I have an Ercoupe 415C (Witch qualifies as a Light Sport) with an 85hp and rag wings. The crosswind component on the Ercoupe is 25mph compared to a Cessna or Piper at 17mph. And it does great without rudder pedals. On approach with a crosswind, you keep the nose into the wind with wings level, tracking straight down the runway, If wind is from the right, you will be looking out the left window to maintain the track of the runway and you land that way, crossway on the runway. Once the mains touch down the nose will swing around to go straight down the runway because of the momentum and velocity of the aircraft's mass. It's amazing and yall are making a simple procedure freak you out. With a higher crosswind you will be landing at almost 45 degrees to the centerline of the runway. Have fun and thanks for sharing.
Well... all we can say is that our reactions were genuine, at least mine were. Of course comments like yours are helpful to read, and we're certain that with time, these are things we can overcome. I (Jeff) and relatively low time, so coming from other airplanes that allow for independent rudder control, this felt very foreign to me. My gut was like "nope, not today." But that can always change with practice. Thanks for watching and for leaving a comment!
Guys, i can't get over how visually pleasing this little aircraft is . . it is delightful! What else that flies has such beautiful lines? The 727-200 perhaps . .
I think part of what is making you so uncomfortable on landings with the Ercoupe is you keep wanting to land it aligned with centerline but you’re supposed to land crabbed if you’re landing in a xwind
My friend had me fly his with him. Think we set speed at 70 fly in keeping little throttle crab in when landing keep hand out of way for major crosswind. When close to touch down throttle out . Keep hand out of way of control when it touches down it can take control from you. After that just grap control and steer. It will straighten itself on contact
The Ercoupe was designed to land in a crab in a crosswind landing, and it does just that. Unlike any conventional plane with rudder pedal, once the main wheels touch simply let the nose drop and steer just like a car. With the negative design of the leading edge, the plane is done flying once the nose touches the ground. It is counterintuitive to everything you've learned. Just takes practice. The ERcoupe will bounce around a lot in bumpy air like any other light airplane. Take offs are also different as well. Add extra speed (I like 80 mph) before breaking ground, then crab into the wind to keep aligned with the center line. Again practice makes things more comfortable. Also most ERcoupe are most fun with the side windows down or partially down. That's the most fun!
Congratulations….. Your videos brought back good memories of my 415E model (with the cut out elevator) which I owned in 2010 for several years. Quirky maybe but great fun to fly after retiring from a military and civil flying career involving everything from DHC Chipmunk through DHC Beaver, B-N Firecracker, B-N Islander, Beechcraft King Air 200, and many other run of the mill light aircraft such as C150, 172, 206, Grumman Cougar etc. then progressing in weight through the 4 engined Turboprop Vickers Viscount, Lockheed L382 ( Civvy C130) Boeing 727 etc. Also early in my flying career I was also privileged to fly British Army Air Corps Anti Tank choppers (ATGW) after learning how to ‘pole’ rotary aircraft on the wonderful Bell 47! Later I was flying 20 seat Super Puma choppers to the North Sea oil rigs after military service! I mention all these types, and there were many others, not to brag but to show how varied my flying experience has been and to maybe get things into context when I say that out of all that lot the little Ercoupe was/is “a very interesting” and loveable machine to fly and having so many early safety innovations incorporated by Fred Weick the designer. I’m sure some of your pilots in your Ercoupe videos probably have a wealth of experience in their own particular fields of aviation too but as I watched their facial expressions I related fully to their concerns when the nose wanders, or often just before a crosswind touchdown combatting a very demanding urge, i.e. trying to push their feet through the floorboards! Ha ha been there many times! One or two anecdotes now about the illustrious Ercoupe……. 1.Referring to the ‘drive it like a car’ comments my particular 415E, Canadian registered in 1948 was ‘driven’ when new, through the streets of Downtown Calgary, minus wings, to the Calgary Stampede Ground. I have a picture of the first owner who was the Western Canada Ercoupe dealer of the time at the controls gunning the engine down the street with its prop whirling! He was selling flight experience tickets at the show apparently. 2. There are all sorts of ‘strange but true’ stories about the Ercoupe available on the internet of course but for me one claim to fame I like was when the USAAF purchased 2 or 3 Ercoupes for…… wait for it…… JATO trials!!! Yes the Ercoupe was THE first aircraft to be fitted with Jet Assisted Take Off rockets during WWII. There is an online photo of an Army Captain piloting the Ercoupe at around 100 feet trailing two plumes of smoke while the tail dragger that started off the line at the same time for comparison has just got its tail off the ground…. Look it up, (search google with keywords JATO ERCOUPE PILOT WW2) the pilot Capt. Homer Boushey had to have had some huge cahones! This was experimental development of course aimed at getting heavy bombers off short runways. The photo caption says: “The Jet-Age is Launched as the first take-off is made of the Ercoupe aircraft with jet thrust acceleration at March Field, (Riverside, CA) on August 12, 1941. Capt. Homer Boushey, US Air Corps pilot was at the controls. This flight proved the value of jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) as an auxiliary to piston-engine propulsion and, moreover, the value of slow-burning solid rock propellants.” 3. There are other stories showing how easy the Ercoupe is to fly, one was of two kids playing around who got themselves airborne and landed two states away when they ran out of gas, another was when the old man was swinging his prop and the missus was told to sit tight in the cockpit and “don’t let the engine die when it fires”. Not only did she do that but she fired it right up and it took off “on its own” as the old man dived out of the way! She had flown with him before but had never handled the machine. Her first attempt to land was a big bounce affair but she got away with it and then she succeeded at her second attempt by wheelbarrowing on the nose wheel until it collapsed. Some scary moments alright but not the fault of the Ercoupe! OK I have banged on a bit but I can heartily recommend the humble Ercoupe to anyone in any doubt. Now in my late 70’s I am still flying ‘interesting’ machines, after just selling my Comanche 250 I enjoy my French built Morane Saulnier Rallye, another aircraft with fabulous all round vision and it comes complete with automatically deployed leading edge slats and Fowler flaps, very similar in this respect to the Boeing 727 whereas the 727 slats are manually deployed! Keep the vids coming! DW
