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Greg, I expect you are correct.
In the case of the Ercoupe numbers, I suspect the numbers came from
the prototype ercoupe using the ERCO inline IL 116 engine, and Serial # 1
Ercoupe, which was originally certified with the IL-116 engine.
The 415 was first certified with the IL-116; an air cooled, inline
inverterd 4 cyl engine, producing 65 hp. With this engine the nose cowling
was shaped like a P-51...very little drag as compared to the C (Continental)
model with its opposed enclosed cowling. Continental had refused to make a
65 hp engine for ERCO (possible pressure from Piper and Cessna?).
After ERCO certified the IL-116, Continental then made the 65 Continental
engine available for about $500 less than ERCO's cost of making the IL-116.
See "From the Ground up, The Autobiography of an Aeronautical
Engineer"...Weick's book...
This also led to a problem with fire safety....as the 415Cs were produced
without proper fire safety in the cowling. Regulations required any fuselage
under the cowling be of stainless steel to prevent melting in case of an
engine fire. The new Continental cowling comes back over the front
fuselage, including the header tank......illegal... and was corrected in the D
model and CD and later models......
I personally feel that all C models should have the Stainless Steel cover
installed, for safety reasons.
Regards,
Harry Francis
Elliston, VA.
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