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-----Original Message----- From: William R. Bayne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 5:23 PM To: Ed Burkhead Subject: WRB Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] JATO-coupes RLYFLYIN (WRB via Ed Burkhead's computer-I can't post directly) Please send responses directly to the list or to me, Bill Bayne @ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Jim (WRB speaking), There was one (and only one) "JATO" Ercoupe, N28655, serial number 11.. It is not Mark Hardin's bird, which was manufactured during the JATO test period. Regards, William R. Bayne <____|-(o)-|____> (Copyright 2004) -- On May 25, 2005, at 2:12 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Does any one know where the 3 JATO ercoupes are today and the story of > them..I understand that Mark Hardin has 1 of these and restored > it..His is serial # > 110. Do you know the serial # of the others On May 25, 2005, at 2:38 PM, Wood, Percy wrote: > Last I heard, the JATO `coupes have been lost in the mists of time. > Mark Hardin has one of the Ercoupes that were used to test for a > radio-controlled drone. The other was shot down when it's radio > failed to > respond. It took two Corsairs, I once read. > Percy Hello again, All (WRB speaking) Does anyone have FACTS (geographical location, date, name of eyewitness, or anything remotely verifiable (credible source) to substantiate this colorful and persistent rumor? I believe a posting by Mark Hardin was where I first saw it. First or second-hand information, or an account published with appropriate substantiation (even if by reference to other authoritative source) is the only reasonable basis for accepting (or repeating) such a story as unquestioned fact. Published speculation (a friend heard from someone whose brother was one of the Corsair pilots that...) should be carefully identified as such when repeated or the truth (the "wheat") may become obscured (by the "chaff") and lost forever. Few Corsair pilots of the period would likely know whether a twin-tailed tricycle-gear PQ "target drone" shot down was a YPQ-12 Fleetwings or a twin-tailed tricycle-gear PQ-13 Ercoupe even if we accept the anecdotal account as authentic. If so, please share! WRB On May 25, 2005, at 3:13 PM, Richard Wilkens wrote: > The only JATO Coupe, serial number 11, was designated by the AAC as a > YO-55. The YO-55 did not meet the requirements of an observation > plane. The AAC did test it at Ft. Sill, OK before it went to March > Field for JATO tests. Its last known location placed it on its way to > Sheppard Field in TX as a ground school aircraft. The two PQ-13s > (serial number 110 and the other yet to be disclosed) had less then 3 > hours of AAC time. The flight time was more than likely the check > ride on acceptance or travel time to Wright. Both aircraft became > ground school aircraft. That is off flying status and used as > teaching aides. The PQ-13s did not meet the requirement for a target > drone. The AAC was not impressed with the Coupe at all and at one > point basically told ERCO don't calls us we will call you. > > The full story would take several pages, but in short we know the > three AAC Coupes and some of their history. Don't go looking for a > low number Coupe and expect to sell it for $80,000. > > There is no record of a PQ-13 being shot down. In fact there is no > evidence that, radio controls were ever installed in either PQ-13. > > Richard > N99904 Hello again, All (WRB speaking) My extensive research on the JATO coupe, the YO-55 and the two PQ-13s, has revealed overlap more than one would expect. Recently Richard Wilkins was kind enough to share with me some of his own original research on these subjects. At present I believe he and I are looking at substantially the same "pieces of the puzzle". We share some conclusions and differ on others. The YO-55, according to official AAF photo, was not the JATO coupe, serial number 11. In a print I had made long ago with special instructions as to burning to bring out mode detail in a dark area the first four digits of the original N number are clear. That narrowed the serial number to within ten airframes. Recent information from Richard identified which of those ten the "official" YO-55 was. It is not yet published (to be disclosed). The official YO-55 AAF Aircraft Record Card shows no posting to California ( for JATO testing). The official AAF Aircraft Record cards for the two PQ-13s are absolutely identical as to assignments and flying time. For this reason I believe one to have been fabricated from the other in hindsight. From available records, it is certain that the Army purchased these aircraft at different times, under different contracts, and that each was new. Mark Hardin's Serial No. 110 appears to have been one, and the Serial Number of the other is known, but not yet published (to be disclosed). Regards, William R. Bayne <____|-(o)-|____> (Copyright 2004) ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
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