I have 1,300 hours of Coupe time (1999 to 2009). Before I flew it, I read everything I could including the short Ercoupe manual (did you?), flew with several experienced Ercoupe pilots before flying it solo. It was never scary, the required wings level centerline crabbed touchdown was just odd at first, and works great, just relax and trust the airplanes' design to work as intended. I had 400+ hours, just 12 hours of tail wheel time, and had faith in the design since it had outlived many other types and pilots. It's super easy to fly (back in the early days soloing in under 10 hours or less was common in the Coupe). Yes, the nose can hunt around a bit in turbulence, similar to the much faster and higher end Beechcraft Bonanza, but since one is sitting on the Ercoupe wing spar, it's really not uncomfortable. For 10 years I flew regularly from FUL, SNA and CNO to O69 (Petaluma) with a stop at Harris Range or New Coalinga for fuel. IN calm air in cruise (5,500 to 9,500), I could trim it out and fly hands off for 5 minutes at a time (while I ate and enjoyed the view) - it is that stable. BTW - For some real entertainment while in smooth air and trimmed out in straight and level flight, take you hand off of the yoke, and put your hands straight up in the airstream (in an Ercoupe with the original style slide down windows) - you'll descend. Close up the plane and lean back / head back and you'll climb. To turn left, put your hand outside along the wing-root fairing and fuselage fairing. To turn right have the passenger do the same on their side. I'd guess there are not many planes you can do that with. PLEASE be SURE to Watch this video between 5:40 and 6:05 for fun! It's me in my rudder pedal-less 1947 Ercoupe landing at Flabob in gusty Santa Ana Cross winds, also be sure to watch the planes that follow! *** ua-cam.com/video/4Ob7toBLP2I/v-deo.html *** Again, go fly the Ercoupe the way God and the designer (Fred Weick) intended, relax and HAVE FUN! For some education, also read about Fred Weick's contributions & history. Dan H
"relax and HAVE FUN!" That's what we're all about. As pilots we are all learning, and me (Jeff) being a low time guy, I can't tell you how much I appreciate comments and encouragement like this. We will definitely check out your videos. Thanks so much for watching and for leaving a great comment! Cheers!
A very interesting dynamic between the less experienced pilot and the instructor pilot. It 's called the experience gradient across the cockpit and it was interesting to see how the "helpful hints" coming from the "instructor pilot" whilst being well meaning completely eroded the pilot handlings confidence. He ended up high on finals and was unsure of what he should be doing and it all turned into a bit of a balls up with two go-arounds. I do suspect that left to sort himself out he was quite capable of doing so. The post flight discussion was brilliant and both pilots had something to take away from that.
Very perceptive comment! And we're happy you took something away from our conversation in the end. As the lower time pilot (Jeff) - this is something I've experienced as I continue to learn. As you pointed out, the instruction itself is well-intentioned and maybe even perfectly fine for another student, but sometimes it doesn't work. The helpful hints can cloud what my mind and body are already trying to sort out in their own way, but then I second guess my instincts when trying to interpret and apply what I've been told. That said, Daniel is a wonderful instructor and we have learned a lot together since shooting these pieces. But it's true... my confidence was eroding on this flight and I felt very task saturated in an unfamiliar airplane. What you saw was exactly as it happened. Thank you for watching and for leaving a thoughtful and positive comment.
My dad was flying my grandfather's Ercoupe at age 14, soloed on his birthday at age 15 in 1947. I had my first lesson in a Taylorcraft at age 14. I came from a family of flying farmers.
Glad to find the channel. As an Ercoupe (not Aircoupe) owner I truly enjoyed your adventure in this rudderless, fearless flyer. Something I did not hear you talk about as you tried to visualize how to land in a cross-wind is the fact that Coupes have amazing trailing link landing gear so you can actually land on a crab (opposite to what one is taught in a regular trainer) and the plane straightens itself out in the direction of travel once the mains touch down. My Ercoupe does have the rudder pedals STC (which is why I bought it) and it does feel a lot more comfortable so I'd recommend you do an episode with a rudder pedals-equipped model so you can feel the best of both worlds...in my view. I must admit I never got really comfortable flying the two-control version either 🙂
Hi! We would love to do an episode on an Ercoupe with a rudder pedal kit. You are correct, the part about the landing gear design did not make it in to the video but we will be sure to bring that up in future videos on the Ercoupe family.
Awesome production quality! It's so cool to see Cable Airport and the surrounding landscape being displayed in your videos. I have my plane hangared there as well, and I see you guys all the time at the SouthWest side of the field with all the great looking vintage planes. Keep up the great work. I'm really excited to see what is yet to come from this channel.
Les S I have flown my A2, with rudder pedals, for over 30 years. Have about 2000 hours. I love it and have given many rides to impress other pilots and non-pilots. I have also flown Ercoupes without pedals, I prefer pedals because that's what I learned on. It's the most fun you can have with your pants on!
I watched this video because I can get my hands on one of these for cheap. Looks like it needs some love. I'm not a pilot, but it is just such a cool looking plane. Maybe I'll learn to fly!!
Again super job... Even with over 100 hrs on instruction in Coups on a good x-wind day I still stamp on the floor on the first few landings. Looking back in my Log books I checked out 8 customers in there Ercoupe, Aircoupe and Forneys even got a chance to fly an M10. 2 were converted to rudder pedals. The rudder pedals just take up floor space and make the pilot feel like they might be doing something (they also removed the "Ercoupe only" restriction on a PPL license) the C 90 with bigger cylinders and O 200 conversions really demonstrate the left turning tendencies you experience the A 65, and C75/85 the engine offset and twin rudders greatly reduce spiraling slipstream and torque (there's roughly a 100lb increase in useful load starting with the G model). This is because the mixer only actuates the outboard ruder during the turn the inside rudder stay in trail. The rudder pedal conversion STC doesn't allow you to modify the mixer to separate the rudder cables completely from the control yolk. There is a Taildragger Coup that made a mod to the mixer I don't know it its still around but he would be the go to guy on how to make the rudder more effective.
