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Paul Anton wrote: > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- > > The last plane I owned was a conventional gear Aeronca. > I find that with the Coupe I don't even worry about the wind. > I just do what ever I have to do to stay on the runway centerline > and land that way. In my Champ I was ALWAYS concerned with > the windsock. *****Have you ever landed at The Dalles airport? I landed there for fuel once in a 'Texas Taildragger'. Talk about a handful! I came straogjt in across the river with about 20 degrees of flaps, I thought I was doing the 'Pretzel Twist' on final. It certainly didn't take me long to get rid of the flaps (in spite of how slow cessna flaps are to react). That helped a little so I continued my final instead of going around. When I got over the numbers I was 'really busy'. I was watching my left wing and just glancing at the centerline out of the corner of my eye to be sure that I was still lined up. I was sure that I was going to touch my left wing on the runway before the left gear touched, I had my hand on the throttle and was just ready to firewall it when I felt the gear touch down. I swear there was less than a foot of air between the asphalt and the wingtip. When I managed to get both wheels on the ground, then the tailwheel I pulled the wheel full back, was hard on the left rudder and then the brakes to get it slowed down and hoped that it didn't blow over and damage the right wing. I don't know how high the wind was but I know now, that if I'd been in a coupe (this was many years ago and I didn't have my coupe then) it would have been a piece of cake, without the white knuckles. I guess that's why I appriciate the coupe so much. I've never soloed a Champ, but I have a little time in a Scout and I nearly ground looped it once due to a gust of side wind just as I touched down. It wasn't a big gust, but it got under that darned high wing and was blocked against the side of the fuselage just hard enough to get my attention. I got a little bit sideways for just a moment but managed to save it okay and get the 'dolly-wheel' back behind me again. Every time I remember these 'growing' experiences I appriciate my coupe even more. > > On the other side of the coin, I would land the Champ on any > reasonably smooth surface that I had a clear approach to. > With the Coupe I am much more concerned about the surface > due to the fragile nose strut, the prop being closer to the ground > and picking up rocks and gravel. *****I don't think the coupe nose strut is any more fragile than most other trikes, but I agree it's a good idea to keep it light (or aloft) as long as possible on rough terrain. And of course the bigger tires on the taildraggers don't hurt any either. > The Coupe is a MUCH better cross country airplane. a 500 > mile X-country in a Champ is a real event. In a Coupe it is > one fuel stop. <G> *****No arguement on this paragraph! ; - ) > I could do spins-loops and other mild maneuvers in my Champ. > I could also make real fun wheel landings. > > In my Coupe I can make real fun cross wind landings without > white knuckles. ***** Like I said above, a piece of cake. It's fun to go up and dance in the wind like a leaf and still be able to put it down without fighting it. Oh, and no 'WKS' either. (White Knuckle Syndrome) Sort of a coousin to TCT. ('Taildragger Carpel Tunnel') > When I was deciding between the Coupe or another Champ I > joined both mailing lists. From this list I got some real good > information. From the Aeronca list I was rapped pretty good when > I mentioned the Ercoupe. *****Don't hold it against them, they've obviously never flown a coupe. (yet) > In the end the Coupe won. It has the most bang for the buck. > It took a few hours of crossing my legs and putting them on the > right side of the cockpit before I was comfortable on final approach. > More than once I caught myself trying to press on the brake pedal > as I turned the wheel. <G> *****Sounds familiar, I'm glad the coupe has good solid floorboards, I sure tried to push holes in them when I first got it. Now I just pretend I'm driving my Caddy only it's in 3-D. I also have height. ; - ) > Now, I don't even miss the rudder pedals. In fact I have 60% of a > pedal kit in my closet that I'll make someone a good deal on. <G> *****No sale on this list! > Now if I were a rich man I'd get a Wilga or a 185 so I could get > into rough back country air strips, and the latest nicest Coupe > I could find. (as long as it still had the slide down side windows) *****Don't get me started on what I'd have if I was rich. I'll just say that I'd need one heck of a big hangar! (Or several more little ones) Gotta go, I think my dinner is about ready. Bob Saville > > > Cheers: > > Paul > N2273H > > __________________________________________________ > To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ___________________________________________________________ > T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 > Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics __________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
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