----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
I agree, You need to know your own planes characterics, because eventhough they are all Ercoupes The wt. of the pilot and passengers equipment ,prop, metal or fabric wings and other things make each one unique. even calibration of air speed gauge. Each plane has it's own personality. Jim P ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed Burkhead" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Coupe-List" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 10:01 AM Subject: RE: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Slowest Cruise Speeds > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- > > > > There seems to be a lot of fun in some of the replies and also some > information the writers think is true but is really B.S. > > I determined my Coupe's flying characteristics by TESTING them. I went out > and did glide testing at every 5 mph speed from minimum up to 95 mph > indicated. (If there's demand, I'll write up the procedure for a reliable > test. Sorry I don't have the exact numbers to publish, it's been 20+ > years.) > > For minimum flying speed, I went out and FLEW the plane at lower and lower > rpms until I got to a pretty low speed that finally required more power. > > The Coupes have a HERSHEY BAR wing similar to the Short Wing Pipers > (Tripacer, Colt, etc.) and the early Cherokee. These short, wide wings have > a pretty good glide ratio at their best glide speed. That best glide speed > is 15-20+ mph faster than for a high aspect ratio wing like is used on the > Cessnas. Indeed, the glide ratio isn't as good as Cessnas but it is NOT > gliding like a stove thrown out the window. I'd estimate the best glide > ratio is attained on Coupes in the 70-85 mph range. The glide ratio curve > (in my tests) had a fairly flat top meaning I could be 5-8 mph below or > 10-15 mph above the best ratio airspeed and still get almost the optimum > glide ratio. > > When you slow a Hershey Bar wing down to low speeds, it gets a WAY lower > glide ratio and that's why people who haven't tested and learned the working > airspeeds of their plane think Coupes don't glide adequately. Coupes DO > glide fairly well at the correct speed. > > At low airspeeds, just above the minimum flying speed, my coupe would get a > sink similar to a C-172 with 40 degrees of flaps but dropping the nose would > bring the airspeed and glide ratio back up quite nicely. > > I'd urge everyone to FLIGHT TEST your plane to find out its best > 1. glide ratio -- also learn which glide airspeeds give you which glide > ratios. > 2. max range airspeed > 3. max duration airspeed (lowest rpm at which you can maintain altitude) > 4. minimum airspeed according to YOUR airspeed indicator (which may be way > off) > > Ed Burkhead > http://edburkhead.com/ > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ed Burkhead [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 11:52 AM > To: Coupe-List > Subject: RE: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Slowest Cruise Speeds > > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any > advice in this forum.]---- > > > > John, > > May I please disagree? In the early days of having my Coupe, I went up one > smooth day and slowly pulled back the power 100 rpm at a time to determine > the slowest rpm and speed I could fly. > > It's been a lot of years so my memory is fuzzy. Also, my airspeed indicator > back then gave readings about 15% faster than my true speed. > > As I recall, the lowest rpm at which I could stay up was about 1850 or so > and the speed was 65 mph or so indicated. Sorry I can't retest since I sold > my Coupe last spring. Please let me assert that Coupes will fly pretty > slowly on not much fuel AS LONG AS YOU DON'T GO THAT TINY BIT TOO SLOW > (which would get into the back side of the power curve). > > The nose is somewhat up in the air at this airspeed, though, and you need to > fly with a light touch so you don't slip to the bad side of the power curve > when you really are at the low end. > > I did make some low indicated airspeed cross country flights up above > 10,000' (see the Stick and Rudder section called "There's Gold in Them There > Hills") and got about 400 miles range with reserves. > > Ed Burkhead > http://edburkhead.com/ > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jon Page [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 9:16 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] > Subject: Re: [COUPERS-FLYIN] Slowest Cruise Speeds > > ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any > advice in this forum.]---- > > > Jeff. > A coupe is the happiest at 90 to 110 M.P.H. If you slow down to 70 > to 80 M.P.H. you need more throttle to maintain altitude and the slower > you go, the more nose up you have to be to stay up there. Your not in > any danger of dropping off into a spin or a violent stall, just a > mushing descent that will creep up on you if your daydreaming. > Generally the coupe isn't comfortable below 85 or 90 M.P.H. and with the > power off it will fall out of the sky below 70 to 75 M.P.H. like a > chrome plated manhole cover. One solution would be to get some faster > friends! > > Jon Page > FLAK > MAGNET 415-C > > ========================================================================== == > == > To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm > > > > > ========================================================================== == > == > To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm > > > > > ========================================================================== == == > To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm > > > ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm
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