----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----Funflyer,
Leave it alone..... If properly rigged the ball will stay in the center better than any pilot can do!
Seriously, it is a great airplane ( if properly rigged) and will not stall or spin. Landings in a cross wind exceed anything a C-172 or similar airplane can do ( 25 Kts demonstrated x-wind component)...
So one just lands on the main gear, nose high; in a crab, tracking down the runway. As soon as the airplane touches down, the forward CG immediately causes it to track down the runway; nose drops, loosing lift and you simply drive to the ramp. (again, if rigged properly and the tail is the proper height - 75 to 77 inches at rest.)
The first five Coupes purchased by the CAA ( FAA) in 1940 were produced with optional rudder pedals, that allowed one to install a pin in the "mixer" and make it fully co-ordinated.. After their tests, this optional rigging was taken off the market, and most Coupes were delivered with simplified co-ordinated controls, assuring the Coupe always was co-ordinated ( no cross control and resulting spins, etc....).
This was the result of Fred Weick's desire to produce an airplane that would not stall/spin, the most frequesnt cause of fatalities in airplanes then and still today. It was often considered a "sissy" airplane cause anyone could fly it...."Weick changed the Hawk into a sparrow"...
Still one could order rudder pedals for an additional $25.00. Now I think one can expect to spend an additional $500 to $1000 for pedals and installation.
After initial introduction to X-wind landings ( same as a DC-8, by the way), one may still feel for the pedals, but one quickly finds the Coupe does just what it is advertised to - do - land and roll out safely in winds that others won't attempt. ( again, proper rigging and tail height are necesary). Once the nose strut compresses, most all lift is dumped, so the Coupe doesn't want to balloon or continue to fly. The manual suggests one can safely land at twice normal landing speed (60-70 mph) without balloning.
The most important thing is to check for hidden corrosion ( same as a Cessna/Piper are any other airplane.) Find and Fund a good Pre purchase inspection by an experienced ERcoupe mechanic...whatever the cost, it is worth it......
Welcome to the Coupe Group, and enjoy yours.
Fly Safe - Have Fun
Regards,
Harry Francis
based at Dublin, VA
N93530
Here are some sites: ercoupers.com The Ercoupe Network Mason, MI 2002 Harry's photos Rocket Assisted Take Off - US Air Force Museum Pre-WWII History Gallery
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