All,
Rick Durden's article on the Ercoupe is more respectful than most.
Over a decade old,
it is a period piece in that it precedes the Sport Pilot rules and
related run-up in price
of qualifying airframes. He is "spot on...one of the few aviation
journalists that openly
blame pilots "who did not know or respect the special design facets of
the airplane...".
That said, I find it interesting that no one else has taken exception
to any of the factual
inaccuracies. Perhaps this is because the files every aviation
publication keeps on
the Ercoupe (et al) routinely contain so many, but Mr. Durden added a
few new ones.
1. Production did NOT immediately follow the first flight of the Erco
Model 310 (not
the Ercoupe) in 1937.
2. The 112 built before WW II stopped production were NOT
"...75-horsepower
machines...". These all had the Continental A-65 engine.
3. The "...boom and bust..." was NOT for "...two years...", but
extended from 1945
through 1950.
4. The "...five thousand subtly varying models [had] horsepower NOT
from 75 to
90..." but 65 to 85.
5. The "...total of...airplanes...made under the Aircoupe (should have
said Forney, as
Alons were also "Aircoupes"), Alon and Mooney names..." was NOT
"...about
400..." but over 520.
6. The nose strut is not the "inflatable" type. The "...nearly zero
angle of attack at
rest..." refers to the nose strut or the "top of the tails..." instead
of the wing, and
one would likely have to DEFLATE the nose strut if this were actually
possible.
7. Taller pilots do NOT "...have to sit sideways...". Fred Weick was
over six feet tall
and he fit just fine (surprise?).
8. When he states that "a number of pilots have stomped on the support
for the right
control wheel..." I can only guess he thought that's what the control
column was.
9. He wrongly presumed that the example he was in was typical in
stating "there is no
mixture control", and in complaining about a "...left-turning
tendancy...".
Durden, an ATP, did better than most in describing flight at minimum
speed and how
this can be dangerous close to the ground, but he did failed to
associate the danger of
"low tail" and high landing speeds in crosswinds.
All in all, not too bad.
William R. Bayne
.____|-(o)-|____.
(Copyright 2009)
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