Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Hand propping

Tue, 1 Mar 2005 19:02:46 -0700 

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I though that I read that the wood Ercoupes were experimental only, and never sold.  As I remember it, they were built during the war, when aluminum was restricted to war production, which is why Howard Hughes had to build his huge plane from wood.  I still doubt that one of the wood Ercoupes went anywhere out of the factory.

Syd


Wood, Percy wrote:

Heard there were a couple, Syd.  Fred Weick talks `bout `em in his autobiography.  It was in 1940-41, when all the aluminium was going overseas.  ERCO built two.  According to Fred, they were heavey.  But, boy, were they quiet!  The wood absorbed the wind and engine vibrations.  I think it is an idea worth exploring.

               Percy

 

From: Sydney Cohen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 2:34 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Hand propping

 

 
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An Ercoupe with wooden wings?  I doubt it seriously.

Syd


[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
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On hand propping.
Many many moons ago, the first ercoupe I saw (It had wooden wings) and was owned by an idiot who was to cheap to buy a battery. the hand brake was not much good either. He hand propped it and the plane got away. Several more idiots ran to intercept it and managed to hang on to one wing. The plane spun around in circles four times or so until the bravest of the idiots jumped inside and cut the engine.
The damage to the wing was minimum and wouldn't you know it, not more than a month later he gave the hand propping a second try. This time the helpful idiots that tackled the plane the first time were either not around or had plenty of time to smarten up enough to stand by and the plane took off with nobody on board and flew away.
Now I can imagine how stupid one must feel in that kind of situation.
The plane flew on for about 12 miles and crashed into some 'caliptus trees.
The damage was almost total this time.
The engine was sold, the instruments removed and the fuselage was used as a pigeon coop for many years thereafter.
 
lessons:
Never get in the way of an angry propeller.
Never hand prop a plane without someone inside with feet on the brakes.
Never hand prop with the throttle full on.
Never give up on finding a good pigeon coop, Someone is bound to disregard the above lessons.
 
Alan Fairclough
N87333
 
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