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Gary, The only thing that could make me sell my Coupe was that I wasn't allowed to fly it. I lost my 3rd class medical to type II diabetes and, with my mix of medicines and insulin, the FAA isn't likely to let me have it back. After years of trying, I decided to go for no-medical-certificate flying. Maybe I could have done a more extensive search but I hit the Challenger first and kept coming back to it. It has the characteristics I wanted: medium good cruise speed, good low stall speed, 3-controls since I'm already skilled in that mode, good structure and good kit. I still love Coupes. Fred Weick, the designer, did a very good job. Think about it: the Coupe design has been flying for 64% of the history of aviation and it's STILL a pretty good design. Some of the new $100,000 planes really are better but Coupes have so much personality I prefer them (and I don't have $100,000 to spare). For durability, Fred Weick told me that when they designed them, they never expected the planes to be flying more than 10 years - progress was advancing so fast, why would anyone bother to keep flying them. But Fred had designed the Coupe so much in advance of the other 1939-1940 designs that it is competitive with planes 40 years newer. You MUST be sure that the Coupe you buy (or used Challenger) is corrosion free. This is true of all the Coupe's contemporaries, too. Be SURE to have a mechanic do a proper center section and wing corrosion inspection - take the wings OFF and inspect the center section properly. We hadn't had any center section problems to speak of so they were ignored but now that is coming home to roost and some planes are being found with serious problems. It can cost $5,000 in labor to make center section spar replacement IF you can find clean used parts. See my web site ( http://edburkhead.com/ ) for a general pre-purchase inspection form. It's a bit old so it doesn't have much about the center section inspection. I think I'm going to love my Challenger II. I hope to love it as much as I loved my Coupe. The Coupe is good for General Aviation flying. The Challenger is good for Ultralight/Sport-Pilot flying - low and slow - but it has enough speed I may still be able to make some long, to-the-ocean cross country trips from Illinois. Try browsing the FAQ and Why Buy A Coupe on the http://www.ercoupe.org website as well as other Coupe websites. Browse the Challenger websites and be sure to order the Challenger video. With this choice, you can't go wrong. Welcome to the club (whichever). Ed Burkhead http://edburkhead.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Sue & Gary [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 7:37 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Ercoupe vs Challenger Hi Ed, I have been mostly a lurker on both this list and on the Ercoupe list. I have read your many well written articles about the Coupes. You are Mr. Ercoupe..If I may say. I was just wondering why you are now changing to Challengers after so many years with Coupes. I have my PPL, I like both planes and was thinking about getting a Coupe about 1 1/2 years. Then I started reading more about some of the problems because of age of the coupes, and I started reading more about the Challenger. With the cost of flying so high I am giving the Challenger a real look. Thanks Gary in Ontario __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm
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