I fly a 1966 A2, N5652F but ours has rudders. They do a pretty good job which surprised me since the rudder surface is so small. I also flew a 415C without pedals and didn't ever feel uncomfortable in it even after learning in a Champ. One thing I noticed, and it was mentioned in one of the other videos, is our airspeed was off by about 10mph also. We put 2 others in and still had about the same difference. Glad to see it isn't just ours. We just use 60 on final instead of 70, cured the floating. If you want to make a trip to North Dakota, be happy to take you up and let you try the pedals.
Interesting! Wonder if that is a common issue in the coupe? And hey... if we are ever out your way, that would be awesome!!! Thank you so much for watching!
I joined a local flying club recently and have just a couple hours in the Ercoupe that the club has. Yes it is odd to fly but with time I know I can adapt to the unusual flight characteristics. Our club plane has rudder pedals but I will tell you they do not have the control like a similar plane would have. They do seem to help a little and give your feet something to do :).
Oddly enough, I have always wanted to fly a coupe. Never had the chance. Some day perhaps :) Really enjoying the series - Thank you for making some really great content.
Long story as to why I have never soloed but I had 6 hours of lessons in an Ercoupe back in 1966. Loved it! Until fairly recently it was the only plane I have piloted. Wish I had been able to continue and get a license.
I never got my license, but 40 years ago, I got tons of hours in some interesting stuff (mainly T-6's and Beech 18's), but I have some hours in a rudderless 'coupe. I think part of the problem you folks are having, is your mindset: the Ercoupe was designed so that anybody could fly.The feeling when landing in a slight crosswind is akin to coming out of a side slip - almost. You can make adjustments, but not the way you normally would, and you have to be careful to not bang a wingtip. You have to stop thinking complex, and think simple. But as you said, a novice wouldn't have a problem, because they don't know the difference. Take it up to a practice area, and play with the controls, and get used to what they can & can't do. Before you know it, it'll be one of your favorite planes to fly.
Thank you for leaving a comment - we really appreciate your positivity and encouragement! Given time, we are certain that we'd get more acclimated to the coupe. We will likely revisit the airplane on a future episode, so we'll take your comments into consideration. Appreciate you watching and engaging with us!
How about getting with an Instructor with coupe time and really see how great this plane can fly. You are using all the wrong techniques for control on approach. Love the videos! Who needs rudder pedals? 😀
Thank you! And yeah, we'd certainly be open to that - I wonder if it would change the nature of the content. What we've tried to present here is an unflinching view of what it's like to fly an airplane like this for the first time. One of us IS an experienced instructor (with some Coupe time) and the other is a low time private pilot. What you see is how it was!
As someone with a couple of hundred hours in an Ercoupe, I can't help notice you seem to be behind the airplane on landing and then you are trying to over compensate to for landing. I was taught on downwind throttle back to 1500, carb heat, and trim up to a 75 mph glide. Than on final you are just crabbing the aircraft to keep it on the centerline. Throttle back over the fence and just keep the wings level and flare. The trailing suspension will do the rest as the momentum will straighten the plane out. Keeping the same trim the aircraft will climb out at 75 mph flying itself. A Piper Tri-Pacer with interconnected pedals can be flown similarly, but you neeed to use the pedals on landing Since the mains are so different.
Watched the 3 part series and it has strengthened by desire to fly one of these, but I think the most amazing thing about this plane is its ability to be flown by disabled Sport Pilots. I saw an interview at Oshkosh of an incredible young women that has no arms and flys an Ercoupe with her feet ( Solo ).
This is so great to hear! You should totally fly an Aircoupe (or Ercoupe). And, yes, someone pointed out the story about the young woman who has no arms getting to enjoy aviation with an Ercoupe. One of the many reasons this little airplane is a gem.
OK Airspeed I found your channel by checking out videos that has the aircoupe ! My Pop is a e AirForce guy and he said hey check out this plane. So I watched a hand full of videos and they were super informative. I do not fly but I am very interested in learning to fly at 62. I’ll have to sell a Porsche to do it. School and plane. Well I’m stoked to learn and watch so many videos. Books are on the way! Retired and time on my hands. Around Bend Oregon out on wheels
G'day, There are a few of those "Conditioned Foot-Traps" built into transitioning from one type of Aeroplane to something which is different. I once watched a 64 Hp 2-Seat Trike with a Rogallo touching down in a mild Crosswind..., for which the correct technique is to "Crab" down the Final Approach, pointing into the Wind and tracking along the extended Centreline..., flaring while Crabbing, and then when about to touch down - use Weight-Shift to ensure the Downwind Rear Wheel touches first..., and that drags the Trike straight to align with the Runway....; however this Trike was on a Try before Buy Flight by a 3-Axis Pilot recently transitioning to Weight-Shift..., and as the Nosewheel contacted the Runway the Trike turned 90° into Wind, rolled over sideways, and smashed the Wing into the dirt.... "Crunchie-BOING !!!" When he went to line the Trike up with the Runway on initial contact, he was subconsciously using his feet on the Nosewheel Steering Bar - as if it were a Rudder-Bar..., and he forgot that a Tricycles' Foot-Pedals are like those of a Billycart - push with the RIGHT Foot to go LEFT..., by swivelling the vertical Axis of the Front Wheel's Plane of Rotation ; whereas Mr 3-Axis High-Time was used to Rudder-Bars and Pedals connected in the same way that Wilbour and Orville did theirs , with REVERSE-Billycart Steering - involving one's Left Foot Pushing Left Rudder to go Left (because that's easier, simpler, and LIGHTER than rigging an Aeroplane with crossed Rudder Cables to make it steer like a Billycart or a Bicycle...!). So..., as Old Mate touched down in the new Trike he was thinking about buying, in a mild Left Crosswind, he automatically attempted to use his Right Foot to pull the Nose across from Crabbing into Wind to suddenly align with the Runway's Centreline.....; and thus he surprised himself by spinning Hard LEFT, breaking the A-Frame/Keel Connection as the Wing flew straight on while the Trike yawed to 90° off-track and then rolled over to the Right - punching the Apex of the Rogallo and the entire Right Leading-Edge into the ground. Then wrapping it all up in a Ball of expensive wreckage. The NOISE of that