Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Re: Wheel pants design

Fri, 16 Jan 2004 23:30:27 -0700 

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I have a copy of the magazine with the Ercoupe with wheel wedges on the cover filed away somewhere, and a copy of the article that I had laminated for Antique Fly In's & OSH is in the hangar .  I'll go take a look tomorrow and try to remember to get the N # and date.
 
Dan
N3968H
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill DuCharme
To: Pete Thomson ; 'Hartmut Beil' ; Social Ercoupe
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 3:16 PM
Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Re: Wheel pants design

Pete, no need for money...  I agree, if we could find a set, drawings, and especially paperwork the rest would be much easier.
I'll try to find the original magazine and N number of the coupe in Private Pilot magazine and see if I can't get in touch with this guy.  Again, I believe it was in a 1996, 1997, 1998 issue.  Fortunately I keep all these old magazines so, it's just going to take some time to look through them all.
 
Until then I'll look at the Maul web pages, as suggested, to see if they still make the wheel wedges.  Then all we would need would be to duplicate the linkage.  I also know a good metal shop... if we can just get something to work from we'd be off and running before you'd know it. 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 3:42 PM
Subject: RE: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Re: Wheel pants design

Hi Bill, I am with you all the way, if money is needed, I will chip in. We really need to ifnd a set of these so we can use the paperwork done back then as a crytch to get along with the FAA. To do this from scratch now would be very expensive, the darn new requirements for aircraft mods is horrrific and ridiculous. I know I had a heck of a time finding the drawings for the skiis, had to do a lot of digging and finally came up with a set from an outfit whose name I had never heard of. Somewhere out there is one of these sets with the paperwork and we need to find it. Would you folks like me to come up with something for Coupe Capers?
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill DuCharme [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 12:08 PM
To: Pete Thomson; 'Hartmut Beil'; Social Ercoupe; Alon Aircoupe Aircoupe
Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Re: Wheel pants design

It would be pretty simple to make a set of these wheel wedges. They could be made out of metal or fiberglass since the design is so simple.  The greater challenge is getting a few good photos of the linkage used to keep the wedges directly behind the wheel in flight and on the ground.  This linkage would work much like the full wheel pants work.
    
If we could track down someone that has a set of these and have him/her send us a few good pictures I'm betting I could make these relatively easily.  They would be foam core with a fiberglass shell.  Sounds like a fun winter project...  Again, the linkage is the hard part.
 
Anyone care to see if they can track someone down that has a set and would be willing to take a few pictures for us?  We'd need both nose wheel and main gear photos.
 
If there is demand beyond us three, I know a fabricator in California that will make molds for us.  Then anyone could order a set of these from the molding company.  I've ordered a lot of custom motorcycle parts this way and based on what I paid for these parts I'd estimate that the three wheel wedges would retail for about $250 give or take $50.  They would likely come in white jell coat which makes them very easy to prep. for paint. 
 
Getting the FAA to sign off... that's another story... 
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 1:49 PM
Subject: RE: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Re: Wheel pants design

Maybe not Hartmut, a lot of times I have to use gravel strips, not grass. That would be a real plus for this type of wheel pants, I would sure like to get my hands on a set,Pete
-----Original Message-----
From: Hartmut Beil [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 10:46 AM
To: Bill DuCharme; Social Ercoupe; Alon Aircoupe Aircoupe
Subject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Re: Wheel pants design

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Bill. This is exactly the type of "wheel pants " I was talking about. It gives the wheels a better aerodynamic. It also adds 2-3 miles in speed according to the builder , I was talking briefly with and they weight 1 pond instead of 20.
 
But since they are just wheel wedges, I am in doubt that they would sell as good as they pants. People tend to like these cumbersome enclosures of the wheels and that's why they go for it.
 
Hartmut
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 5:50 AM
Subject: Wheel pants design

I too saw a great wheel pant solution...  Perhaps the one Hartmut mentions in his posting.  They really weren't so much wheel pants but more like wheel wedges behind the tires to keep the air clean coming off the back of the tires.  There are some nice photos of a coupe in a mid to late 90's issue of private pilot magazine.  It's on the cover and it's white and orange, if I remember correctly... 
 
At one time years ago I half heartedly tried to get in touch with the guy in the article but was unsuccessful.  I'd love to get a set of these.  Weight would be minimal...  They look, in my opinion, much better than full wheel pants and you don't have the problem of airing up your tires as your tire is still fully exposed on the sides...
 
If someone ever starts making these...  Put me down for a set... and I'll help with the field approvals.
 
Bill W. DuCharme
N6554Q Alon A-2
 
 
From: "Hartmut Beil" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Ed Burkhead" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "Coupe-List" <[email protected]>, "Coupe-Tech" <[email protected]>
Reply-To: "Hartmut Beil" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Wheel pants design

Ed you forgot to add one more point to the list.
5. have to be extremely lightweight, to avoid the payload penalty.

By the way. I have seen such solution on an Ercoupe a few years ago.
It was a very simple, pretty small solution, not an average full enclosure of the wheels.
Not your conventional wheel pant, but what is conventional on a Coupe.

Hartmut in cloudy California

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