I don't want to disagree with someone with lots of letters after his
name, but I had the lower scissors on my Ercoupe bent up by an FBO
towing it and turning it sharply when parking it. It can happen. I
ALWAYS warn any FBO that might move my plane about it, and I'm
starting to put a DO NOT TOW flag on the nose gear.
Larry Snyder
Washington, MO
On Feb 16, 2009, at 5:31 AM, carl_lavon wrote:
Yes, Linda, it was I who asked the question. Thanks for your input.
My FBO assured me that it had put out instructions for our line
people about the proper handling of my Ercoupe, but the owner of the
FBO and airport manager of KJVY was a 'coupe owner for years and his
comment was that they are tougher than one might expect. Since he
has nearly 70 years of flying experience and enough alphabet soup on
his pilot's license to start a large preschool, I'll defer to him!
But he did say that since turning the nose wheel also turned all the
flight control surfaces, it probably doesn't hurt to exercise a
modicum of restraint when hand moving an Ercoupe. Fly safe!
Respectfully,
Carl LaVon
--- In [email protected], Linda Abrams <laspr...@...>
wrote:
>
> Thanks to all who wrote to advise on the potential difficulties to
> look for when a 'Coupe has been towed w/o permission. I had my
A&P
> check out the steering collar and stops as you advised, and he
said
> all looked fine. Then I talked again to the opps folks who'd done
> the towing; they said they had put the nose wheel onto a "tow
dolly,"
> which sounds like a platform with wheels. Apparently the dolly's
> wheels turn instead, and leave the Ercoupe's nose gear pointing
> straight ahead. Perhaps that will help answer the person (Carl?)
who
> posted asking for best practice.
>
> Hope this helps -
>
> Linda
> N3437H (Sky Sprite)
> L.A.
>
> On Feb 8, 2009, at 22:50, profedihmc wrote:
>
>
> > I asked in an earlier post about the turning radius of a 415C
> > with a double fork Cleveland nose gear. I got several interesting
> > entries but there didn't seem to be a consensus. I cannot
physically
> > lift the front end off the ground nor am I in the least way
> > mechanically inclined. Don't know what gene it is that men get
who
> > are able to turn wrenches and swing hammers; all I know is that I
> > didn't get that one and I'm not afraid to admit it. I could
write a
> > technical manual, mind you, but I'm just not a mechanic. Is
there no
> > where to turn for an informed answer to that question concerning
the
> > turning radius? I'm trying to prevent damage to the nose gear by
> > someone parking my plane using a tug. I need to mark the gear
> > somehow and having the radius would help me explain it to the
local
> > mechanic so he could mark it for me.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > "Couper" Carl LaVon
> > N415CB '46 ERCO 415C
> >
>