big drum-tight Dacron Wing slamming into the Earth was unforgettable, the biggest Bass-Drum beat I've ever encountered. And I don't think the Prospect bought the Kite..., it became one of those things which make Trikes so very expensive to insure...; because "Insurance" is a Scam, a ritual financial Godtheory for Behavioural Atheists - wherein the Price of the Premium they pay is always 600% of the actual Cost of the Risk being "insured" against...! (Guess who trained as a Life Insurance Salesman, at 18, in 1979....?). So, yeah...; and, it's all a matter of Conditioned Response, actually - rather than genuine Instinct. Flying Amphibians is a similar oppositional set of Correctitudes, wherein it's vital to recall correctly what one is alighting onto, Liquid or Solid ; and retracting or lowering the correct type of Undercarraige, accordingly, becsuse wheels go up or down, some Wingtip Floats are retractable, and Water Rudders won't work well when ploughing through the Bitumen Runway, kinda thing. One MUST remember what one is playing with, and if that means flying with one's Motor Cortex on full manual control then so be it - like when learning anything new (to drive a car for example, after a while one's Brain develops an "Autopilot Circuit" to deal with all the fine motor-neuron control of all the balanced precise muscle movements required to convert your awareness of the need to slow down into operating Accelerator, Brake, and Clutch Pedals without looking at them - and while changing Gears with one hand and steering with the other, as one checks the Rearview Mirror to ensure nobody will tailsmack one's back Bumper when the deceleration begins.....; that's none of it "Instinct" and it isn't "Reflexive" either - it's ALL Conditioned Response, "Muscle-Memory", and Practice....). Perhaps if you try to only fly the Ercoupe in really smooth Air, until you get used to relying on the Aerodynamic Stability to ensure that all Turns are co-ordinated - and then fly it like a 2-Channel "Bank and Yank" R/C Glider or Park-Flyer...; although the Ercoupe does have Rudders and they work too - but they're hardwired to ONLY correct for the Adverse Yaw caused by Aileron-Drag. You will have to THINK yourselves into being comfortable with a DIFFERENT way of doing a thing which you have long Bin-comfortable with thunkin' that ye already knowed everythin' they was t' know, what was worth knowin' about...(!). Kinda thang ! You apparently feel as did the first EuroPeon to ever meet a Black Swan, and a Platypus, after seeing a Kangaroo (lol) ? Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
@@airspeedaltitude No worries mate ! I like being able to share some of the obscure stuff which I've accrued in my "trivia file" over the years..., stuff that I've thought a bit deeply about, and no longer move in the sort of social circles where there's much opportunity to discuss such stuff. I've seen a couple of Piper Tri-Pacers, and had heard of the Ercoupes..., but until encountering this series I thought the Ercoupe had a Bungee Rudder-Aileron interconnection like that of the Tri-Pacer ; it was only on seeing your Part 1 that I realised the Ercoupe lacks Rudder Pedals at all... Actually, the Ercoupe's "All 3-Axes on the Yoke" system reminds me of the way Volmer Jensen's Foot-Launched Aerodynamically-controlled Hang Gliders were rigged ; with all 3 Controls actuated by a Side-Stick in the Right Hand, like the VJ-23 & VJ-24..., in the 1970s, and probably back to his VJ-11 (a Foot-Launched Biplane Hang-Glider for which he was selling Plans in 1948 !). My guess is that Volmer Jensen probably got the idea of having Rudder Co-ordination being operated by the Aileron Circuit, without any Pedals at all - from the publicity surrounding the Ercoupe. I also hadn't realised that the Ercoupe dates back to 1938..., when there was a driving fashion to make something which could levitate safely, cheaply, and be foolproofably uncrashable by trying to be unstallable. It's a hard Row to hoe, that one, full of big Rocks... Gyrogoflopters was one avenue, Pinions bedecked with all manner of Flappery, Slottery, Slattery and Leading Edge Droopiness was another - but all that magnifies and multiplies Drag..., so it works wonderfully well until the Engine fails. Then other people tried having adjustable Wing Incidence...; and eventually the "Cure" turned out to be fine-tuning the Tailfeathers' Area, Riggers' Incidence, and Moment-Arm behind the Wing's Centre of Pressure - that the Pilot has enough Elevator Authority to hold the Nose above the Horizon, mushing down in a straight Glide (with perhaps just enough to be able to 3-Point a Taildragger as the Stall-Burble commences to break away and turbulate..., Power off ; and some types contrive to be unable to pull the Nose up sufficiently high as to stall if commencing from powered level flight... All of which turns out to be a bit silly, because it's more effective to build Aeroplanes which grant the Pilot more control authority than normally required, and teach them to not overuse, misuse, or abuse the ability to alter the machine's Attitude - but to have the extra leverage available for use in correcting any hypothetical possible upset. Apparently it was around 1938 that people realised they'd gone too far with the obsession to build Foolproof or Crashproof Airframes..., when some Nutter designed and built a Trainer with it's Undercarraige engineered to withstand a 15-G "Arrival" from a Full-Stall held off 15 or 20 ft above the Runway ; as the History books tell it they paid some penniless Optimist to give it a go, and he duly stalled and fell to Earth, bounced mightily a few times, rolled to a Stop, and sat there, propeller ticking over at idle... It turns out that the Human Neck breaks at a Shock-Load of about 5 G's...; so, yeah, the Undercarraige was fine and dandy - but the Test-Pilot suffocated and died, strapped into the Seat with his Head lolling around blocking his Airway, while everybody waited for him to taxi back to the Hangar...(!). These dayze, the Undercarraige is designed to break up, absorb Energy by such deformation - and thus save the Pilot's and Passengers from sudden-onset Acute Quadgiplegia...(!). Not all progress is bad, but often mistakes occurr along the way. The Ercoupe appears to be a delightfully curious, even charming, little Aeronautical Dead End....; if you look after it, it should yield many hours of slightly alarming Fun - until the Fossil-Carbon Magic Motion-Lotion becomes too expensive to burn for fun. I fantasize about Electrifying my old VJ-24w, probably with components from an Electric Motorcycle...; if ever I became sufficiently rich and bored - but I live atop a Ridge y'see, where I can look down on all my neighbours without needing to rebuild my Hairygoplane...(!). Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
The Ercoupe... I think it got it's name when one of the engineers on the project said to his boss, "Er... forgot to design rudder peddles in this thing." Boss says, Talk to Sears and sell it anyway. Gotta recoup our investment. Hence, Er-coup.
