A few months ago a group of us "pilots with kids" realized that our
pilot-rated children could no longer afford to fly even the clapped-out
rental 150s at our local FBO. Over a few beers, we started plotting a way
to
help.
All of us were already aircraft owners -- but we all owned
high-performance
(read: expensive to fly) aircraft. We realized that we'd have to come up
with a cheaper alternative, and started casting about for a solution.
One of the original members of our group was an Ercoupe fanatic, so we
started looking at these cute little antiques. I had flown one, once, back
in the mid-90s, and thought they were fun -- so when we found one for sale
nearby, we asked the owner to bring it into the shop for a pre-buy
inspection.
This was a '46 Model C, and it's main advantage was that it was
LSA-eligible. This was appealing for some of our original partners, who
were
worried about obtaining or maintaining their medicals. Unfortunately, this
bird had more troubles than attributes, even though the owner had invested
significant money into fixing up the old plane. We decided to pass on that
plane.
In the meantime, one of our partners successfully re-upped his medical,
and
the other medical-challenged partner dropped out of the picture -- so we
broadened our search to include later-model (non-LSA) Ercoupes. These had
the distinct advantage of a 200-pound greater useful load. Eventually we
found a '48 Model-E that had been in a ground accident. While on its way
to
be delivered to a new owner, a fuel-truck driver backed into the wing,
cru****ng it. That sale was off, and the seller put the plane on a flat-bed
and returned it to Iowa.
The seller obtained new fabric wings (the damaged ones were metal),
started
painting them -- and then (for reasons unknown) decided to sell the
aircraft
and wings as-is. That's where we came on the scene.
One of our partners is an A&P/IA grand champion home-builder. With his
abilities, fini****ng the painting and installation of the new wings was a
simple, several-day project -- so we bought the plane and trans****ted it
to
our home base in Iowa City.
The aircraft was lovely, low-time, with a good panel and low-time engine.
Everything in the 60-year-old aircraft worked like new -- a true rarity --
and we immediately started sanding the wings.
Then the "Great Flood of '08" hit the Iowa City area, and the project
ground
to a halt. To assure its safety in the flooding (which, thankfully never
reached the air****t), we hung the little 'Coupe from the engine hoist
hanging from the ceiling in the shop, like a big Xmas ornament!
Then, when the flood waters receded, we departed on a long-planned
week-long
flying vacation, so the 'Coupe project was back-shelved again.
After we returned from vacation last Thursday, we drove over to our
partner's shop -- and there, out front, was the Ercoupe -- wings mounted
and
painted! While we were gone, our partner had finished the project -- and
it
was drop-dead gorgeous!
Of course, even though we were just back from a week of flying, we had to
fly it. The only thing keeping us grounded was a lack of insurance --
which
I had been working on before we departed for vacation. So, it was a simple
phone call to my broker to get things rolling, and -- within an hour -- we
were covered and good to go!
Insurance being insurance, they require all of us get signed-off by a CFI
before we can fly solo. I need to get an hour of instruction before
soloing.
My wife, Mary, needs five hours, while my son -- a new pilot last fall --
needs TEN. This to fly what was designed to be "Everyman's Plane" -- an
aircraft that could be flown with minimal instruction. Ah, yes, the
bureaucrats at work once again.
Luckily, Keith -- our A&P/IA partner -- has significant Ercoupe time, so
he
was good to go right away. So, we were able to fly with him, no problemo.
First, the pre-flight. It's a 60-year-old antique, and things are a bit
different. To check the oil requires opening the cowling with a
screw-driver. That's where the gascolator is, too. Not exactly
user-friendly.
Then, check the control surfaces -- but know that you can't move the
ailerons, because the control yoke is connected to the nose wheel in an
Ercoupe! That's right, you steer the plane on the ground like a car, using
the yoke like a steering wheel -- rendering the ailerons immovable on the
ground.
The rudders can be moved, but just a little. They are inter-connected with
the ailerons, and there aren't any rudder pedals. You can't check the
flaps,
cuz there aren't any. The rest of the pre-flight is normal.
Start up is a bit interesting. One pump of the primer, turn the key to
"both" magnetos, and then PULL the starter handle out, hard. This engages
the starter, and the little 85 horsepower Continental pops right over. The
pull starter seems odd but remember that contem****ary aircraft of the
Ercoupe -- Taylorcrafts, Luscombes, Cessna 120s -- all had to be
hand-propped, so this set up was way ahead of its time.
