Ercoupe Alon A2

[Nark]

I’m helping a friend ferry an Ercoupe in a week or so, back to Wisconsin from upstate NY.

Any hints or tips for me?

A quick flight analysis shows about a 6 hour adventure.

[Colonel]

I would be more concerned about it’s mechanical condition … they’re really old. When was the last time it flew?

Sweet old airplanes. Some had rudder pedals added later, not sure they made much difference. Not sure if the one I flew had them?

Steering wheel. Weird but works.

It’s summer. Put the top down and steer it by sticking your arms out the side.

[Nark]

Rudders: yes.
Has flown a few hours the last several years. Recent annual.

I’m looking forward to steering with my hands like an airplane, in an airplane…

[Colonel]

You will love it. A sweet old thing. It won’t climb real fast on a hot day, and you land crabbed with a crosswind, but no big deal.

They were old 30 years ago, when a student of mine bought one as his first airplane and asked me to teach him to fly it.

Main thing I remember is that the mag switch was badly worn. You could remove the key when the engine was running and BOTH was selected, which made me vaguely uncomfortable.

I don’t even like brand-new Bendix mag switches. Just give me a couple toggle switches and a momentary button for the starter solenoid.

Not sure why people love all this unnecessary complexity which breaks and costs $$$ to fix.

[Squaretail]

Its weird landing in a crab on purpose, but it does work. The airplane is effectively a practical application of Langeweische's "silver chain" theory of stall prevention. I think I read that the twin tail configuration was so you could hangar it in a garage.

[Colonel]

You can land a 172 in a crab, too. Works fine.

Students taught me that.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Flew one a long time ago and never had any burning desire to repeat the experience. I do recall that the fuel system valves were a bit weird.

I would suggest that how to make sure fuel gets to the engine and how to latch the canopy are 2 gotcha’s that have bitten more than a few pilots on their first flight in a new to them aircraft.

[Colonel]

I know. It's not a Great Travelling Airplane™ ... but in the evening after the wind has died down, it's one of those weird old airplanes that you pull out of the hangar every once in a while, and take for a peaceful solo flight, skimming over the trees. Good for it, good for you.



I need to stop enjoying aviation and start hating flying. I will work on that, but no promises - I love the weird stuff.

I remember when I was contracted to get this out of Canada, to Belize, in a hurry. It was an Italian, geared,
multi-engine pusher amphib retractable taildragger. I was in love.



I was young. They told me it was art, I needed the money. But seriously, one of my regrets in life is that I never
got the chance to splash it down in some water. How often you do get to fly an antique multi-engine seaplane?

[Nark]

Well, just like Cat used to say: hardest thing to learn is to say no.

Found it with some mechanical issues. Need to get it fixed before taking flight again.


It’ll be a sweet little bird was she’s healthy again.

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Happy these are almost everywhere ‘round them parts:

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[Scudrunner]

Maybe because I’m programmed to get the job done I love those kind of flights