In my opinion the Ercoupe meets all your requirements EXCEPT the room for the two folding bicycles. Legaly, most 415C's (1260lbs gross) can hold two passengers, full fuel and not much else. In addition the original Ercoupe bagage compartment was too small for the bikes. Some coupes have had a "9 cu ft" baggage mod which gives more room but does not help with the gross. Some newer coupes have a 1400 or 1450 lb gross (415D, Alon etc) but that is still tight for two people and two bikes. You might do one of each.
I do not think that ercoupes have a worse record with airframe failures or engine failures that the other planes, particularly the grumman (the AA-5 is way over $$$ that the others cost - you sure you are not thinking of an AA-1?) The 150 is probably the safest in terms of its record. Where are you seeing statistics - are these official or heresay? As to fabric wings, well covered fabric wings will last 10 - 20 years even when stored outside. The fabric has a couple of advantages. It weighs 30 lbs less and it forces you to open up the wings to look at them every couple of decades. I would not avoid them. The coupe certainly is a good New England airplane. I have taken it on day trips to Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Knox County (Owl's Head), Albany, NYC (circled the Statue of Liberty). All the airplanes you have listed (except the AA-5) have similar performance but the 140 and 150 will have more room and load capacity. The coupe for 18K sounds a bit expensive but you do not include enough information to be sure. I would suggest joining the ercoupe owners club ($20) since the club magazine includes want ads and some very nicely maintained coupes. Also join the email mailing list to get opinions other than mine. You can find info on the club and the mailing list at my web site (http://ercoupe.com) The ercoupe is great fun, you can fly with the top down and you will get lots of attention whereever you go but if you need the bikes then it is probably not the plane for you. The AA-5 is nice (more than $30K) and fast but lifting the bikes over the doors may be a problem. The 140 is not a bad choice as it has back seats to put the bikes into. David Abrams Galactic Industries Corp [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Marc Frattasio [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, July 18, 1999 11:15 AM To: David Abrams Subject: Ercoupe Hi there. My name is Marc Frattasio. I recently got my private pilot's license through the Alpha One flight school in Plymouth Massachusetts. I am presently trying to figure out what to buy for my for my first aircraft. Economy is my chief concern at this stage of the game. I can afford to pay up to $30,000 for a decent aircraft but I want one that will also be relatively inexpensive to operate and maintain. The Ercoupe is on my 'short list' of candidates, as is the Grumman AA-5, Cessna 150/152, Piper Cherokee 140, and Aeronca Champion (L-16 version). I've been reading up on the Ercoupe and was wondering if perhaps you might share your thoughts on this aircraft with me. Do you think that an Ercoupe would be a decent first aircraft for me? What I'm looking for in a first aircraft is: * relatively inexpensive to buy * relatively inexpensive to operate * low annual inspection cost * can be stored outdoors (ideally) at Norwood * fun to fly * safe * fast enough to get around New England * enough cargo space to fit two folding bicycles How's the Ercoupe measure up? A couple of things worry me about Eroupes. My reading indicates that they are near the top of the list in terms of airframe and engine failures. Also, I'm a bit worried about the lack of rudder pedals. Are these big deals in your experience? I'm a Navy Reserve aircrewman presently spending two weeks in Puerto Rico. I'll be monitoring my e-mail from time to time around missions and I'll be very interested to hear what you've got to say about the Ercoupe. Just before I left, I was in contact with a guy in upstate NY who's selling a high time (1700 hours on the engine...what do you think of that/) 1947 Ercoupe that's in USAAF silver and yellow colors for $18,000. It looks very nice but I'm worried about the high time on the engine and the Ceconite covered wings. Your Ercoupe looks like its all metal. Should I hold out for an all metal Ercoupe? Like I said, I'll probably have to park it outdoors. What should I expect to pay for a decent all-metal Ercoupe and what't the best way to find one in New England? Marc _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
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