Hi Bart, Wonderful things happen with Fred's coupe..:) The first airplane with tricycle landing gear....actually patented by Fred Weick... AS the Mass of the airframe is in front of the main gear, as soon as the main gear tires touch the runway, this mass causes the airplane to quickly swivle in the direction of fight...down the runway....and quickly the nose gear compresses as you release pressure on the controls. When this happens the wings are now in a almost negative angle of attack and stop flying, or affected by the X-wind. Yes the X-wind will try to weathervane the coupe, but the nose wheel is now planted on the runway, preventing this from happening. In excessive winds - (above 25 mph demonstrated X-wind Component). you should not be flying - but, now hold a little forward - nose down pressure on the controls to help control this effect. The Ercoupe Pilots manual even suggests in excessive x-wind conditions. one may want to set the brakes so the coupe will slow down as raidly as possible on landing, and also pitch the coupe nose down attitude. BTW, the manual also says one can safely land at almost double the landing speed without balooning, as the wings lose lift when then nose gear compresses, and the Coupe stops flying ...unless the pilot then applies back pressure to the controls. On take off in a x-wind, the same thing happens: Accelerate full power, using a slight forward pressure on the nose wheel, attain indicated flying speed - about 50 mph + indicted, and quickly apply a slight back pressure. The coupe will litterly jump into the air, quick swivel to react to the x-wind, and you will climb out in a crab...all automatic, straing and level wings, and as designed. Now, if the Coupe is not rigged properly, and the tail is set low...(on level ground the window rails should be level), this landing situation doesn't work. The Coupe was not designed to be flyable until the wings are put in a positive angle of attack by up elevator control. Now you are trying to fly a two control airplane like a three controler, which creates problems, because you cannot slip the coupe. BTW, Several large airplanes land the same way, as engine placement will not allow a low wing approach, so the pilots were trained in Ercoupes on how to make X-wind landings in a crab. As soon as touchdown on the main gear, the airplane's mass causes the airplane to track down the runway, the nose gear compresses, leaving he wings in a low/to negative angle of attack - so they stop flying, and the pilot safely taxis to the ramp. Hats off to Fred Weick ! :) Harry
--- On Sun, 3/15/09, bbartsey <[email protected]> wrote: From: bbartsey <[email protected]> Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Re: snubber cable To: [email protected] Date: Sunday, March 15, 2009, 9:51 AM Just one thing puzzles me about these comments on crosswind landings. With the mains on the ground, you say the force on the main gear aligns the airplane with the runway prior to nose wheel touchdown. Then why does the airplane tend to weathervane into the wind with the mains on the ground and the nose in the air? Makes for some exciting excursions into the grass, don't you think? Bart --- In ercoupe-tech@ yahoogroups. com, "Harry L. Francis" <harrylfrancis@ ...> wrote: > > Dan, > > I am confident you are correct. The coupe must turn down the runway before > the nose wheel touches - then lower the nose wheel and lose all lift. > > The snubber cable is there for 9 degree up elevator travel birds ( D, etc.), > ...because one cannot get the nose up as high on landing as a 13 degree > elevator travel > as in the C /CD models.. > > With the later split elevator, one now gets 22 deg up travel and one can > raise the nose the same as the C /CD models, so no snubber cable is needed. > > One of the major accident causes is landing in a crosswind without getting > the nose up sufficiently so that one lands on the main gear; allowing the > coupe to turn down the runway in the direction of travel. THEN lower the > nose to compress the nose gear, lose lift, and steer to the ramp. > > Making the gear scrub will cause the whole assembly to twist off the nose > gear....not a good thing. Keep the nose high on landing, let the coupe > swivel down the runway, then lower the nose gently and steer to the ramp. > Fly Safe - have Fun > Harry >
