----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
You know, whenever I read a note from somebody who want to extensively modify a 'Coupe, my reaction is pretty much the same: get another airplane. If you want to fly a 'Coupe, fly a 'Coupe -- the way it was designed: no flaps, lots of rivets (ERCO *did* manufacture riveting machines, after all), draggy gear, and all. For better or worse, those things are intrinsic to the design of the aircraft, and I'm pretty darn happy with the complete package. A fun, simple aircraft for fun, simple pilots, I guess. If you want flaps and retractable gear, that's fine, but it's not a 'Coupe. Go fly the plane you really want. In terms of upkeep, I think that's an unfortunate stereotype. While it seems like lots of 'Coupes fell into disrepair in the 70s and 80s, I'd say they're enjoying something of a comeback now. I sure didn't see any beaters at the 'Coupe homecoming last year! I showed my photos to my A&P, and he was really startled at the quality of the planes there. Any way, my two cents' worth... Leslie Holbrook Alon A2 N161LH Chester, CT 06412 >From: Bob Saville <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: RE: [COUPERS] [COUPERS] >Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 19:45:10 -0800 > >----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any >advice in this forum.]---- > >Hi Coupers, > > I'm not going to get into this debate, but I'll make a couple of short >comments and then drop it. > > With the large, excellent and efficient ailerons we have, where would >you install the flaps? Out on >the wingtips? > > With the small usable 'net weight' that we have in the basic coupe, >why add a bunch more weight >making the best landing system on the market less efficient and much >heavier? > > As for looks, yes, mine has some faded paint on it. After all, it's >over 55 years old! Personally, >I'd rather if few and ran good than scrimp on service for the sake of some >shiney paint. > Don't get me wrong, I've seen a lot of coupes that have 'beautiful' >paint jobs on them. In fact, a >couple of years ago I priced a paint job for mine. The quote was more than >I paid for the coupe, 15 >years ago and that was with me doing a lot of the labor and prep work! > I put the money into a tip-to-tip annual and recovered the old fabric >wings and only spent about >half of the quoted paint job. > Yes, the paint is still faded, but it sure does run and handle great. >Now I ask you, what's more >important, looks or safety????? > >Bob Saville >N3396H, 415C >Eugene, OR > > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > ----[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 > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com __________________________________________________ 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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