Clay Spurgeon wrote: > > Greetings from a new member - > > I joined because I'm fascinated with Ercoupes, and wanted to learn > more about flying characteristics with the rudder pedal modification. > Have heard various opinions and wanted to get the lowdown - I imagine > I would want this mod but have not experienced it. Can anyone give > me the pros and cons? > > Many thanks! > > Clay Spurgeon > Director of Marketing & Merchandising > Baseball Express, Inc. > 210-348-7000 X4300
Hi Clay,
I'd been renting planes for a lot of years (in the military and
moving
around a lot) and when I retired and started looking for a plane to buy
I didn't really know what I wanted. All planes eemed to be good in some
areas and not so good in others. I was currently renting the 'new' style
pipers with the low wing. I'd checked out several planes that were for
sale but none of them 'hit the spot' as something I'd like to own.
One day a friend of mine just cassually mentioned in a
conversation
that he was thinking about selling his plane as he didn't really fly it
enough to have his money tied up in it. I asked him what he had and he
said it was an Ercoupe. Until then I'd always thought that the Ercoupes
were 'cute' but I'd never been up in one yet.
We went out to the airport where his Ercoupe was and we pulled it
out
of the hangar and were walking around it and looking it over when he
happened to mention that it didn't have rudder pedals in it. My interest
in this 'wierd' plane dissappeared. I told him that if I couldn't 'slip'
it I didn't want it.
He said that while we were there we might as well go for a ride
anyway
and if I didn't like it I at least got a free ride out of it. Now how in
the world could I say "no" to a deal like that? He also mentioned that
there was a rudder-pedal kit available and I could always add the pedals
later if I wanted to.
We flew for about 15 or 20 minutes and when we landed I wrote him
a
check for it, fully intending to install the pedal kit in it. He told me
(as a friend) to fly it for 30 days and get used to it before I went out
and bought that kit.
After a couple of solo flights and 'playing' with it without
rudders I
started getting a little used to not having them. This way nearly 14
years ago and I wouldn't put pedals in it now if you installed them for
me free and paid me to accept them. This is the best system ever
invented so why anyone would want to 'sabotage' it by putting pedals in
it is beyond me.
I can fly when no other planes at my field are leaving the ground
and
landing in a crosswind is an absolute delight. I pretend like I'm in a
B-52 and land 'sideways'. :-)
I've flown bigger, faster, fancier and MUCH more expensive planes,
but
never one that was more fun or one that gave me this feeling of being
part of it. If it's possible to be 'soul-mates' with a machine, then
that's the feeling I have for my coupe. It may be just a VERY stock 1946
with only the 75hp in it, but I still wouldn't trade it for anything
else.
I have a friend who flies 727's, he tells people that he does that
for
a living and flies his coupe for fun. (He also has three other planes
but he says he likes his coupe(s) the best.)
Okay, I think I've 'boasted' long enough, I'll close and get on to
some
of my other e-mail.
Unless you 'need' a four place plane, I don't see how yoiu could
possibly go wrong by buying a coupe.
Bob Saville
N3396H 415C
Eugene, OR
BTW, welcome to our group. There's an enormous amount of knowledge here
and I doubt that you can think of a question that can't be answered
here, or at least stear you in the right direction.
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