Ercoupe

[Tomo]

I was out at the Gympie airfield this afternoon, and one of the aircraft I got to fly in was a lovely old Ercoupe!

 

For those that don't know the significant difference with these aircraft from others, it is because it doesn't have any rudder pedals! The nose wheel steers with the ailerons, so you drive it like a car and the control yoke the steering wheel.

 

Jennifer Beck from Suncoast Cooloola Flying let me fly it, at the moment it is only available for dual flying, but I believe it will eventually be set up for hire. So keep an ear out. If you're ever passing through Gympie it's certainly worth dropping in and going for a flight in it. Flying along with the windows down, and your elbow resting on the ledge is so much like a convertible sports car!

 

Thanks for the flight Jen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[.Evan.]

Looks like fun, Tomo!

 

 

[dazza 38]

I realy like the Ercoup, I could fly one legless.

 

 

[sseeker]

Wow it's on the RAA register. Looks like a big GA plane!!

 

-Andrew

 

 

[naremman]

Half you luck to get that opportunity Tomo. Can you expand a bit more on your impressions of its handling characteristics?

 

The Ercoup is featured in Eric (Winkle) Brown's book "Wings of the Weird and Wonderful".

 

Can recall seeing one in Wagga Wagga in 2003. An open hangar door is always an attraction to any pilot, and was initially attracted when I sighted an Airtourer, which turned out to be Bob Gilmour's former stead, MOG. Tucked in behind the Airtourer was a beautiful red Ercoup. Talking to the owner he had just completed a protracted and frustrating restoration programn. Apparently the Ercoup had been dropped when unloading it at the wharf and it had experienced substantial damage. The challenge of restoring it had deterred most, but the end result certainly was testimony to the mammoth effort. It has some ridiculous Total Time in Service.

 

Now that you have Ercoup time in your logbook Tomo, see if you can add Mooney Cadet (which was a development of the Ercoup), Beagle Pup, Rallye 100 and the Airtourer 100 and you will really be able make an extensive comparison of some 100 hp two seaters.

 

 

[Tomo]

Half your luck to get that opportunity Tomo. Can you expand a bit more on your impressions of its handling characteristics?

It's surprisingly normal... as in, once you get over the fact you steer on the ground with the ailerons it's just an aeroplane. Maybe because it is so much like a car on the ground, with a yoke as your steering wheel, and a foot brake on the floor, the feel isn't that dramatic.

 

You keep it down on the ground run and peel it off fairly positively, once in the air, climb out at about 80 mph (ASI is in miles an hour). I did a few turns, probably around 45, 50 degree bank and it keeps in balance perfectly, makes it real easy to make a nice high bank turn I can tell you. Cruising along it's just like a normal aircraft, except you can have the windows down so that's pretty cool.

 

Approach was 80mph and it will crab itself into the wind, hold off and touch down as per normal, then get the front wheel down as soon as you can for directional control on the ground. It can handle crosswinds up to 25 or more kts I believe. The undercarriage is built and designed to handle such conditions. It kinda self aligns with the runway once you touch down.

 

Over all it's very easy to fly, nice fool proof fuel system, and cockpit layout. A real piece of engineering that was way ahead of it's time.

 

 

[Neil_S]

I'm green with envy!

 

 

[Louis Moore]

Flying it legless Dazza, you should look up the girl in the states who flies one ARMLESS. Uses her feet to control the lot, pretty amazing! Put me to shame for sure!!!! There are Youtube vids out there some where of her doing a circuit.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Cox

 

 

[Vev]

Hey Tomo,

 

Glad you enjoyed the Coupe (Ercoupe) .... you should have come to Natfly and come for a fly in mine.... may be next year!

 

My one first flew on the 24 April 1946 and will be 66 years old on Tuesday ... as you said, it's a lot of fun to fly with the top down and the elbow out the window. I have yet to do a 25 knot cross wind landing but I have done a few fairdinkum 15 knt cross winds... more than once I've pushed the floor and the brake looking for a rudder.

 

I believe it was the first production aircraft (Bell Aircrobra P39 first warbird) to have tricycle landing gear, although Fred Wieckes (the designer) built a few (I think 4) before the WW2. I've got to tell you, it is the sweetest little thing to land and every landing is a greaser.

 

I'm always amazed at the crowd it attracts and the kind regards people have for the old girl.

 

Couple of mates in Carbon Cubs and the Coupe to Temora from Tyabb

 

 

Cheers

 

Vev

 

 

[kaz3g]

There are two down at Tyabb. I seem to recall that they are supposedly unspinnable an interesting trait, if true.

