Hi Gary,
The source of almost all bad first-person experiences with the Ercoupe
(et al) is either instructors or pilots with
lots of non-coupe experience trying to fly the plane like other
airplanes.
It was designed to not fly like other airplanes, but to handle more
easily and intuitively to the new pilot. Student
pilots have no bad Ercoupe habits unless their instructor teaches them
his or hers.
There is a saying. When all else fails, read the instructions. Anyone
that is stepping into an Ercoupe for the first
time who does not buy, read, understand, accept and follow the
excellent information in the Ercoupe Instruction
Manual is almost certainly, in time, going to get "bitten" and it's
pure random luck (or kharma) as to how hard.
A coupe is NOT a high-wing design like the Cessnas. The coupe has a
low wing, so a crosswind CANNOT
"lift the wing" unless (1) the tail height is low (as Syd pointed out)
and (2) the plane is being landed in excess of
the "minimum speed". It's design is purposely such that the static
angle of the wing's mean airfoil is incapable
of sufficient lift for flight at ANY speed on the ground so long as the
cabin sills are properly level.
Someone recently asked the question "is half a bubble off of level too
much"? If it's not right, it's NOT RIGHT!
Like your dentist tells you, you don't HAVE to floss all of your teeth.
Just floss the ones you want to keep ;<)
There is absolutely NO demonstrated increase in crosswind capability
possible between a coupe with de-
coupled rudder action and standard coordinated and interconnected
2-control operation. The coupe can be
safely operated by a competent COUPE pilot in significantly higher
crosswinds than that same pilot can likely
fly any other design. To safely taxi in gusty winds it is only
necessary to KEEP IT SLOW!
For later models that both de-couple the rudder-aileron and link the
rudder pedals to the nose gear, it IS
possible (and useful) to use the ailerons to discourage adverse effects
of high wind, but you would get half
the benefit by keeping the yoke (and ailerons) neutral while you steer
with your feet even in those.
A coupe does NOT glide like a Cessna, but its glide is both predictable
and safe AT THE PROPER SPEED.
A Coupe does not have flaps because it does not need flaps. Experiment
at approximately 3000' AGL in
level flight by reducing throttle to just above idle and slowly moving
the yoke back manually to the stop leaving
trim at the cruise setting. The bird should "settle" more or less
level at less than 50MPH TAS and (if you have
a ROC) a rate of descent nothing less than amazing...well beyond the
500FPM the coupe landing gear can
absorb without permanent damage IF all components are functioning
properly and effectively.
This "mode of descent" is as useful as flaps if an approach has been
mismanaged and the pilot needs to lose
a lot of altitude in a short distance, but in such "mode" there is NO
reserve energy with which to flare.
Accordingly, to be both competent and proficient, a coupe pilot should
be familiar with the visual "clues"
associated with lowering the nose several hundred feet up so as to get
True Air Speed back up to 55-60MPH
(which exits said "mode") before flaring to a normal touchdown.
So, how does one handle "first flights" if alone? Carefully. Very
carefully. If there are strong, gusty winds OR
a crosswind, wait for another day. Get to know the plane on nice days,
and gradually expand your relationship
on terms you choose and are comfortable with. Bit by bit explore the
uniqueness of the design with the intent
to eventually be able to not only understand but make use of the
associated capabilities.
There exist Ercoupe owners that "get by" substituting luck (some
without realizing it) for skill. Some, from time
to time, find their bag of luck empty when they need it. It's not all
that hard learn to to fly the Ercoupe properly!
But the first step is understanding that it's different than other
planes, and acquiring the right frame of reference.
Best regards,
William R. Bayne
.____|-(o)-|____.
(Copyright 2009)
--
On Apr 15, 2009, at 16:00, G. Davis wrote:
Ok, here goes. I now have no rudder pedals on my coupe;I understand
the crab to the runway landing, and the plane will straighten out.
However, with all my steering coming from the yoke, how do I put in
corrections once on the ground for x-wind.....In my Cessna, I used the
ailerons to keep the wind from lifting the windward wing. What keeps
the wing from lifting in my coupe? Remember, I am new and have been
working for 3 months to get this plane ready to fly...Today, or
tomorrow she is gonna be airborne. Thanks for reding this note.
Gary
