I have been a lurker on this group for almost a year now and have been very impressed with the wisdom often imparted here.
A friend of mine has been restoring a crashed 415c Ercoupe for several months now and is very nearly finished with the project. The aircraft has a C-85 engine and has an O-200 crankshaft installed. From my readings on this group, the aircraft remains a 415c as there is no paper trail of conversion to a 415cd or 415d aircraft. All the stc's for the installation of the O-200 are present. Unfortunately, being an extremely thorough person, he invited the local FAA airworthiness inspectors to insure that they agreed the aircraft was indeed a 415c. Two inspectors came to his shop to examine the plane and review the paperwork. The two inspectors disagreed , one inspector who is the titular LSA expert in the FAA airworthiness division, believed the aircraft was indeed a 415c. The other inspector, however, adamantly stated that a C-85 engine made the aircraft a 415cd and that the O-200 conversion made it a D model, end of debate. I know that the O-200 issue has been discussed previously on this site, and concensus was that the conversion did not change the aircraft from a 415c. I wonder anyone in this group, especially ones with experience in dealing with the FAA have any advice on achieving a positive outcome in this case? Yes, I was hoping to buy the airplane as an LSA. Thanks for your help. Larry Maden
