KIm. I think modifying the canopy is the way to go. I would not make it slide back because of the complexity of the rails, rather hinge it at the frame that is at the end of the canopy section. That way you would have easier entry and room for a small collapsible wheel chair. I recommend measuring the available area first, making sure the wheel chair will fit in there.
Best luck, Hartmut To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:43:11 -0700 Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Fwd: Baggage Pod for Ercoupe Group... Please bear with me. I'm trying to research how I might carry a small wheelchair in my 'coupe. One idea I had was a small baggage pod under the belly. I contacted a maker of pods for RV's and other craft and after a bit of back and forth, he had the following idea. Please look at the threads below. In your opinion, is his idea possible, i.e can the canopy be modified as he suggests? Kim Blackseth N2332H Begin forwarded message: From: David Shelton <[email protected]> Date: April 12, 2009 10:31:42 PM PDT To: kim Blackseth <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Baggage Pod for Ercoupe Kim, I'll take a close look at an Ercoupe while I'm at Sun 'n Fun. After looking at pictures, I'm mostly concerned about ground clearance. When the landing gear is fully compressed, I'm not sure there will be enough clearance to carry a 14" deep pod. The RV-10 has very tall landing gear and there isn't much room to spare with our 12" pod. I'll bring a tape measure to Sun'n Fun. If it has clearance, I might be able to cut a couple feet from the center of an RV-10 pod, then splice them together to make a shorter pod. I spent a little time on Google and found that newer Ercoupe models had a larger baggage area and early models may be retrofitted. If there is room inside the baggage area, it might be easy to cut the fixed canopy from the fuselage. I could make a new removable canopy frame and mount the original plexiglass to it. The new rear canopy could be mounted removabley (pull a couple pins and lift it off), hinged (side or rear-hinged) or slidably (like a Grumman Tiger, http://www.chooseyouritem.com/airplanes/photos/3000/3008.jpg). In addition to providing access to the baggage area, would this make it easier for you to enter/exit your airplane? Than canopy is easy to work with because it's non-structural and there wouldn't be any aerodynamic changes... that means less structural analysis, load testing and flight testing. -David Shelton On 4/10/09, kim Blackseth <[email protected]> wrote: David... Thank you for your reply. I was hoping you would entertain a few more thoughts and questions... 1. To answer your question, the wheelchair was built using various components from existing electric wheelchairs. It uses a 12v battery that weights about 18 lb. The rest of the chair is aluminum and nylon and is very light. It is Ok for use around the airport and travel, but is not a "day to day" chair, as its a bit underpowered, but very usable. The whole chair comes apart (and together) in 3 minutes and uses no tools... 2. After I got my PP Certificate a few months ago, I bought a new 2008 Jabiru J230 to transition into. It appeared to meet my needs, i.e. big baggage area, new, glass panel with all the bells an whistles. We designed and installed the hand-controls, but it became obvious the plane would not work for me. The control efforts and work load is just too high. The Ercoupe is perfect for my disability (C-5 quadriplegic), but there's no way to carry a wheelchair, no matter how small. The rear windows prevent getting anything but a briefcase behind the seats, so while I loved your suggestion, I'm at a loss how I could implement it. 3. I was hoping I could get you to build a pod for the Ercoupe using a 337 Field Approval. I need assistance with the build and approvals. I do not expect it to be economical. In fact, I suppose it will be quite expensive. I think you're correct, a new STC would be very pricey for a one off pod. That being said, there are quite a few Ercoupe pilots who use wheelchairs, as the plane is otherwise perfect for disabled pilots. There are no rudder pedals. All controls are by hand, ie. ground steering, throttle, brakes, etc. We all have the same issue with carrying a chair. I wonder if quite a few of these pods would not sell to other disabled Ercoupe pilots, but that's another discussion. Would you be interested in a custom pod, assuming a Field Approval, if I was willing to pay the hefty price tag? If not, any ideas on where I could find an engineer to assist with this? thanks Kim Blackseth, ICC, CASp 310 17th St Oakland, CA 510-839-1760 On Apr 8, 2009, at 9:09 PM, David Shelton wrote: Hi Kim, I'm impressed with the weight of your wheelchair. Do you know what kind of batteries it uses? I wish we could help you but our products aren't economical for one-off production. It takes a substantial effort to design, tool, build, test and certify (STC) a new pod. You might explore modification to your baggage area so you can fit your wheelchair inside your airplane. A skilled A&P (*tip* not all mechanics are skilled at fabrication so you would need to ask around) might be able to extend your baggage area past your bulkhead to make room for your wheelchair. (see some extended baggage mods at http://www.selkirk-aviation.com/extend_bag.html). This strategy would require minimal structural modifications and no aerodynamic changes. It might be possible to get FAA approval with a 337 form and avoid the more costly STC process. Additional thought: Here is a picture of a foam nest in the trunk of a car. You could hot-wire-cut your own nest for your baggage area to help protect/secure your wheelchair. http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/attachments/show-off-your-project/51090d1218082008-my-first-carpc-my-subaru-legacy-estate-led-sign-inside-1-.jpg Final thought: An inclined ramp or slide might be mounted between the lower-rear of the baggage area and the top of the seat back. This set-up might make it easier to slide the wheelchair into/out of the baggage area. I wish you the best of luck and I'll let you know if I think of any other solutions. Sincerely, David Shelton, President MotoPOD LLC On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 6:41 PM, kim Blackseth <[email protected]> wrote: Hi... I'm a disabled pilot and an trying to find or build a small baggage pod for my Ercoupe. Your pods looked very promising, but maybe a bit big for my needs. I have a small, collapsible wheelchair that I'd like to put in the pod (see pictures below). It weighs about 35 lbs and is quite small (27" x 35" by 14" high) when folded. Could you build and engineer a pod I could get FAA approval on? Kim Blackseth, ICC, CASp 310 17th St Oakland, CA 510-839-1760 _________________________________________________________________ Rediscover Hotmail®: Get e-mail storage that grows with you. http://windowslive.com/RediscoverHotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Rediscover_Storage1_042009
