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From: Bob Branch
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Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006
7:18 PM
To:
Subject: re: tech: coupes loosing
wings
Ed
I hate to impose but could you post this on tech in response
to Harmut's post of this title? I cannot seem to post. I've tried deleting and
readding myself to the list. I get it fine, just cannot post for some reason.
thanks,
bob branch
415C N99891
Hartmut
I beg to differ. We are not at nine in anything except absolute stupidity
and total disregard for the aircraft and the aircraft limititaions that the
plane was designed under. I for one am getting a bit tired of people trying
to say that flying an aircraft outside its design limitations is in some way
reflective on the design of the aircraft. Aerobatic certification requires
that an aircraft be able to sustain certain amounts of stress and loading.
Most aerobatic aircraft still have limitations to g loadings that are
permitted in maneuvers. Go look at unlimited aerobatic aircraft and count
how many have g meters to assure that even these aircraft are not over
stressed. A previous statement infered that any aircraft should be able
to
pull out of a dive was written as if it is the requirement of any safe
aircraft. ANY aircraft can be overstressed pulling out of a dive of
sufficient speed with sufficiently sudden and extensive enough control
movement. An Ercoupe never was, not new and is not now and aerobatic
aircraft. Every person on this group should know that. The record absolutely
speaks for itsself. Ercoupes absolutely do not fall out of the sky on their
own due to corrosion. The Ercoupes that have suffered structurarl airframe
failure did so because of people perfoming aerobatic flight. They did so
at
their own perril and out of their own ignorance and or stupidity. They would
do it just as surely if they did it in 1946 as they will if they do it do it
today. If you exceed the design stresses and safety margins build into an
airplane it will fail, any airplane, whether it is an F-15, a Pitts, a
Bonaza, or an Ercoupe.
I think a more constructive approach would be to contact Univair in a calm
and cooperative mannor and inquire as to the evidence that led them to issue
SB #32 and also to contact EAA and AOPA and inquire to their recomendations.
There has been enough posturing and theorizing and arm chair getting cheesed
off. Lets get down to the facts both from Univair and from people who have
delt with issues like this in other aircraft and see what can be done to
hopefully prevent a knee jerk AD being issued. We have members who have
worked within the FAA. How about some feedback from them. Lets wait and see
what Jan Zanotto reports on what is involved in this testing and how other
options might be developed. He seems to be a very valuable resouce on
this
issue right here in our midst. I think the group will be much better served
proceeding from facts and not emotions. Realize also that someone
considering purchase of an Ercoupe is going to look in on this group. On
finding some of the post that have been presented I'm not sure I'd want to
purchase one with the speculations that have been placed here with
absolutely no fact behind them, only opinion. If we need to set up a
group
of people to formulate an approach to study this then lets do that and
decide who would be most qualified to do so. The Bonanza Society, the Cessna
Pilots Assn, the Luscombe Assn. have all delt with issues of this type. I'm
sure that there was lots of emotion that flowed early on thru those groups
as well on the issues they faced. But at some point emotion has to give way
to a sane well thought out approach to the problem. Looking at how these
other associations successfully delt with their issues could well provide us
with a path to take.
bob branch
99891
----- Original Message -----
From: "
To: "
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 3:19 PM
Subject: Re: [COUPERS-TECH] Coupes losing wings.
> ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm
before following any
> advice in this forum.]----
>
>
> I extended my search to Alons and found 2 more that separated in-flight.
> Sad to read all this.
> Both were caused by overstressing due to aerobatic maneuvers. We are at 9
> in-flight separations now since 1980.
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