 

Kaz

 

 

[Vev]

Hi Kaz,

 

There was 3 of them at Tyabb up until 2 weeks ago ... one has flown the Coupe and has gone to Wagga (now 2 there) or at least will be there very soon.

 

It has a placard on the panel and clear states it is unspinable ... I've never tried, as I'm unsure how you would stop a spin without rudder control.

 

Might have to take DJP for fly one day!

 

Vev

 

 

[XP503]

Not a huge fan.....

 

What about sideslips? Plus the basic stick and rudder skills that it doesn't require.

 

 

[Tomo]

Great photos in the video Vev, thanks for posting.

 

David, yeah can't sideslip! And I agree about the stick and rudder thing, but it's another type and it's a pretty cool aeroplane for it's age.

 

 

[Vev]

Not a huge fan.....What about sideslips? Plus the basic stick and rudder skills that it doesn't require.

David,

 

Actually you can side slip an Ercoupe ... you simply sick your arm out the window which causes the ac to yaw a little and you get another 500" min of decent.

 

More seriously, there are later models of the Coupe that came with rudder controls or alternatively there is an STC to allow you to fit controls to early models. I have decided to keep my as it was built 65 years ago.

 

I must admit, if you only fly an Ercoupe you could develop bad habits in a conventual ac ... personally I fly several ac and get plenty of stick and rudder exposure to keep me honest.

 

Cheers

 

Vev

 

 

[Neil_S]

Hey Tomo,Glad you enjoyed the Coupe (Ercoupe) .... you should have come to Natfly and come for a fly in mine.... may be next year!

 

My one first flew on the 24 April 1946 and will be 66 years old on Tuesday ... as you said, it's a lot of fun to fly with the top down and the elbow out the window. I have yet to do a 25 knot cross wind landing but I have done a few fairdinkum 15 knt cross winds... more than once I've pushed the floor and the brake looking for a rudder.

 

I believe it was the first production aircraft (Bell Aircrobra P39 first warbird) to have tricycle landing gear, although Fred Wieckes (the designer) built a few (I think 4) before the WW2. I've got to tell you, it is the sweetest little thing to land and every landing is a greaser.

 

I'm always amazed at the crowd it attracts and the kind regards people have for the old girl.

 

Couple of mates in Carbon Cubs and the Coupe to Temora from Tyabb

 

Hi Vev,

 

Excellent video/pictures! And it was good to meet you at Natfly just after you parked up your Ercoupe for the judging. Lovely plane.

 

Cheers

 

Neil

 

 

[facthunter]

I'm not a fan. Planes that are built to be easy to fly often have an excess of stability. While you might say "what can be wrong with that? let me assure you that there ARE downsides. The plane will be less controllable and responsive and MAY not be nice in rough air. Fairly neutral stability is for me. The plane goes where you put it. Nev

 

 

[Tomo]

I'm not a fan. Planes that are built to be easy to fly often have an excess of stability. While you might say "what can be wrong with that? let me assure you that there ARE downsides. The plane will be less controllable and responsive and MAY not be nice in rough air. Fairly neutral stability is for me. The plane goes where you put it. Nev

So true, I must say though, they are a remarkable aircraft for their time.

 

 

[facthunter]

Indeed, and they are interesting. I can't see the logic with two fins on a single engined plane, though.

 

The Chrisley series of planes did that too, but they had other silly features as well. Normally you find dual tails are there to be in the propwash of two engines. Miles Gemini, Lockheed Hudson Electra Mk1 etc...Nev

 

 

[Vev]

Nev,

 

 

 

The idea of the twin fins was to take the tail out of the prop wash as you have no independent rudder control at take-off .... during take-off there is close to Zero directional correction required (no prop wash pushing on the fin) and is all done through the front wheel... it almost steers straight all on its own! Once you get the rotation speed you pull it back and it weather cocks in a cross wind.

 

 

 

In terms of rudders ... they are more like drags or spoilers vis a vis a Bert Rutan longezi design. The inside rudder sticks out during the turn and the outside rudder practically remains inline with the tail.

 

 

 

The Ercoupe design evolved from a competition to build a safe low cost aircraft ... at one stage they were advertised as the "worlds safest aircraft" and had the lowest fatality rate of any private aircraft owing to its inability to be stalled or put into a spin.

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ERCO_Ercoupe

 

 

 

As you know, Fred Wieckes went on to design the Piper Cherokee and Pawnee ... many of the features in these aircraft were first designed in the Coupe back in the late 1930's

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Vev

 

 

[facthunter]

Fair enough, but I just cannot imagine flying without an active rudder. I'm too conservative and didn't train in a single engine jet. (which has no prop torque effect). Nev