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What is an Ercoupe?
The Ercoupe is a 2-seat airplane that was designed by Fred E. Weick for
ERCO (Engineering Research Corporation). It was first manufactured in
1939. Production stopped during WWII, and then in 1946, 4309 were made in
a single year! They made them at a rate of >10 a day! They were immensely
popular, but in 1947 there was a major bust in the airplane business, and ERCO
stopped making them. They were manufactured by several different other
companies over the years, Forney F-1, Alon A-2, and even Mooney as the M-10 in
the late 60s.
At the time it came out it was a revolutionary plane. It was the first GA aircraft with a tricycle
gear. It was a metal mono-coupe low
wing design that came out in a time of tube and frame designs. It was stall proof, it was spin proof, it
had no rudder pedals, and it was fast.
Old time pilots thought the removal of rudder pedals was a sin, while
people who actually flew the thing learned that it was a great flying airplane.
If you go look at an Ercoupe on a modern airfield among Cessna 150's and Pipers
Cherokees it does not look too out of place, but go to a fly-in where the
Ercoupe is parked among its contemporaries like Aeroncas, Cubs and Stinsons of
the same vintage and it is striking how different and modern the metal clad,
low wing, tricycle gear Ercoupe looks among a sea of high wing, fabric covered
taildraggers.
Why fly an Ercoupe?
It's cheap to fly, totally unique airplane that will be the topic of
conversation at every airport you land at, and great fun!
You can fly with the side windows down,
so it’s one of the few airplane convertibles out there!
Why fly a Spam can when you can have fun and
fly an Ercoupe? <Grin>
Where can I see some
pictures of an Ercoupe?
There is are some excellent web page for
Ercoupe enthusiasts check out http://www.flash.net/~dmprosvc/dave/friends.htm
http://www.ercoupe.net http://www.ercoupe.com
Is it true it doesn't have rudder pedals?
Why?
The Ercoupe is notable in that the design of it was an attempt at making a much
safer airplane. Fred wanted to try through good design to remove many of
the elements that were causing crashes in airplanes. Most notable about
the Ercoupe is that the original had NO rudder pedals. The reasons for
that are because the leading causes of accidents were spins. Spins are
impossible if you can't stall and you can't get the plane out of
coordination. The Ercoupe has the rudder automatically linked to the ailerons
so that it is always in coordination, and the elevator is limited in motion so
that you can't pull it back far enough to stall. Hence, the plane can't
stall or spin == safe easy plane to fly.
This plane is characteristically incapable of spinning? It can't
spin or stall?
Yep. An Ercoupe is characteristically incapable of spins. The FAA
even allows a little plaque to be in the cockpit that says as much. When
a coupe stalls, the wing ends up just mushing, but with the ailerons still in
control of the plane. Since it's in coordination, it can't spin.
How do you steer the plane if you don't have rudder pedals?
Like a car! The nose wheel is connected to the control wheel, so you
simple steer it like a car! (pretty simple huh?)
How do you land in a crosswind?
The short answer is, you just land it crabbed. The tricycle gear can
handle a great load, and since it is a tricycle the plane naturally straightens
out once your main wheels land. It's simply a different technique then using
the rudder.
<Mi Vida Loca> "First a normal coupe can handle a 25kt X-wind
with little trouble. The technique is simple, as was pointed out previously you
hold it off until it settles in (for those of you without the split tail) (for
those with it do a full stall landing). The object is to reduce the forward
speed to as little as possible, puts less stress on the landing gear. When you
touch down crabbed you need to be prepared for the fact that the lagging wing
as it comes around picks up speed thereby picking up speed. The retreating wind
looses speed thereby loosing lift, the net result is one wing is flying and the
other is not. When this happens the advancing wing can lift into the air
resulting in running along the ground on the nose wheel and only one main. This
can be scary as hell the first time or 2. Most people make the mistake of
thinking the X-wind picked up the wing, nope-just aerodynamics. This is not the
time to jump on the brakes or to
try to make any drastic movements of the wheel that will result in
embarrassment at the least to an expensive pile of scrap aluminum at the worst.