Once started, you taxi out to the runway just like driving your car.
There's
a brake pedal on the floor, and you steer it with the yoke. After many
years
of flying "regular" planes, this was the weirdest part of all...
Run-up and mag check is normal, and then we trundled out onto the runway.
This first flight was "NORDO" because we didn't wear headsets (and there's
no speaker for the radios), so we just shouted at each other over the
engine
noise.
And wind noise! The Ercoupe has a three-part canopy -- two side glass
panels
that slide UP out of the fuselage, and one moveable roof panel that can be
slid to either side. When the temperatures are warm, you can fly it with
the
top down -- just like a convertible. And, of course, the temperature was
pu****ng 90, so we opted to leave the sides down, elbows in the slipstream!
After a clearning turn, onto the runway we rolled. Without further ado,
Keith fire-walled the throttle...and not much happened but a lot more
noise.
Slowly, we began to pick up speed, and -- after about 2000 feet of roll --
we hit 60 mph and just levitated off the runway! The bird flew!
Glancing nervously at the wings (that we so recently had moved on a
trailer), I was gratified to see no signs of flex or twist. The little
plane
kept accelerating, slow but sure and we were soon climbing out at a
whopping
300 feet per minute. Sedate, to be sure -- but with 420 pounds of "guys on
board", and hot weather, we were happy to see even THAT anemic rate of
climb.
Rounding the bend from crosswind to downwind to base to final, we were
lined
up with a slight crosswind from the left. Without rudder pedals, Keith
simply crabbed the plane a bit all the way to the number, holding a fast
70
mph "just in case". This resulted in a floating touchdown, but we figured
too fast was better than too slow for our first landing.
Then, it was my turn! This time I grabbed my headsets, so we could test
the
radios -- and quickly discovered a nasty surprise. At 6' tall, I was
unable
to wear my Lightspeed headset with the top up! My neck was bent over at
about a 70-degree angle -- something that would make flying "interesting".
How in hell I hadn't noticed this before is beyond me, but I guess I just
never sat inside with the top up and my headsets on!
No problem -- we simply flew with the center canopy section pushed a bit
more over onto Keith's side (he's 6" shorter than me), and my head
sticking
outside. No problem with the temperature pu****ng 90 degrees, but this
would
be a serious impediment next winter! More on this later...
The throttle is this cool, art-deco quadrant slider, and I firewalled it
and
waited. Normally, with the temps this hot, I'd lean to best RPM -- but the
Ercoupe has no mixture control. The carb is wired to full rich (there's an
STC'd mod to add a mixture control, but -- at $900 -- we've decided to
wait
on that one), so no dice there.
In another slider next to the throttle (where you'd expect the mixture
control to be) is the elevator trim control. Cool looking, but not exactly
"normal"...
Weirdness aside, the plane flies like a dream! With dual rudders, and
limited rudder movement, combined with full-span ailerons, it's
surprisingly
responsive in roll. Climb is artificially anemic, because of the limited
elevator travel (which makes the plane "stall proof", as advertised), but
certainly adequate for this class of aircraft. In the end, it's a
"knock-around" aircraft for us, and a "cheap flying" aircraft for our
kids -- and it fits the bill in both regards. Our estimate is that we
should
be able to rent the plane to our kids for just FOURTEEN DOLLARS AN HOUR,
dry!
Coming around on final, I pulled the yoke back to a steady 65 mph -- a bit
slower than Keith's approach speed. The Model E has a "stop" in the
elevator
that -- if pulled to that spot -- will hold the plane in the landing
attitude. Then, in the final flare to land, you give the yoke a good, hard
pull -- which allows you to pull PAST the spring-induced stop, giving you
the extra flare necessary to land nosewheel up.
So, we're happy. All that remains is for our CFI to sign us all off
(unfortunately, he's currently on the "American Barnstormers Tour", flying
his '29 Travel Air all over the midwest), and we'll be good to go. What a
fun little plane to fly!
And what about that "head out the top" problem? Having a partner who is a
grand champion homebuilder is a real plus. Within two hours Keith had
built
a modified bucket seat for me that lowers me a full two inches, and pushes
me back a full two inches -- giving me all the headroom I might need. Now
I
can keep my head in the plane, with our without headphones...
Now, we're gonna have to arm wrestle to see who gets to fly it to Oshkosh
this year!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
Ercoupe N94856
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"
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