Erco Ercoupe, Forne Fornair / Alon Aircoupe

Circa 1947 a chap named Harry Newton flew an Ercopue from Australia to New Zealand - over 200 kms of ocean - cood effort

reply

I lived in Yucca Valley, CA and flew this for many years. A fun airplane. Made many trips around the Southwest US. Only 85 HP and was very economical. It was not aerobatic at all because of the controls design. Just a fun airplane when I needed to relax.

reply

Iowned 415D Number 3008 N2383H from Jan 1976 to Apr 1979. I almost cried when I handed the keys to the buyer. I was in the Navy and simply couldn't take it with me when I transferred. In 1989 I found it in the back yard of the guy I sold it to. It was partly disasembled and his ex-wife owned it. She sold it back to me for a grand. I started to work on it and then I was striken with disqualifying heart problems. I sold it again. Now that part 9l has been changed to allow us old guys with disqualifying ailments to fly the sweet little birds, Isure would like to buy it back again. I just loved it. Never missed the peddles. One 30 degree cross wind landing and after that they were all just routine. By the way, San Walton owned one.

reply

HEY !! How about tha Alon ?? I had one and want another..Great plane...

reply

I am starting to restore a factory certified 415E ercoupe an was wondering if any one has ever seen any blueprints or parts manuals for this particular model? I have searched for hours and hours and have only found 415C model factory blueprints. Model 415E and 415G model aircraft have manufactured differences. Help Please? any info is helpful.

reply

I had one in 1955-63. Great airplane. sorry I sold it.

reply

About the time I received my private license in 1962 I caught a ride in an Aercoupe at Tallahassee. I remember the pilot having to bank everytime he made a course correction which was a lot. Did he have to do it? I think so, for had he had a rudder, a gentle touch could have kept us on course with the wobbling. Over all it was a nice experience for me as it was more like a military airplane with the canopy design. I wish I had one now. I bought a Luscombe for $1250 in 1963 which my dad couldn't land with the conventional gear so we bought a 172. One of my favorite memories of my dad is seeing him cruise over Destin going no where, just he and His God enjoying each other in the wild blue yonder.

reply

My dad Glois Brand had one of the first dealerships of the Ercoupe in Meridian, Mississippi around 1945, I remember flying at age of 8 with dad. He was WWII flight instructor for Army Air Force, also with the Key Brothers at Key Field, Meridian, Mississippi. I remember Dad Soloing a man with no legs, had to lift him in and out of the seat of the Ercoupe. It was designed to not stall in the air, didn;t have enought up elevator, that is what made it the safest of all airplanes plus it was the first with tricycle gear..Phil Brand

reply

ssvsgvahvhdskgjdula

reply

Great airplane!!!! On crosswind landings just crab straight down the runway and at contact with the ground let go momentairly of the wheel. It will straighten up (after scaring hell out of you) all by itsself. Safe airplane for just flying for most peiople and I never saw need for rudders.

reply

I forgot to mention that if the "fuel gauge" cork-on-the-end of a rod became corroded and pitted, it sticks because of the air pressure pushing back on it. The two 8 gallon wing tanks feed to the center 6 gallon header tank. We had been flying around for about 3 hours, and I said to my buddy, "Fred," seems to me that the rod should have started down by now? How about you reach out and give that rod a tap. Fred did, and the rod goes Ker Plunk all the way to the bottom! Yikes! We landed immediately and had about a gallon and a half left.

reply

I taught one of my students to fly his rudder pedal-less Ercoupe back in the early 70's. I didn't care to have to have a slight right bank during climb, like Frank Regan above is addressing the yaw control.

reply

When the US Air Force Academy was located at Lowry AFB (its original home), the Academy Aeroclub had an all-metal Ercoupe (aka Aircoupe) based at Stapleton Field in Denver, Colorado As a Cadet, it was the first powered aircraft I ever soloed. I believe it had a 65hp engine (some models have 85hp), and starting from 5000+ ft, it took a long time to get to traffic pattern altitude. With no manual rudders, it needed castering main gear to permit cross-wind landings. If you needed to slip it, you could stick a hand out and spoil the airflow over the wing root. There was just a single brake pedal on the floorboard, and you steered the front wheel on the ground with the control wheel just like a car. All in all, it felt a lot like driving a Volkswagen with an automatic transmission. Great fun. I'd love to have one now.

reply

In 1951 I went to the airport at San Angelo, Texas, looking for a plane to buy. The only one available was an Ercoupe with 247 hours on it for $1550. I told the FBO, "No, I don't want to try it out. I flew one once and didn't like it." He convinced me to go for a ride and two hours later I was on my way to Denver in my own Ercoupe at night. While it is disconcerting to land in much of a crosswind, once a pilot gets used to it, it is no problem even if crabbed at 30º, just get the wheel all the way back so the nose gear doesn't grab. If the wind is about 30 mph or more, the plane can be landed cross ways on most taxi strips. I have been told by owners of those with rudders that they are too small to help much. I had two Ercoupes and never had any problems in about 100 hours, but know that they are a bitch to work on due to everything under the cowl and in the cockpit being very jammed in. Mine both cruised at 105 mph at 5 gph on 75 h.p.

reply

I've flown and owned many aircraft. Stearmans, BT 13's, F6 Mustangs,
C172, Meyers 200, Siai Marchetti SF260, Super Globe Swift,
Spartan Executive, Swearinger SX300. And now I have an Ercoupe 415G.
it's the savest and greatest most fun little plane of them all. It's not fast , but at my age I'm in no hurry. And at 115 mph @ 5 gph you just can't beat it.

reply

I learned to fly in Aeroncas and Cubs but had no trouble adapting to the two-control Ercoupe and never found a need for rudder pedals. I owned a 1948 in the 60s and converted it to a 415E by installing the split elevator, which lowered the landing speed and allowed increased elevator travel. My wife and I flew it from California to North Carolina and back, then a few months later flew it to Florida when I went to work at the Cape. It's still flying; I found it recently on Ebay, for sale in New Jersey, nicely restored and looking much better than when I owned it.

reply

I owned a 1946 model 415c from 1976- 1992 s /n3833 best little airplane I ever owned it will run off & hide from a Cessna 150 this one had rudder pedals & a 85H /P Continetal engine.. will not spin.. met Fred Weick at one of our club meetings in Phoenix,Az. great guy to talk airplanes with..

reply

Owned a 415-c for 8 yrs. great airplane. doesnt need rudder pedals. I have landed it in 30 kt x-winds. truely a safe airplane. very reliable and inexpensive to fly @ 4 1 /2 GPH.

reply

I owned an ErCoupe for over 10 years (1947 s /n 4819) and flew coast to coast,using it as a second car. When I bought it, the first thing that I was going to do was install the rudder peddle conversion Kit. By the time I could afford the kit I had put about a hundred hours on it and gotten used to not having separate rudder control. I learned how to land in 40 knot Kansas cross winds and never did buy the conversion kit. Our two kids eventually outgrew the little baggage compartment so we sold the plane. Wish I still had it. It was the safest and easiest to fly little plane the I have ever flown.

reply

I flew this airplane without rudder and wouldn't wish the experienc on anyone. Weick tried to make flying an airplane like driving a car. big mistake! an aiplen needs an independent yaw control, i.e. rudder. Evenually the mistake was r ealized and a rudder became standard.

reply