I understand they made parts for six engines....(See Weick's Autobio "From The
Ground Up----") the first was installed in the prototype "jeep". the second
certified by the CAA
(FAA ) and the third was installed and certified in Ercoupe 415 s/n1 , now in
the Smithsonian. (but now has a Continental Engine)
However as soon as ERCO certified the ERCO IL116, Continental offered the
Continental A65 engine at about $ 500 less than the cost of the IL-116.
Immediately the Ercoupe 415s were fitted with the Continental which became the
415C. C for Continental.
Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) Airplane Engine IL - 116
Inverted In-line 4 cylinder, Air Cooled
65 Hp at 3500 RPM
Skip Carden, on behalf of the Ercoupe Owner=s Club (EOC) donated the only
surviving example of the IL-116 to the Smithsonian Institute.
This engine was found in a barn, and the person who found it realized its
importance. He contacted Skip and offered the engine to the EOC. The engine was
badly rusted and Afrozen@ up, but a mechanic friend was able to construct a
special device to free the pistons without damage. I understand that after
soaking the cylinders for a week or so; the pistons were removed without damage
by hydraulically forcing them out of the cylinders using a grease gun to
provide the force to move the pistons out of the cylinders. The pistons were
cleaned, new rings installed, the cylinders honed to clean up the walls, and
all new bearings were installed.
Skip then contacted Sensenich Propeller Company. They found old drawings for
the ERCO engine, and manufactured a proper propeller - which was donated to the
EOC project.
Initially, Skip and the club planned to install this engine in a rebuilt 415;
to make a replica of the original Ercoupe with streamlined cowl, etc. After
careful consideration, realizing this was the only surviving IL-116 engine, it
was decided to donate the engine to the Smithsonian; instead of chancing the
destruction in an accident.
The IL-116 engine was designed by Harold E. Moorehouse. He was chief
designer/engineer for Continental. When Continental refused to produce and sell
a suitable engine (A-65) to ERCO, Moorehouse made it known to Fred Weick and
Henry Berliner that he had designed an inverted in-line four cylinder engine
suitable for their new airplane B the Ercoupe. He agreed to leave Continental
and finish design work and produce the engine for ERCO.
Moorehouse ordered parts for six engines, and sublet parts manufacture to
automotive producers...making Model A Ford pistons! The first engine went into
the prototype Ercoupe Model 310(the Jeep); with the second engine being sent
to CAA (FAA) for certification. This engine passed certification tests -500
hours at full throttle - with flying colors, and 100 hours at 4000 RPM - and
with no failures. Later, Weick had an engine failure with his original engine
due to a rusted hole in the oil tank - draining all oil from the engine and
seizing the engine. The engine was rebuilt and used until the airplane was
destroyed in a wind storm -- the barn fell on it. This may be the engine that
Skip has recovered and restored. No one seems to know what happened to the
other three engines and parts. Shortly after ERCO obtained certification of the
IL-116 (Approved Type Certificate No. 209), Continental made the A-65 available
to them at a savings of almost $500 per engine. Thus it was
decided to utilize the Continental engine in the Ercoupe. I think this is
where the 415-C ( C for Continental) designation was derived.
What a shame to have lost the development of this engine for the Ercoupe;
with a streamlined engine cowling Blike a P-51 - with little wind resistance,
and excellent visual range for the pilot. I feel sure that the engine would
have been developed to higher horsepower ratings - and competed with the Ranger
series of inverted in-line engines.
The engine is on display at the Smithsonian Silver Hill Facility - just
outside Washington, DC....about 5 miles from its original home in Riverdale,
MD, on the floor beneath the Number 1 Ercoupe, NC 15692, which is suspended
from the ceiling.
Attached is the specification sheet on the IL-116 Engineering and Research
Corporation (ERCO) Engine.
Harry Francis
9/17/1999
N-93530
S/N 853
Blacksburg, VA
540-268-2307
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
AJ DeMarzo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I thought Erco destroyed all of those 4 cylinder engines they made.
Since they were never in production I'm not sure if they were even tagged. If
you have one, WOW! If you're looking for a data plate for a Continental, blank
replicas are on ebay all the time. Pretty sure they wouldn't say anything
about Ercoupe on it.
Al DeMarzo
Visit the Ercoupe Swap Page
Free, Easy and No Membership Required
http://www.ercoupeowners.com/swap/swapbook.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 7:11 AM
Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Re; Engine data plate,
I'm Looking for an "ENGINEERING & RESEARCH CORP" engine data plate for 415
-C.
Prof. Ed
**************
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