Jack Lewis wrote:
>
> Hello:
>
> First - Thanks for the info for the coupe list. Have most done. Will
send
> out a list this weekend
> if all goes well.
>
> Next - Coupe stuff. My coupe does not have a mixture control in the
> cockpit. There is a
> control on the carb., but it is safety wired to full rich. Should I put
a
> control in, as was
> suggested by some of the local none coupe group folks? Or, do I keepa my
> hands to myself
> and stay original?
>
> Decisions, Decisions.
>
> Thanks,
> Jack
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> ___
> |__/_ )\__|
> ________________| 0 |________________
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^|^\(_ /^|^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> | | |
> ( ( )
>
> Jack Lewis
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ERCOUPE
> SN-1692 415-C
> N99069
> Andrews, Murphy NC (6A3)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello
Jack,
I just read your question about the mixture control. I have a
415-C
with a C-75 Engine. My mixture control is also safety wired. I've asked
other coupers about this and there are a lot of them that are the same.
I don't know of any C-75's that are not safety wired but I've seen some
C-85's that have a control inside. I've had my coupe since 1986 and
have seen no negative results. If I were you I'd leave it alone. For
one thing, if it runs a little on the rich side it will also run cooler
and probably give you longer engine life than if it were running leaner
and hotter. Reckon???????
As for the subject of flying with the window down, a friend of
mine
flys with one down all the time and the other one is "centered" at the
top so there is a little over a foot of opening on each side. I think
he said there is a screw (a stop screw) somewhere at the top that he
removed in order for one window to go beyond where it's supposed to.
I think it's a good idea, one of these days I'll get around to doing it
to mine.
As for the rudder pedal issue, when I was looking at my coupe as a
possible purchase I almost passed it up. I had always thought that they
were a really neat looking plane, ever since I was a kid I'd wanted one
but I had never been up in one. When this one came up for sale I was
really excited until I found out that they had no rudder pedals. I've
always enjoyed doing my base leg really close and that put my turn to
final almost over the numbers and to high. You guessed it, time to go
into a real nice slip and kick it around in line with the runway and
grease it on. I'm not bragging, anyone can do anything well if it's
practiced enough. (And boy did I practice a lot!) It was sort of my
trade mark landing. I did it one time in a rented C-150 with about 20
degrees of flaps and a CFI saw me do it. BOY DID I CATCH HELL!!! I
guess he thought it was out of control. He said that's a good way to
spin-in, don't EVER do that with flaps down! He made his point so from
then on I did it without flaps in rented planes. (usually)
Anyway (back to the coupe), the guy who owned it said why not try
it
out. If you like it you can buy it and if not you got a free ride in a
coupe. That's all it took, who would turn down a free ride? Not me!
We flew for a little while and he showed me the violent stalls
that
coupes are so notorious for. I kept waiting but after a couple of tries
it never happened. :-) Then he said okay, let's do a spin then. Up
came the nose, down went the wing and guess what. We turned. :-) :-)
At this point he let me have the controls. I played with it for a few
minutes and headed back towards the Airport. I entered the downwind and
told him to land it. When we rolled up to the hangar and he shut it off
I wrote him a check. I waited until he left and then I went flying
alone in my first Airplane. (Mine, not a rental I mean) I checked myself
out in it, but then came the landing. I made a long final and "played
with the speed, decent and controls on the way down the chute. When I
got it almost to the ground it felt good do I just chopped the throttle
and held it a little nose high and let it land itself. WHAT A
DELIGHT!!!!! Then I "drove" it to the hangar and put it to bed.
Luckily, there was very little wind that day and it was straight down
the field. After a few flights I got a chance to try a cross-wind
landing. I must admit I was a little concerned with no pedals but I
thought what the heck and came in for a test fly-by. But it felt so good
that I sat it down and again I drove it to the hangar and put it to
bed. PIECE OF CAKE!!!!!! Now, when it's good and windy and none of the
other little guys are flying I go out and play in the breeze. Every
time I fly it, I love it more.
When I first bought it I had full intentions of putting in the
rudder
pedal kit. But by the time I had flown it a few times I thought I'd
sort of hold off for a little while. I'm glad now that I waited. Let's
face it, I'm spoiled. (Although I must admit, I do miss slipping. But
why should I ruin "The Perfect Airplane"?) Maybe someday I'll be able
to afford something with a back seat, that would be nice, but I've never
heard of a four place Ercoupe and I'll never sell my pride and joy.
If I ever do decide to change it I'd modify the system so as to
get
more rudder movement and make them both move, both ways.(But I won't)Happy flying Y'all. :-))) Bob Saville N3396H,SN4021 Bob, N3396, SN 4021
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