(16:06)”There’s nothing wrong with the airplane. Everything that I’m experiencing is nothing to do with the airplane; it’s all to do with me.” Bingo: the Ercoupe is so different from anything you’ve ever flown before that there are sensations that you simply have to ignore if you’re ever going to get comfortable with it.
If you pause @2m12s you can see a group of three aircraft in the background. The one in the center is my 1946 Ercoupe that I rescued last year. Must have filmed this some time ago, I've been in a hangar for a while now! Want to be my test pilot when I'm done putting it back together with some upgrades? 😅
Come on guys. Have flown the 415 with no problems. Later, with a rudder added, flew the Alon Ercoupe and it was a joy also. Maybe you should stick to more complex aircraft!
Part of the problem may be that the plane is not rigged or set up quite right. It’s not like they’re all that common, so a tech might be forced to simply return it to the state it came to them in, rather than correcting an Issue.
I have to agree with one of the other posts. Why on earth didn’t you engage the services of a CFI that is experienced in flying “Coordinated Control Aircoupes / Ercoupe’s”? Wouldn’t that have been better than trying to just figure it out on your own?! I had the opportunity to obtain some dual in the last iteration of the split tail coupes, the Mooney A2-A. That one had the rudder pedals. It indicated 116 mph at 2400 rpm on a hot day. The nose seemed to hunt a bit, like it needed a bit more vertical fin area at that speed. The thing that bothered me most was that the deck angle seemed excessively high while climbing at Vy. The other issue I had was that the engine seemed rough, making my Lycoming powered 172 seem like a turbine in comparison. My dad had told me that the Ercoupe’s were very inconsistent in that regard. He said that some were real vibrators and he was flying them when they were brand new back in the 1940s. Enjoyed the series! P.S. Is the Alon available for dual? I may be out that way in March.
Daniel actually does have time in a few coupes, but your point is totally valid. I don't know how many CFIs are around who specialize in these types of airplanes - I think you would perhaps agree that most CFIs probably lack this type of knowledge altogether, as these airplanes are not as common as PA-28s, C172s, etc. Would be interesting if we do find someone though - it would be cool to revisit the coupe. Really appreciate you watching and for leaving constructive comments!
LOVE your series on the 'Scare Coupe'. Please make MORE videos! Though I have to say that I was APPALLED that the lady pilot chose to get off the plane via the front of the wing. I saw that mentioned also in a comment in the Part 2 Video. You never, ever do this, and you also brief your passengers to never ever do this. If you fall, your are going to hit the propeller. That night hurt you, but it might also go live.And REALLY hurt you. I am old and I am just shocked that this lady was not ever taught that basic airmanship. You guys are quoting 'Stick and Rudder' maybe it is time to find more flaws in modern pilot training. and make videos about that.. Thank you for the wonderful videos. Have subscribed,
Thank YOU for leaving such a wonderful and informative comment. Indeed, someone else pointed out the perils of stepping off the front of the wing. Never a good idea. We've all made mistakes and we're always learning, so thank you for keeping us honest. We can definitely assure you that Jenny is a great and safe pilot, but even the best of us can have a momentary lapse in judgment. Again, we appreciate your encouragement and we will definitely be putting more videos out soon. Thank you for subscribing!
This one has 100HP, but yeah... the other models that had lower output must have been limiting to say the least. Appreciate you watching and for commenting!
I have microsoft flight simulator and recently aquired the aircoupe,to my dissapointment it has rudder (bummer).I was hoping to fly live weather on it to feel it for myself,being a casual and lazy sim pilot I don't always use rudder,but even with rudder it is a little skittish................................
Well, out of everyone who has flown, I (Jeff) have the least amount of experience. Still a very low time pilot comparatively. But you bring up a great idea - if we ever revisit the coupe, it might be cool to put a student pilot in there with an experienced instructor and see what happens. Thanks for watching and for commenting!
As an experienced coupe pilot ....i lost count as to the number of mistakes made in the attempted coupe landings.....i suggest that you stick to aircraft with rudder peddles...
Thank you for the constructive criticism. We're still figuring out the best way to tell these stories. I think some of my (Jeff's) filmmaking sensibilities bleed over a bit. But this is good to know. Appreciate you watching and for being constructive in your comments. Cheers!
I agree, the soundtrack was distracting but, however. Some background sound does polish a video. This is a bit too loud. You should try mixing for an iPhone/android speaker. My 2 cents. Enjoyed the series, well done!😊
IMH0, it's an incorrectly designed aircraft. Someone initially probably thought that coupling ailerons and Rudder was a good idea. It isn't. This kind of setup limits you in your ability to correctly control the aircraft. Many times you do not want the ailerons and Rudder coupled in the same direction. I understood that there was a mod to install Rudder pedals on these aircraft. If it were mine, that would be the first thing I would do.
