----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Bravo Harry. So very well stated. All those complicated aeroplanes are really designed to do only two things. 1. Impress the neighbors. 2. Take the fun out of flying. Mike -----Original Message----- From: MIME :[EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:MIME :[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2001 9:41 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [COUPERS] ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- Interesting comments about flaps and retractable gear and complex airplanes.. Both are often desireable on high performance cross country airplanes, but un-necessarly complex for the Sunday flyer. Weick's idea was to make a safe, simple airplane, that was inexpensive to purchase, maintain and safe to fly. It wasn't very in-expensive in 1946, but he met all the other parameters. Yes, I have flown complex airplanes, including T-6's, Cherokee Arrows, 300 HP six's, Cessna 310,s,and helicopters, etc.. and yes they are all fun. But it seems to me that if you have retractable gear it's not "have your ever landed gear up, but when are you going to do so"... Piper tried to prevent this with automatic landing gear deployment..a super idea; ---Now required to be made non-working-, because of a lawsuit..., and others just land and slide... As to complexity.... on annuals, the retraction test just about doubles the cost - in time or money....and of course with more complex things, there are more things to fail....and constant speed props are expensive to maintain, too. Helicopters are great...but LOTS of rotating parts trying to fly off into the ether...When I worked on H-21's, the rotor head life was 25 hours! Flaps are great, too, but again more complex...even C-152's have electric flaps that fail.... and land no slower or shorter than a 415C Ercoupe.... So....more complexity makes one feel more like a PILOT ???? So,...It just seems to make sense to me to have a simple safe airplane, with the least amount of complex items to go wrong....and least cost of hard earned money to fix and maintain...... Yes, lots of us small plane owners (Aeroncas, Pipers, Cessnas, Luscombs, Ercoupes, etc.) do not keep our airplanes like new.....maybe cannot afford a hanger space, etc..., and often become neglected as we try to find the time and monies to get them flying again..... Guess we are just not lucky enough to have the resources to let someone else take care of us....And JUST MAYBE we will get the old bird back in the air...for a flight or two around the patch. Hopefully Soon!. Fly Safe - Have Fun Harry Francis Proud Owner of a well worn, but Trusty Ercoupe Blacksburg, VA. __________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01 . __________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01
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