Just ride it out, as you decelerate the wing will again loose lift and plop
back down. How high a X-wind can a coupe handle, I don't know but I can tell
you that Bill Leavelle and I landed in a 45 KT (as reported by the FBO's
instruments) direct X-wind on one occasion, you bet it was hairy but the take
off wasn't so bad, we just took off across the ramp, about a 50 foot roll. I
must admit I had far less trouble than Bill who was about 100 ft in front of me
as we touched down, but I have rudder pedals (yes I landed in a combination
crab and slip), which are connected to the nose wheel and are not linked to the
ailerons. It sure as hell impressed the locals. When you really learn the
coupe, it will do things you would never attempt in any other plane, rudder
pedals or not."
How big a crosswind component can it handle?
25 Kt winds are little trouble, and people have reported landing in as high
as 45 KT x winds. Try that in your tail dragger.
I heard the wheels castor?
Nope. The wheels don’t castor. This is a common misconception that people
have. The landing gear has hinged L shape to them to allow the
plane to be landed in a wide range of speeds, and to improve the handling of
the plane in a crosswind. The misconception
arises from the use of the word castor when describing how the plane lands in a
crosswind. "Castor" refers to the geometry of the gear that causes
the airplane to want to turn in the direction of forward motion when landed in
a crab, not to an actual swiveling of the gear itself.
So why the H tail?
Since the rudders are linked to the ailerons, the H tail gets the rudders out
of the slipstream of the prop, thus reducing the amount of correction you need
to have when taking off at full power. The
engine is mounted at a slight cant to reduce the P-factor since you can’t coordinate
with rudder pedals on the climb out.
There aren’t any flaps?
Nope. The goal of the design of the Ercoupe was to keep things simple. No flaps equals one less thing to worry
about.
How do I make my approach then?
The factory approved method
for losing altitude in an Ercoupe is to pull the wheel back to the stop. The airplane slows to 40 MPH or so (but does
not stall) and drops very rapidly.
People get in trouble with this because you need to push the wheel
forward while high enough to regain airspeed (60 to 70 MPH) to flare for
landing. This means at least 200
feet. If you wait too long there is no
time to get the airspeed up and you land very hard. You can make a very steep approach this way, but it takes some
practice.
The Ercoupe can be landed at
any speed from just above stall to cruise speed because the gear is designed to
make sure the wings are at an negative angle of attack when the gear is on the
ground (very different from the tail draggers of its day). However, if the rubber biscuits in the main
gear are worn (and the tail is too low) this will no longer be true and the 'Coupe
can get very squirrelly to land. I
finally replaced my rudder biscuits with the metal belville springs to keep the
tail up at 75 inches.
Another unofficial method for
getting down fast is to stick your hand outside toward the wing root. This works for me. I have been taking off several times when the airplane felt
sluggish only to notice my passenger had his elbow out the window. I asked him to keep his arms inside on climb
out and we picked up a 100 FPM.
Are the wings metal or fabric?
Originally they were fabric, and then they made
them metal. Many airplanes have been
converted to metal wings. The metal
wings add weight and make it hard to inspect the wing structure but they do not
have to be recovered every 10 to 20 years.
Since this is a 50 year old plane, being able to inspect the wing spars
for corrosion is very important.
What are the different models?
Model
Year #
Built Original List
Price Engine
ERCOUPE
415
A-B
1939-41
112
------
C-65
415
C
1946
4,309
$3,500
C-75
415
D
1947
445
$3,500
C-75
415
E
1948
142
$3,600
C-85
415
E/G
1949
29
$3,600
C-85
415
E/G
1950
43
$3,600
C-85
FORNEY
F-1
1958
56
$3,750
C-90
F-1
1959
59
$3,750
C-90
F-1A
1960
24
$3,800
C-90
F-1A
1961
22
$3,875
C-90
F-1A
1962
5
$3,875
C-90
ALON
A-2
1965
85
$4,100
C-90
A-2
1966
136
$4,400
C-90
A-2A
1967
20
$4,750
C-90
MOONEY
A-2A
1968
46
$8,000
C-90
M-10
1969
8
$8,500
C-90
M-10
1970
50
$9,000
C-90
What's the difference between them?
