Hi Dan,
Tail height becomes a non-issue for a competent Ercoupe pilot who lands
at minimum speed. The plane is through flying and will behave
regardless. Likewise the minor delay in steering authority from a
snubber cable.
Don't check for "tail height", but for the "level sill" of a properly
rigged and airworthy airframe.
That said, there is genuine danger lurking for someone new to the
Ercoupe without competent instruction and "low tail" syndrome, landing
at or above 65 MPH TAS in gusty crosswinds. The Ercoupe Instruction
Manual will NOT tell them that if (1) a gust lifts a wing (the low tail
allows it to be at sufficiently positive angle of attack to
"self-rotate"), (2) they don't immediately apply the brakes to dump
speed and kill the lift and (3) the bird then "weathervanes", they can
be in deep yogurt very, very fast without understanding what happened.
This can happen VERY quickly.
If their seller did not know or explain these things, their mechanic
likely will not be of help. Clairvoyance is not a requirement to
exercise the privileges of the private pilot license, and there is no
placard to warn new owners of this danger in advance.
The "low tail syndrome" is a phenomena which arises from (1) lack of
proper attention to the main gear rubber "taxi springs", or "donuts,
(2) installation of a 5" nose wheel and tire for the previous 4" nose
wheel and tire, and (3) installation of the Forney-style double-fork
nose wheel support.
If they are scared sufficiently by the experience to sell the plane, we
have another unenlightened pilot that will "bad-mouth" the Ercoupe
until the day they die without ever having understood that THEY brought
on the problem by (1) choosing to land fast (normally not a problem),
and (2) not having re-established the level sill condition that the
plane had when delivered (which makes landing too fast risky in gusty
crosswinds).
Good summation overall!
William R. Bayne
.____|-(o)-|____.
(Copyright 2009)
--
On Mar 16, 2009, at 02:23, Dan Hall wrote:
I think Harry & WRB have it basically correct.
More comments...
My Coupe has a single fork nose gear and a snubber cable (installed
before I purchased the plane). I have flow the plane for about 11
years and 1500 + hours as is, with some awareness of this 'heated'
technical debate.
I fly in SoCal (Chino) and have to deal with the 'robust' Santa Ana
cross winds regularly (including up to 30 knots direct 90 degree cross
wind as called by the CT personnel while landing at Williams Gateway
Airport in AZ - that was my personal limit, and the forward
pressure technique described by Harry is exactly what I did to
maintain directional control against the crosswind).
Nose gear tires seem to last me roughly about 500 to 600 hours
although I do tend to replace them before the tread is worn. I've
noticed that the dual fork tires on other Coupes seem(?) to last a bit
longer (not to mention being much cheaper to buy, but that's a
separate issue). I'd guess that the wear occurs during T/O and
landing when steering to counteract cross winds and at touch down
(spin up) however; that's just a personal guess.
I also noticed that the single fork nose gear tires seem to wear
unevenly, more on one side that than the other.
A&P's who don't know Coupes seem to freak out when the see the
(normal) amount of play in the single fork nose gear, so the nose
wheel bearing is replaced more often than is really necessary
(fortunately it's not too expensive, so I humor the A & P and let them
replace the wheel bearing if they insist).
The great snubber cable debate seems to me to be a very low level
issue, if it is one at all. Keep the tail height up and just go fly
the Coupe, snubber or not. JMHO
Dan Hall
N3968H
@ CNO
