Excellent point Harry, My ex had an ercoupe which sat about two inches low in the tail. The handling on that was very squirrely compared to mine. Shimming the gear fixed the problem.
Point is - if the plane is acting squirrely in take-offs - check the level!!! Another issue I had when I bought mine and after one annual... a veteran couper pointed out that the ailerons were mounted with the hinge on the top of the wing. (What did I know, then?) Remounting the ailerons gained about 10 mph - and much more control. Mechanics aren't all up to speed on Ercoupes -- have a good Coupe man look it over!! Rick N93686 --- "Harry L. Francis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Rick, You have it right.... The reason that holding > a > little pressure on the controls works, is that in a > static position, the wings are in a no lift angle of > attack (as designed by Weick - and only if the tail > is > at the proper height - level window edges on a level > surface). In this position the ercoupe will not fly > even at 120 mph (as noticed in the piots manual on > landing speeds - pointing out that the ercoupe will > not baloon when landing as high as 120 mph) > > So this is the real reason for setting the airplane > level by shimming the main gear struts, especially > when utiizing a double fork nose gear, which is > about > 2 Inches longer than the single fork - pushing down > the tail. ....making the wings become positive angle > of attack, and no longer as specified by design. > > Yes, hold a little forward pressure until reaching > about 70 mph indicated, then pop off the ground by > applying slight back pressure. > > The coupe will then pop off, and immediately swing > to > a crabbed climb position flying straight down the > runway. > > If a double fork was installed on aircraft using the > original rubber doughnuts, the main gear struts need > to be shimmed in order to attain the proper static > position. Forney introduced the double fork nose > gear > along with the Belleville springs, replacing the > rubber doughnuts. Their idea was that the Belleville > springs would absorb rough taxi areas better than > the > rubber doughnuts. This may be true, but with fairly > smooth modern runways, I think the rubber dsoughnuts > work fine --- if shimmed properly...ie: level the > airplane with sufficient shims on the main struts > (generally about 7/16 inch collars)..creating a tail > height about 77 inches, slightly above the original > specs of 75 inches...making sure the window edges > are > level...when the airplne is sitting on a level pad. > > Fly Safe - Have Fun > > Harry Francis > > > --- Rick Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Robert, > > > > Glen is spot-on. I have had several takeoffs with > a > > 20 knot crosswind and a twenty-five foot wide > strip. > > > > The key (I've found) is to hold it down and steer > > straight down the runway. I actually let the > speed > > build to about 70 and pop it off - it will > > immediately > > crab into the wind and just hold it for the runway > > heading. > > > > Unlike a cessna that floats off the runway > > immediately, Fred Weick designed the Ercoupe so > that > > it cannot lift off until rotated. I had to do a > > full > > speed run down a long runway to prove this to > > myself. > > But if you keep the front wheel planted for > > steering, > > you can go full speed and not lift off. > > > > On a shorter field I might opt to rotate at a > slower > > speed - but, I've had no issues with getting up to > > speed and popping it off. Kinda fun actually. > > > > I was on an airport that had five ercoupes at one > > time, and on several Saturday mornings of brisk > > winds > > coming off of Lake Michigan, the Ercoupes were > doing > > touch and goes on cross runways - while the other > > pilots drank coffee in the terminal. > > > > Admittedly, the first few were white-knucklers, > > until > > you reach that moment that you go "HEY - THIS IS > > GREAT!" > > > > Have fun, > > > > Rick N93686 > > > > Ps. I did find it easier to take-off on a > > twenty-five > > foot wide strip with a crosswind - than to land. > > Experience has taught me to make longer final > > approaches in crosswinds to more accurately guage > > the > > drifting. > > > > > > > > --- Glen Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Robert > > > > > > Good point and an experience I, too, have > > > had...although the runway was 150 feet wide and > I > > > already was almost airborne I don't know the > > answer > > > but I will assume the answer is as follows > > > (comments, suggestions, corrections please): > > > > > > In a pedalless Ercoupe, on take-off with a > strong > > > crosswind, add a bit of extra forward pressure > on > > > the nosewheel during the ground-roll portion of > > the > > > take-off, thus keeping the nosewheel firmly > > planted > > > and reducing the possibility of the airplane > > > weathervaning into the wind. When at Vr > (rotation > > > speed), briskly pull back and get the aircraft > > > flying. Then, crab as necessary to maintain > > runway > > > heading. > > > > > > Any thoughts > > > > > > Glen Davis CFII > > > > > > From: robertbartunek > > > Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 9:00 AM > > > To: [email protected] > > > Subject: [ercoupe-flyin] Crosswind take offs > > > > > > > > > I've read a lot of comments about how easy it > is > > > to land an Ercoupe > > > in a crosswind, even up to 30 kts or so, and > all > > > those comments are > > > quite true. What we should be talking about, > > > though, are crosswind > > > takeoffs which can become a bit hairy. > > > On my recent trip bringing my Coupe down to > > > Florida, I landed at > > > Perryton, TX in a fairly stout crosswind. Now > > > problem. Touch down > > > in a crab and the nose swings around to track > > down > > > the runway just > > > like in a T-38 which uses the same crosswind > > > landing technique. All > > > this occurs while the aircraft is decelerating > > so > > > lateral control > > > down the runway is uncomplicated using the > > > nosewheel steering and the > > > airspeed is low. > > > Takeoffs, however, are a differnt challenge. > > > Departing Perryton, I started a normal takeoff > > run > > > and reaching about > > > 35 knots the aircraft wanted to weathervane to > > the > > > right into the > > > approximate 30 mph crosswind so I turned the > > wheel > > > to the left to > > > track centerline. Then the fun began. > > > The left turn input on the wheel also made the > > > right (upwind) aileron > > > go down creating more lift on the right > (upwind) > > > wing. I glanced out > > > to the right and was really surprised at how > far > > > downward the right > > > aileron was deflected. The aircraft fairly > > quickly > > > assumed about a 20 > > > degree left bank while still on takeoff roll > at > > > about 40 mph. > > > Instinct resulted in turning the wheel to the > === message truncated === ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping
