickets prior to the last 4 months of the contest, simply because people procrastinate.
The remaining 50-55% of the tickets typically sell in the final three to four months of the drawing. Within those final months, sales have consistently risen through September, with a final sales frenzy during the last 3-4 weeks of the WIN ME promotion in October. All but two (very early) drawings have sold out completely by Mid October. I do not ever recall a shortfall of revenues in a WIN ME drawing since 1993 when we first began the WIN ME program.
The 2008 WIN ME Luscombe promotion has been different. Ticket sales behaved normally through about September 25, 2008. There was a slowing of sales through October 4, and then a dramatic flattening of the October ticket sales curve for 10 days. Sales volume recovered considerably during the following 14 days, but the WIN ME promotion still remains some 500 tickets behind its sales goal as of October 25, 2008.
It was suggested to us by some financial advisors last week, that this slowing of ticket sales was tied to unrelated, but over-riding issues in the American economy due to mortgage valuations/ Wall street problems/ and failed congressional oversight which might have impacted the American consumer confidence levels and spending. The Luscombe Endowment’s board agrees that the special times and recent economic conditions have negatively afffected our historical projections and ticket sales profile upon which we have relied.
This leaves us in a difficult position where the Luscombe Endowment board believes that the best, and the fairest solution to the situation is to extend the WIN ME promotion and marketing period for the sale of 500 more tickets to fully met our financial obligations to all involved in the WIN ME drawing. We will continue advertising the WIN ME, and we will post updates at the www.luscombe.org website as those tickets sell. We anticipate that ticket sales will close by the end of 2008, but we will continue the promotion until the necessary financial goals are met, at which time the prizes will be awarded.
Thanks for your support of our Luscombe preservation efforts, and your understanding of this very unusual situation that has affected the drawing schedule. Please ask for WIN ME flyers, and post them at your airport so that we can market the final 500 tickets necessary to close the promotion.
Most Sincerely Yours,
Doug Combs, For the Luscombe Endowment Board
Press release
The Luscombe Endowment extends Luscombe WIN ME promotion drawing for 6 months / 500 tickets due to October 2008 economy changes Additional details and ticket sales results are available at www.Luscombe.org.
April 7, 2005 -- THE LUSCOMBE ENDOWMENT facilitates new production support.
After a reduction in FAA Certified NEW parts availability in recent years, the Luscombe Endowment has renewed FAA-PMA production to benefit Luscombe owners maintaining, repairing, and restoring their aircraft.
NEW FAA-PMA approval was granted on April 5, 2005, making the following items available:
Specialty 3" ball bearing pulleys for Luscombe ailerons and rudder systems (BB-120).
Specialty 1.5" ball bearing pulleys for Luscombe elevator and rudder systems (A-167-1).
Gascolator seals/gaskets for the Tillotson and LaTour gascolators (S-36-4).
Featherlight aileron kits for reconditioning the Luscombe aileron system.
Certified hardware kits for Luscombe.
These items are available from the Luscombe Endowment through Classic Aero Support LLC., which also provides expert Luscombe consultations, and technical support with FAA liaison services, Luscombe hardware kits, plus access to hundreds of new FAA-PMA parts, used and NOS parts to support your classic aircraft.
Parts listing at http://www.luscombesilvaire.info/inventory.htm
Visit us at http://www.luscombesilvaire.info/
http://www.luscombe.org/
Telephone Donna at 480-650-0883, or E-mail at mailto:dlosey@luscombesilvaire.info full technical discussion list postings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Luscombeairplanes