The main difference between the 415 series is the size of the engine and the
amount of load that can be carried. The 415 D increased the amount of load,
while the 415 E added a notched tail for improved performance.
The Forney was basically the same as the 415 series.
The Alon changed the canopy to have more head/shoulder room, and the canopy
slides back instead of the windows, which slide up as the 415 series. It
also added spring landing gear.
The Mooney M-10 put a normal T tail, rudder pedals, the stall and the spin,
thus removing most of what was unique about the Ercoupe.
Who builds the Ercoupe?
Ercoupes aren't built anymore, but Univair is the Type Certificate holder for
the Ercoupe series and thus is the factory for new, Ercoupe, Forney, Alon and
M-10 parts. http://www.univair.com
Can I see the type certificate on the web?
Type Certificate Data Sheets for the Erco, Forney, Alon and Mooney M10 (in PDF,
you will need Adobe
Acrobat) Look under Univair, the STC holder http://www.faa.gov/avr/air/tcds/tc/tcds1_pz.htm
What kind of engines do
they have?
Continental C-65, C-75, C-85, C-90. There is an STC to put a 100 HP O-200
engine as well.
How fast do they go?
It depends on which model, how big you
engine is, what pitch prop, etc. Normally it is in the range of 100-120
mph.
How big are the fuel tanks?
The Coupe has two 9-gallon tanks in the wings, and a header tank, which
holds 6 galloons, for a total of 24 gallons of fuel. The header tank is
another nice safety feature, in that if for some reason the fuel pump fails,
you have a gravity feed tank with enough fuel in it for you to find a place to
land. (NOTE: It should be noted that some early versions of the Ercoupe
apparently have 7.5 gallon wing tanks, for a total of only 21 gallons of fuel.)
There is an STC for removing the header
tank, and putting two 15-gallon tanks into the wings, but not many people have
done this, as it is expensive, and that much fuel impacts has to come out of
passenger load.
What kind of fuel economy does it get?
Your mileage may very, but in the 5 gallons per hour realm.
Can it run on MOGAS?
The continental engines are all 80 avgas. With the proper STC, you
can use MOGAS. Make sure that there is no alcohol in it!
How much can you carry?
All models of 415-C and 415-CD carry 1260 gross.
Models 415-D, E, G, Forney F1 carry 1400 lbs gross.
Models Forney F1-A and Alon carry 1450 lbs gross.
Depending on the model and what's
installed in it, it is typically around 500 lbs.
How much do they normally sell for?
Since Ercoupes are 50 years old, they have fully depreciated! <grin>
This means that most Ercoupes are in the range of $10,000 -> $20,000, which
is about the cheapest flying you can find. Since they are often flown on
the cheap, make sure that the one you buy has been well maintained.
Why doesn't my coupe have a mixture control/wired mixture control?
<Harry Francis> "The C-75/85 engine was supplied with a
Stromberg carburetor. It has a mixture control on the top of the
carburetor, which is often wired full rich. As it is thought that leaning is
not required below 5000 feet msl. The assembly can be carefully removed without
taking the carburetor off and cleaned if rough idling occurs. It is composed of
a small disc with three holes in it to adjust the air fuel mixture. If you operate
in dusty conditions, the holes sometimes get clogged.
I installed a cable on mine to see the effect of leaning, and could not notice
any difference in the 5 -7000 ft altitude I fly, so I removed it and safe tied
it full rich again. One more thing not to go wrong...
The Continental Maintenance and Overhaul manual, on page 29, states : "7-9
Stopping the engine. Allow the engine to cool by running it at approximately
1000 RPM for a few minutes; then stop by turning the ignition switch to the
"OFF" position. If a Stromberg Carburetor is installed, open the
throttle wide during the last few revolutions. If a Marvel-Schebler carburetor
is installed, leave the throttle closed."
My note : the Stromberg does not have an acceleration pump, the Marvel-Schebler
does. Without an acceleration pump, if you open the throttle suddenly, the
engine will sputter as it goes lean. I suspect the reason they direct you to
open the throttle fully as the prop slows down is to prevent "run-on"
that could be caused by hot carbon deposits in the cylinder head. Opening the
throttle as the prop slows down introduces cool air, extinguishing and hot
spots.