It’s actually a very good aircraft especially with the 100hp engine. It’s an old design and totally different from modern aircraft. Like all different types a few hours with an experienced instructor and it all makes sense. They seem to be cheap to obtain in the US and a metal winged one is probably a good way into the vintage aircraft world
Very interesting plane. How experienced pilots feel uncomfortable flying. Makes me say HUMM. Watched all 3 and I don’t fly and it made it uncomfortable for me. I’ll have to watch a few videos with some old fart who own one and been flying it for decades. Around Bend Oregon out on wheels
I have an Ercoupe 415C (Witch qualifies as a Light Sport) with an 85hp and rag wings. The crosswind component on the Ercoupe is 25mph compared to a Cessna or Piper at 17mph. And it does great without rudder pedals. On approach with a crosswind, you keep the nose into the wind with wings level, tracking straight down the runway, If wind is from the right, you will be looking out the left window to maintain the track of the runway and you land that way, crossway on the runway. Once the mains touch down the nose will swing around to go straight down the runway because of the momentum and velocity of the aircraft's mass. It's amazing and yall are making a simple procedure freak you out. With a higher crosswind you will be landing at almost 45 degrees to the centerline of the runway. Have fun and thanks for sharing.
Well... all we can say is that our reactions were genuine, at least mine were. Of course comments like yours are helpful to read, and we're certain that with time, these are things we can overcome. I (Jeff) and relatively low time, so coming from other airplanes that allow for independent rudder control, this felt very foreign to me. My gut was like "nope, not today." But that can always change with practice. Thanks for watching and for leaving a comment!
tire bald spots? piper can land in 25 knots of x-wind the manufacture just demoed it at 17 knots, dont let the book numbers fool you.
I've been flying my Ercoupe for 20 years and 1700 hours and I've landed in a 28-knot direct crosswind.
Guys, i can't get over how visually pleasing this little aircraft is . . it is delightful!
What else that flies has such beautiful lines?
The 727-200 perhaps . .
Had a rudderless Ercoupe. No problems. Love it. Would buy another rudderless ercoupe.
I think part of what is making you so uncomfortable on landings with the Ercoupe is you keep wanting to land it aligned with centerline but you’re supposed to land crabbed if you’re landing in a xwind
Precisely! Reading all of these helpful and encouraging comments are inspiring us to perhaps give the 'coupe another go. Thanks for watching!
My friend had me fly his with him. Think we set speed at 70 fly in keeping little throttle crab in when landing keep hand out of way for major crosswind. When close to touch down throttle out . Keep hand out of way of control when it touches down it can take control from you. After that just grap control and steer. It will straighten itself on contact
The Ercoupe was designed to land in a crab in a crosswind landing, and it does just that. Unlike any conventional plane with rudder pedal, once the main wheels touch simply let the nose drop and steer just like a car. With the negative design of the leading edge, the plane is done flying once the nose touches the ground. It is counterintuitive to everything you've learned. Just takes practice. The ERcoupe will bounce around a lot in bumpy air like any other light airplane.
Take offs are also different as well. Add extra speed (I like 80 mph) before breaking ground, then crab into the wind to keep aligned with the center line. Again practice makes things more comfortable. Also most ERcoupe are most fun with the side windows down or partially down. That's the most fun!
Congratulations….. Your videos brought back good memories of my 415E model (with the cut out elevator) which I owned in 2010 for several years. Quirky maybe but great fun to fly after retiring from a military and civil flying career involving everything from DHC Chipmunk through DHC Beaver, B-N Firecracker, B-N Islander, Beechcraft King Air 200, and many other run of the mill light aircraft such as C150, 172, 206, Grumman Cougar etc. then progressing in weight through the 4 engined Turboprop Vickers Viscount, Lockheed L382 ( Civvy C130) Boeing 727 etc. Also early in my flying career I was also privileged to fly British Army Air Corps Anti Tank choppers (ATGW) after learning how to ‘pole’ rotary aircraft on the wonderful Bell 47! Later I was flying 20 seat Super Puma choppers to the North Sea oil rigs after military service! I mention all these types, and there were many others, not to brag but to show how varied my flying experience has been and to maybe get things into context when I say that out of all that lot the little Ercoupe was/is “a very interesting” and loveable machine to fly and having so many early safety innovations incorporated by Fred Weick the designer. I’m sure some of your pilots in your Ercoupe videos probably have a wealth of experience in their own particular fields of aviation too but as I watched their facial expressions I related fully to their concerns when the nose wanders, or often just before a crosswind touchdown combatting a very demanding urge, i.e. trying to push their feet through the floorboards! Ha ha been there many times! One or two anecdotes now about the illustrious Ercoupe…….
1.Referring to the ‘drive it like a car’ comments my particular 415E, Canadian registered in 1948 was ‘driven’ when new, through the streets of Downtown Calgary, minus wings, to the Calgary Stampede Ground. I have a picture of the first owner who was the Western Canada Ercoupe dealer of the time at the controls gunning the engine down the street with its prop whirling! He was selling flight experience tickets at the show apparently.
2. There are all sorts of ‘strange but true’ stories about the Ercoupe available on the internet of course but for me one claim to fame I like was when the USAAF purchased 2 or 3 Ercoupes for…… wait for it…… JATO trials!!! Yes the Ercoupe was THE first aircraft to be fitted with Jet Assisted Take Off rockets during WWII. There is an online photo of an Army Captain piloting the Ercoupe at around 100 feet trailing two plumes of smoke while the tail dragger that started off the line at the same time for comparison has just got its tail off the ground…. Look it up, (search google with keywords JATO ERCOUPE PILOT WW2) the pilot Capt. Homer Boushey had to have had some huge cahones! This was experimental development of course aimed at getting heavy bombers off short runways. The photo caption says:
“The Jet-Age is Launched as the first take-off is made of the Ercoupe aircraft with jet thrust acceleration at March Field, (Riverside, CA) on August 12, 1941. Capt. Homer Boushey, US Air Corps pilot was at the controls. This flight proved the value of jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) as an auxiliary to piston-engine propulsion and, moreover, the value of slow-burning solid rock propellants.”
