Gregory wrote back: > I was thinking that my sport pilot rating would finely take > me to full G.A. one day. In the larger picture, I think I will > try for a general ticket and buy one of the "D" models.( or pos. > an Alon) What are their load ratings conpared to the "C" > Ercoupes? btw, I only weigh about 170 and the wife is 120, > (she says it's 114 but that's in wife pounds). > I'm still hooked on the Coupe, in any model. Gregory,
Glad to hear you're not part of our girth-challenged group. That makes it easier. You should be good (have farther-than-bladder-range) in any Coupe model. The Ercoupes 415-D, E & G and the Forney F1 can all fly up to 1400 pounds. The Forney F1-A, all Alons and the Mooney M-10 Cadet can fly up to 1450 pounds. (The Forney F1 S/N 5611 thru 5714 can be converted to fly under the higher gross weight according to AS-787.) All these later models used to be the "premium" models that commanded higher prices. While their useful loads were rarely higher than a 415-C or 415-CD (with the 1320 pound STC), they are usually equipped with more instruments and better sound proofing. The Alons also fly and climb faster due to their better canopy shape though the downside is that they are window-open limited to 100 mph and many owners are afraid to even do that for fear the canopy will depart the plane in flight. The C-90 engine and usual prop are also a quite good combination. http://edburkhead.com/Ercoupe/model_chart.htm But, then, Sport Pilot caused the C and CD to jump in value by about $10,000 so that evened things out or even made the earlier models a lot more valuable to a big percent of buyers. Primary caution!!! When you get serious about buying, get a Coupe knowledgeable Coupe mechanic to do a thorough pre-purchase inspection. I'd recommend you pooh-pooh any annual inspection done by the seller and have your Coupe mechanic do a full annual inspection. Corrosion, in particular, is rare but it can be a $6,000-$10,000 catastrophe if you pay good airplane price then have to pay a bunch to get the plane back to being in proper condition. (See the listing in Coupe Capers for Coupe knowledgeable mechanics.) Just remember Donny's Maxim regarding used things (cars, campers, houses, etc.) be prepared to spend 10-15% of the purchase price on repairs the first 12 mos. of ownership. If you don't have to, congratulations. But don't go in EXPECTING perfection. Actually, I'd suggest setting aside 20% of the purchase price as a reserve for fixes and changes you want/must-have. Ed
