I agree with Glen, except for one issue. Don't do a pre-buy; but rather, have an annual done.
A pre-buy has no defined scope and detail, and can be anything from a thorough preflight to almost an annual. An annual inspection has a defined scope and detail, including assuring that all of the paperwork is in order and the airplane is legal. We've all seen many airplanes that are physically safe to fly, but aren't airworthy because of paperwork issues. You pay for the inspection, seller pays for repairs or remedies. Jerry E. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Glen Davis Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 6:52 PM To: [email protected]; falconn_13 Subject: Re: [ercoupe-tech] New Guy Chip Welcome aboard! For reference, I have owned two Grummans, a Glasair, a Piper and a couple of Ercoupes. The Ercoupe is no more maintenance intensive than any other plane of of similar vintage. In fact, the Ercoupe is basically a very simple airplane so dollar for dollar, or hour for hour, it is less of a maintenance queen than most others. The reason you hear a lot of maintenance problems and questions on this forum is simply that is one of the primary reason for this forum! It's like going to a cooking website...you would expect to hear about recipes. Having said that and having owned a couple of Ercoupes, I will go on to say this: In my opinion there are more poorly maintained Ercoupes out there then there are most other makes/models. I believe the reason for this is purely economics The Ercoupe is one of the least expensive airplanes you can buy. Therefore, it is attractive to those with the smallest budgets. As we have the smallest budgets, some of us can't or wouldn't maintain our planes as they should be maintained. Some Ercoupe owners, to save money, stretch the rules by doing work on the planes themselves that is not legally done by a person without an A+P license. Some of us use parts that are not FAA approved parts because the parts from the auto parts store "fit". For these reason, I feel there are a lot of Ercoupes flying that have questionable maintenance. I feel the trick to getting a good Ercoupe is find one that has been taken care of properly and legally. This next statement is very important so please listen carefully..."have a prebuy inspection BY AN ERCOUPE SAVVY MECHANIC before you make the purchase". It will cost you around $500 for this service but will save you thousands in the long run. An Ercoupe savvy mechanic does not mean a guy that has done an annual or two on an Ercoupe. There are only a handful of these guys around the country. When you are ready, ask for recommendations here. You will also find a list of them when you join the Ercoupe Owners Club http://www.ercoupe.org/ . A well maintained Ercoupe should be able to fly from annual to annual with very few squawks. Rudder peddles are a personal preference issue. If you are a tall guy, Your legs will feel cramped with pedals. I think an almost unanimous opinion is that the Ercoupe without peddles is easier to land, once you get the hang of it. I have flown with both. I dont know the answer to the second part of your paragraph 2. I will defer to my friend Lynn on that. Windshields: The bubble gives you the feeling of more room. I personally think it makes the plane less attractive...more bulbous. The conventional windshield is more streamlined. My Coupe has a bubble. Currently I have a four-place aircraft and the Ercoupe. The Ercoupe is MUCH more fun to fly. Unless I am going on a long trip, I prefer my Ercoupe. Welcome aboard. Glen Ercoupe N3103H Grumman Tiger N70GD From: falconn_13 Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 6:00 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ercoupe-tech] New Guy Greetings All, I have been a member of this list and the "fly in" list for a short time, and have thoroughly enjoyed reading the posts on both. You folks have an amazing amount of knowlege and experience. I am seriously considering becoming an Ercoupe owner for several reasons, and look forward to joining in the discussions as a real "couper". I do have a few questions I haven't been able to answer by reference to the list archives. If someone would kindly spare the time to answer, I'd really appreciate it. 1. I am an experienced pilot and a basic OK home mechanic, but have not the time, qualifications, nor skills to be a primary mechanic for an aircraft. I would like very much to own a 'coupe, but could not justify spending more time working on it than flying in it. From the lists, it seems that much time is spent in searching for parts, looking for answers, and waiting for the bird to come out of repair. I am fully aware the this is an older "classic" aircraft, which is one of the reasons I like it, and as such requires more TLC and patience than a more modern type. That I am willing to do, over and above all the usual annual/overhaul/inspection/normal wear-and-tear stuff, within reason. If I put forth the effort to buy a 'coupe in good safe and solid condition to begin with, do I have a reasonable expectation of flying it more than worrying about it and fixing it? 2. Regarding rudder pedals: Personally, I can go either way, but would prefer the original design. If I find a good 'coupe modified with rudder pedals, is some sort of aileron/rudder interconnect still active, or would that have been disabled at time of modification? And if so, could it be re-connected? I spent quite a few hours flying a type that had aileron/rudder interconnect via a spring/bungee cord arrangement. Normally, not much rudder needed, but if a slip was required, just over-ride the bungee cord and you've got full rudder authority. Anything like that in the rudder pedal 'coupes? 3. I notice references to "bubble" or "bbl" windshields occasionally. Is there some sort of advantage one over the other? I can't tell just by looking at the pictures. Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer and help. My wife is also excited about this idea (YEAAAA!!!!)and we will be at Sun and Fun for the first couple of days. Hope to see some of you there. Chip Dockery Glen Glen Davis 917 297 1111 www.ishootpictures.com www.ercoupepilot.com
