From the 415-C allowable gross weight of 1260 lbs. to the 1320 lbs
allowed by the STC is sixty additional pounds of "legal" useful load.
I would envision that sixty pounds as ten gallons of fuel (2+ hours
aloft) or sixty pounds of baggage (when one is not flying solo).
Of course, the plane flies the same with or without the STC at any
given weight ;<) Those sixty pounds reduce a typical coupe's
operational ceiling by several thousand feet, but few Ercoupes operate
above 10,000' pressure altitude (even in summer) so as to notice.
Used split elevators command a higher price than ones with trim tabs
that they most frequently replace, and to install one Don would still
have to pay to install the trim handle and cable assembly and have his
elevator cables re-rigged.
Regards,
WRB
--
On Feb 22, 2010, at 11:48, [email protected] wrote:
Hey Don: Are you planning to make the changes yourself or paying
someone else to make them? The reason I ask, is a lot of time/work is
required to make the changes. If you have an estimate (or contract) to
do that for $1300 you are lucky.
You can purchase a used serviceable elevator, but unless you are
placing the split elevator on your Ercoupe, you will have to reduce
the up travel of the elevator to 9 degrees to comply with the STC.
This will increase the landing speed by about 10 mph from what you
have now. You will have to decide whether the approximately 50 pounds
of GW increase is worth it. ( I personally prefer using the split
elevator so you have 20 degrees of up travel)
Lynn Nelsen
