After subscribing to the Ercoupe thread for several months, I would like to get some opinions. My perception is that the Ercoupe and derivatives are maintenance hogs, or hanger queens. Perhaps the only 'coupe owners who are active on the thread are those having problems or enjoy tinkering and the large majority are silently enjoying their coupes, with no significant problems. Also, after checking Trade-A-Plane for quite a few months, I find that there are only a few Ercoupes listed each month versus a several pages of C-150/172's. Of the 5000-6000 built, are they so popular no one wants to sell or are most of them derelicts, beyond hope of redemption.
I am retired AF and fly with the local military aero club where I can rent C-172's and T-41's for $45-50 an hour. I'm getting really tired of the scheduling conflicts and BS that goes with any military organization so I'm looking for an alternative. If I can't own and fly an Ercoupe cheaper than that, I'll stick with the aero club and perhaps build an experimental. I hope my perception is wrong and these are simple, fun, inexpensive planes to fly, and don't spend 99% of the time torn down in the hanger. I'd sure like to know before I jump in with both feet and buy money pit. Any comments, words of wisdom, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks to all, Dave in Alamogordo, NM
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