3. There are other stories showing how easy the Ercoupe is to fly, one was of two kids playing around who got themselves airborne and landed two states away when they ran out of gas, another was when the old man was swinging his prop and the missus was told to sit tight in the cockpit and “don’t let the engine die when it fires”. Not only did she do that but she fired it right up and it took off “on its own” as the old man dived out of the way! She had flown with him before but had never handled the machine. Her first attempt to land was a big bounce affair but she got away with it and then she succeeded at her second attempt by wheelbarrowing on the nose wheel until it collapsed. Some scary moments alright but not the fault of the Ercoupe! OK I have banged on a bit but I can heartily recommend the humble Ercoupe to anyone in any doubt. Now in my late 70’s I am still flying ‘interesting’ machines, after just selling my Comanche 250 I enjoy my French built Morane Saulnier Rallye, another aircraft with fabulous all round vision and it comes complete with automatically deployed leading edge slats and Fowler flaps, very similar in this respect to the Boeing 727 whereas the 727 slats are manually deployed! Keep the vids coming! DW
I have 1,300 hours of Coupe time (1999 to 2009). Before I flew it, I read everything I could including the short Ercoupe manual (did you?), flew with several experienced Ercoupe pilots before flying it solo. It was never scary, the required wings level centerline crabbed touchdown was just odd at first, and works great, just relax and trust the airplanes' design to work as intended. I had 400+ hours, just 12 hours of tail wheel time, and had faith in the design since it had outlived many other types and pilots. It's super easy to fly (back in the early days soloing in under 10 hours or less was common in the Coupe). Yes, the nose can hunt around a bit in turbulence, similar to the much faster and higher end Beechcraft Bonanza, but since one is sitting on the Ercoupe wing spar, it's really not uncomfortable. For 10 years I flew regularly from FUL, SNA and CNO to O69 (Petaluma) with a stop at Harris Range or New Coalinga for fuel. IN calm air in cruise (5,500 to 9,500), I could trim it out and fly hands off for 5 minutes at a time (while I ate and enjoyed the view) - it is that stable. BTW - For some real entertainment while in smooth air and trimmed out in straight and level flight, take you hand off of the yoke, and put your hands straight up in the airstream (in an Ercoupe with the original style slide down windows) - you'll descend. Close up the plane and lean back / head back and you'll climb. To turn left, put your hand outside along the wing-root fairing and fuselage fairing. To turn right have the passenger do the same on their side. I'd guess there are not many planes you can do that with. PLEASE be SURE to Watch this video between 5:40 and 6:05 for fun! It's me in my rudder pedal-less 1947 Ercoupe landing at Flabob in gusty Santa Ana Cross winds, also be sure to watch the planes that follow! *** ua-cam.com/video/4Ob7toBLP2I/v-deo.html *** Again, go fly the Ercoupe the way God and the designer (Fred Weick) intended, relax and HAVE FUN! For some education, also read about Fred Weick's contributions & history. Dan H
"relax and HAVE FUN!" That's what we're all about. As pilots we are all learning, and me (Jeff) being a low time guy, I can't tell you how much I appreciate comments and encouragement like this. We will definitely check out your videos. Thanks so much for watching and for leaving a great comment! Cheers!
Loving this series ! Always felt the coupe was a slick bird from the first time I seen one. We have several in the Toledo Ohio area.
Thank you! It's a great airplane. One of a kind for sure!
fancy seeing a fellow Toledoan here!
A very interesting dynamic between the less experienced pilot and the instructor pilot. It 's called the experience gradient across the cockpit and it was interesting to see how the "helpful hints" coming from the "instructor pilot" whilst being well meaning completely eroded the pilot handlings confidence. He ended up high on finals and was unsure of what he should be doing and it all turned into a bit of a balls up with two go-arounds. I do suspect that left to sort himself out he was quite capable of doing so. The post flight discussion was brilliant and both pilots had something to take away from that.
Very perceptive comment! And we're happy you took something away from our conversation in the end. As the lower time pilot (Jeff) - this is something I've experienced as I continue to learn. As you pointed out, the instruction itself is well-intentioned and maybe even perfectly fine for another student, but sometimes it doesn't work. The helpful hints can cloud what my mind and body are already trying to sort out in their own way, but then I second guess my instincts when trying to interpret and apply what I've been told. That said, Daniel is a wonderful instructor and we have learned a lot together since shooting these pieces. But it's true... my confidence was eroding on this flight and I felt very task saturated in an unfamiliar airplane. What you saw was exactly as it happened. Thank you for watching and for leaving a thoughtful and positive comment.
My dad was flying my grandfather's Ercoupe at age 14, soloed on his birthday at age 15 in 1947. I had my first lesson in a Taylorcraft at age 14. I came from a family of flying farmers.
That's great! Love hearing stories like these. Hope you're still flying! Thank you for watching and for commenting.
Glad to find the channel. As an Ercoupe (not Aircoupe) owner I truly enjoyed your adventure in this rudderless, fearless flyer. Something I did not hear you talk about as you tried to visualize how to land in a cross-wind is the fact that Coupes have amazing trailing link landing gear so you can actually land on a crab (opposite to what one is taught in a regular trainer) and the plane straightens itself out in the direction of travel once the mains touch down. My Ercoupe does have the rudder pedals STC (which is why I bought it) and it does feel a lot more comfortable so I'd recommend you do an episode with a rudder pedals-equipped model so you can feel the best of both worlds...in my view. I must admit I never got really comfortable flying the two-control version either 🙂
Hi! We would love to do an episode on an Ercoupe with a rudder pedal kit. You are correct, the part about the landing gear design did not make it in to the video but we will be sure to bring that up in future videos on the Ercoupe family.
