Rick, Glad you got the aelirons re-mounted.
I have fussed several times/years about the coupe at
Sun & Fun Museum...aelirons are mounted
improperly..Bad Example.. Hope they have it fixed this
year ! :)
Fly Safe - Have Fun
Harry
--- Rick Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Excellent point Harry,
>
> My ex had an ercoupe which sat about two inches low
> in
> the tail. The handling on that was very squirrely
> compared to mine. Shimming the gear fixed the
> problem.
>
> Point is - if the plane is acting squirrely in
> take-offs - check the level!!!
>
> Another issue I had when I bought mine and after one
> annual... a veteran couper pointed out that the
> ailerons were mounted with the hinge on the top of
> the
> wing. (What did I know, then?)
> Remounting the ailerons gained about 10 mph - and
> much
> more control. Mechanics aren't all up to speed on
> Ercoupes -- have a good Coupe man look it over!!
>
> Rick N93686
>
>
>
> --- "Harry L. Francis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote:
>
> > Rick, You have it right.... The reason that
> holding
> > a
> > little pressure on the controls works, is that in
> a
> > static position, the wings are in a no lift angle
> of
> > attack (as designed by Weick - and only if the
> tail
> > is
> > at the proper height - level window edges on a
> level
> > surface). In this position the ercoupe will not
> fly
> > even at 120 mph (as noticed in the piots manual on
> > landing speeds - pointing out that the ercoupe
> will
> > not baloon when landing as high as 120 mph)
> >
> > So this is the real reason for setting the
> airplane
> > level by shimming the main gear struts, especially
> > when utiizing a double fork nose gear, which is
> > about
> > 2 Inches longer than the single fork - pushing
> down
> > the tail. ....making the wings become positive
> angle
> > of attack, and no longer as specified by design.
> >
> > Yes, hold a little forward pressure until reaching
> > about 70 mph indicated, then pop off the ground by
> > applying slight back pressure.
> >
> > The coupe will then pop off, and immediately swing
> > to
> > a crabbed climb position flying straight down the
> > runway.
> >
> > If a double fork was installed on aircraft using
> the
> > original rubber doughnuts, the main gear struts
> need
> > to be shimmed in order to attain the proper static
> > position. Forney introduced the double fork nose
> > gear
> > along with the Belleville springs, replacing the
> > rubber doughnuts. Their idea was that the
> Belleville
> > springs would absorb rough taxi areas better than
> > the
> > rubber doughnuts. This may be true, but with
> fairly
> > smooth modern runways, I think the rubber
> dsoughnuts
> > work fine --- if shimmed properly...ie: level the
> > airplane with sufficient shims on the main struts
> > (generally about 7/16 inch collars)..creating a
> tail
> > height about 77 inches, slightly above the
> original
> > specs of 75 inches...making sure the window edges
> > are
> > level...when the airplne is sitting on a level
> pad.
> >
> > Fly Safe - Have Fun
> >
> > Harry Francis
> >
> >
> > --- Rick Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > > Robert,
> > >
> > > Glen is spot-on. I have had several takeoffs
> with
> > a
> > > 20 knot crosswind and a twenty-five foot wide
> > strip.
> > >
> > > The key (I've found) is to hold it down and
> steer
> > > straight down the runway. I actually let the
> > speed
> > > build to about 70 and pop it off - it will
> > > immediately
> > > crab into the wind and just hold it for the
> runway
> > > heading.
> > >
> > > Unlike a cessna that floats off the runway
> > > immediately, Fred Weick designed the Ercoupe so
> > that
> > > it cannot lift off until rotated. I had to do a
> > > full
> > > speed run down a long runway to prove this to
> > > myself.
> > > But if you keep the front wheel planted for
> > > steering,
> > > you can go full speed and not lift off.
> > >
> > > On a shorter field I might opt to rotate at a
> > slower
> > > speed - but, I've had no issues with getting up
> to
> > > speed and popping it off. Kinda fun actually.
> > >
> > > I was on an airport that had five ercoupes at
> one
> > > time, and on several Saturday mornings of brisk
> > > winds
> > > coming off of Lake Michigan, the Ercoupes were
> > doing
> > > touch and goes on cross runways - while the
> other
> > > pilots drank coffee in the terminal.
> > >
> > > Admittedly, the first few were white-knucklers,
> > > until
> > > you reach that moment that you go "HEY - THIS IS
> > > GREAT!"
> > >
> > > Have fun,
> > >
> > > Rick N93686
> > >
> > > Ps. I did find it easier to take-off on a
> > > twenty-five
> > > foot wide strip with a crosswind - than to land.
>
> > > Experience has taught me to make longer final
> > > approaches in crosswinds to more accurately
> guage
> > > the
> > > drifting.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- Glen Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Robert
> > > >
> > > > Good point and an experience I, too, have
> > > > had...although the runway was 150 feet wide
> and
> > I
> > > > already was almost airborne I don't know the
> > > answer
> > > > but I will assume the answer is as follows
> > > > (comments, suggestions, corrections please):
> > > >
> > > > In a pedalless Ercoupe, on take-off with a
> > strong
> > > > crosswind, add a bit of extra forward pressure
> > on
> > > > the nosewheel during the ground-roll portion
> of
> > > the
> > > > take-off, thus keeping the nosewheel firmly
> > > planted
> > > > and reducing the possibility of the airplane
> > > > weathervaning into the wind. When at Vr
> > (rotation
> > > > speed), briskly pull back and get the aircraft
> > > > flying. Then, crab as necessary to maintain
> > > runway
> > > > heading.
> > > >
> > > > Any thoughts
> > > >
> > > > Glen Davis CFII
> > > >
>
=== message truncated ===
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