----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
One important thing that has not been brought up in this discussion. Fred designed and built this airplane without any computer assistance. Think of it, in 1940, all he had was a slide rule, "T" square and brains. If he were alive today and had the ability to use all our latest technology, he probably would be making some changes. However, his basic objective would not change. When you look at this 61 year-old airplane on the ramp today, it still looks modern. I cannot say that about the Piper Cub, Cessna, Aeronca Champion, Taylorcraft, Funk and many more like them. Hell, you can kill yourself operating a bulldozer if you do not use it prudently! The same thing applies to airplanes. The only difference is the news media will not report the bulldozer accident, but your airplane will make PAGE ONE, even if you walk away from it! George Frebert On Fri, 6 Apr 2001 10:40:44 -0700, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- > > I respect the issues Glen raised in his rebuttal, but > I believe that, overall, Fred Weick succeeded in his > objectives. As was already pointed out, Fred was > designing-out the landing cross-controlled stall/spin > rather than spins at altitude. To this day, in modern, > docile, stall-resistant airplanes, pilots of all skill > levels continue to stall-spin on the base to final > turn. Everyone knows what not to do, but it happens > anyway. It's still one of the leading accident causes. > > > As for the tail-draggers, it's very simple: excluding > the homebuilders, they are all either old airplanes or > old designs still being produced as long as someone > will buy (aka American Champion). Even modern bush > plane designs (Cessna's Caravan and 206) are nose > wheel. The reasons are simple: fewer ground-handling > mishaps. I've flown both. I simply don't care for the > aggravation of managing the tailwheel bird. If the > love of my life was a pretty Cessna 170 or Waco, I'd > deal with it as a consequence that comes with the > bird. > > My home airport has a concrete runway that is aligned > with the wind only when it crosses when changing > sides! For me, the 'coupes demonstrated 25kt crosswind > capability and ease are an endearing feature. Last > fall I was also considering the Cessna 120/140 and got > a checkout at a local FBO that rents one. About that > time, Dennis Speigel took me along on a memorable > excursion to a private grass strip BBQ where we joined > up with Bill Coons and had a great time. It was a > particularly windy day, both at home and at the grass > strip, and we were facinated watching the vintage > taildraggers wrassle their craft down onto the turf. > By the time we got back to Schaumburg late afternoon, > the wind was howling at 90deg to the runway and even > the flight school instructors weren't chancing it. > Dennis planted his 'coupe without breaking a sweat. > He's a former Cessna 120 owner with a ton of > taildragger experience and I asked him: if he still > had the 120, would we have had this enjoyable day? NO! > He wouldn't have even taken the ropes off. So now I > have an Ercoupe of my own. > > I've been a pilot since 1966. I've flown Cubs, Champs, > and now the 140. I've kept myself out of trouble with > low altitude spins and crosswind landings. I have > nothing to prove to anyone. I just don't need the > aggravation. You still have to be careful and know the > 'coupe's limitations and shortcomings, but staying out > of trouble in a 'coupe is a bit easier than with other > planes. That suits me just fine, and I think that's > all Fred was hoping for. > > Paul > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ > > __________________________________________________ > To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _______________________________________________________ Send a cool gift with your E-Card http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/ __________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aVxiLm.aVzvvT Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [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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