Additional note: Because the carburetor and manifold contains a fuel air
mixture, you need - do I need to say this - to be extra careful in
turning the prop. If the ignition switch grounding is bad, the engine may start
! You should always assume that an engine is ready to start - so be careful
around all aircraft propellers."
Is there an Owners Club?
Yep, The Ercoupe Owners Club. EOC. Publishes a monthly
newsletter.
Ercoupe Owners Club
PO Box 15388
Durham, NC 27704
Are there any good books about the Ercoupe?
"THE ERCOUPE" by Stanley G. Thomas
"THE ERCOUPE, A Touch Of Class" by Frank R. Saletri,esq.
"From the ground Up", by Fred Weick - Autobiography of the designer
of the Ercoupe. Has lots of stuff about his other aviation contributions,
and a couple of chapters on ERCO and the design of the Ercoupe, as well as his
future work on the Piper Cherokee and Pawnee.
"Ercoupe Fly about adventures ", by Paul Prentice. Has lots of Ercoupe
photos, and discussion of mods and performance of Ercoupes.
Aircoupe/Ercoupe Owners Manual................Skyport Services
Aircoupe Service Manual.......................Skyport Services
Ercoupe Service Manual........................Univar
Ercoupe Service Bulletins & Memorandums.......Skyport Services
Ercoupe Airworthiness Directives, Aircraft
Specifications A-718 & A-787 and Skyport
Service Notes...............................Skyport Services
FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual for
Ercoupe Model 415-D.........................Skyport Services
The Aircoupe Story............................Skyport Services
Twin Tail Tiger...............................Skyport Services
Does one model of coupe perform substantially better than
another? Not
that any coupe is a real performer, but which is best?
The later the model, the better the performance more or less. The
Forney’s got the 90 hp engine with a pretty good prop. The Alon models
that had the redesigned canopy get some speed advantage. I'd guess that
an Alon would sell for $3-$5k more than a 415-D in similar condition.
I'd go more on the condition of the specific machine. I'd also like to
have an Alon for the improved performance but I sure don't feel any need
to trade away my 415-D (though I sure would like to have new paint,
upholstery, etc.).
What is with the mixture control, or lack thereof? Can the
control be
reinstalled?
The Stromberg carburetors had a mixture control that consisted of a
plate with some cleverly designed holes that slid against another plate
with its own hole. By clever design, this varies the vacuum on the fuel
in the float chamber (I think) to vary the mixture.
When I bought my Coupe, it was wired full rich. It worked pretty well
full rich all the way up to 12,500 feet. I later got my mixture control
cleaned and reactivated and got an EGT gauge. I get quite good mixture
control but I do have to adjust it slowly, watch the gauge, make another
slow adjustment, till I get just what I want. I would only get a
sensitive EGT with BIG gradations in the 25-degree range. Not the low
sensitive type that shows hundreds of degrees in a single sweep of the
needle.
Are any STCs available to install carb jets for a bit more HP?
How about
an O-200 installation?
Changing carb jets to convert a Continental C-75 to be a C-85 is a standard and
easy thing.
There is an STC to swap engines to an O-200. Mostly you get better climb.
A lot better climb. Only a few miles per hour more speed though.
Can I install rudder
pedals? I like rudder pedals?
Yes,
you can. The factory sold them with or
without rudder pedals, and there is an STC to install them if you really want
them. It should be noted that they are
not overly effective, since the rudder doesn’t move very far. The STC requires moving the brake from the
floor to a hand brake. The other
problem with them is that shorten up the space available for your feet.
What other links are
there?
http://www.flash.net/~dmprosvc/dave/whybuy.htm
A great article by Ed Burkhead
describing in detail Ercoupes, what to look for, etc.
This is an ongoing piece of
work. If you think that a particular issue needs to be addressed in the
FAQ, please send me mail with your Question and standard answer. I will
try to compile and post updated FAQ's as appropriate.
If you have topics you want added, please send
me mail at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-Tom Laird-McConnell
N#87405 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Keeper of the Coupers List