Awesome production quality! It's so cool to see Cable Airport and the surrounding landscape being displayed in your videos. I have my plane hangared there as well, and I see you guys all the time at the SouthWest side of the field with all the great looking vintage planes. Keep up the great work. I'm really excited to see what is yet to come from this channel.
Thank you so much! Really appreciate your warm remarks, and we hope to see you around CCB!
Les S
I have flown my A2, with rudder pedals, for over 30 years. Have about 2000 hours. I love it and have given many rides to impress other pilots and non-pilots.
I have also flown Ercoupes without pedals, I prefer pedals because that's what I learned on. It's the most fun you can have with your pants on!
I watched this video because I can get my hands on one of these for cheap. Looks like it needs some love. I'm not a pilot, but it is just such a cool looking plane. Maybe I'll learn to fly!!
It would be an easy airplane to learn in and bring you tons of fun!
Two full grown men, full tanks, warm day. Good luck climbing. Scarey plane.
Again super job... Even with over 100 hrs on instruction in Coups on a good x-wind day I still stamp on the floor on the first few landings. Looking back in my Log books I checked out 8 customers in there Ercoupe, Aircoupe and Forneys even got a chance to fly an M10. 2 were converted to rudder pedals. The rudder pedals just take up floor space and make the pilot feel like they might be doing something (they also removed the "Ercoupe only" restriction on a PPL license) the C 90 with bigger cylinders and O 200 conversions really demonstrate the left turning tendencies you experience the A 65, and C75/85 the engine offset and twin rudders greatly reduce spiraling slipstream and torque (there's roughly a 100lb increase in useful load starting with the G model). This is because the mixer only actuates the outboard ruder during the turn the inside rudder stay in trail. The rudder pedal conversion STC doesn't allow you to modify the mixer to separate the rudder cables completely from the control yolk. There is a Taildragger Coup that made a mod to the mixer I don't know it its still around but he would be the go to guy on how to make the rudder more effective.
Interesting perspective on the rudder pedal conversion! Thank you for your kind remarks - we appreciate you watching and commenting!
I fly a 1966 A2, N5652F but ours has rudders. They do a pretty good job which surprised me since the rudder surface is so small. I also flew a 415C without pedals and didn't ever feel uncomfortable in it even after learning in a Champ. One thing I noticed, and it was mentioned in one of the other videos, is our airspeed was off by about 10mph also. We put 2 others in and still had about the same difference. Glad to see it isn't just ours. We just use 60 on final instead of 70, cured the floating.
If you want to make a trip to North Dakota, be happy to take you up and let you try the pedals.
Interesting! Wonder if that is a common issue in the coupe? And hey... if we are ever out your way, that would be awesome!!! Thank you so much for watching!
I joined a local flying club recently and have just a couple hours in the Ercoupe that the club has. Yes it is odd to fly but with time I know I can adapt to the unusual flight characteristics. Our club plane has rudder pedals but I will tell you they do not have the control like a similar plane would have. They do seem to help a little and give your feet something to do :).
Oddly enough, I have always wanted to fly a coupe. Never had the chance. Some day perhaps :) Really enjoying the series - Thank you for making some really great content.
Thank you! We'll keep 'em coming!
Long story as to why I have never soloed but I had 6 hours of lessons in an Ercoupe back in 1966. Loved it! Until fairly recently it was the only plane I have piloted. Wish I had been able to continue and get a license.
Well, we agree! Sounds like you may have been flying recently? Hope you consider giving it another go. It's never too late!
I never got my license, but 40 years ago, I got tons of hours in some interesting stuff (mainly T-6's and Beech 18's), but I have some hours in a rudderless 'coupe.
I think part of the problem you folks are having, is your mindset: the Ercoupe was designed so that anybody could fly.The feeling when landing in a slight crosswind is akin to coming out of a side slip - almost. You can make adjustments, but not the way you normally would, and you have to be careful to not bang a wingtip. You have to stop thinking complex, and think simple.
But as you said, a novice wouldn't have a problem, because they don't know the difference.
Take it up to a practice area, and play with the controls, and get used to what they can & can't do. Before you know it, it'll be one of your favorite planes to fly.
Thank you for leaving a comment - we really appreciate your positivity and encouragement! Given time, we are certain that we'd get more acclimated to the coupe. We will likely revisit the airplane on a future episode, so we'll take your comments into consideration. Appreciate you watching and engaging with us!
I think your making a little to much fun of the Aire Coupe it's still a fun and safe air plane us old guys still love it!!!!!
How about getting with an Instructor with coupe time and really see how great this plane can fly. You are using all the wrong techniques for control on approach. Love the videos! Who needs rudder pedals? 😀
Thank you! And yeah, we'd certainly be open to that - I wonder if it would change the nature of the content. What we've tried to present here is an unflinching view of what it's like to fly an airplane like this for the first time. One of us IS an experienced instructor (with some Coupe time) and the other is a low time private pilot. What you see is how it was!
Background music is great!!
Glad you like it! Some felt it was a bit heavy-handed, but we're still learning the best ways to tell these stories. Thank you for the feedback!
The first two were fun, here you show how little you were prepared to fly the Ercoupe
As someone with a couple of hundred hours in an Ercoupe, I can't help notice you seem to be behind the airplane on landing and then you are trying to over compensate to for landing. I was taught on downwind throttle back to 1500, carb heat, and trim up to a 75 mph glide. Than on final you are just crabbing the aircraft to keep it on the centerline. Throttle back over the fence and just keep the wings level and flare. The trailing suspension will do the rest as the momentum will straighten the plane out. Keeping the same trim the aircraft will climb out at 75 mph flying itself. A Piper Tri-Pacer with interconnected pedals can be flown similarly, but you neeed to use the pedals on landing Since the mains are so different.
Watched the 3 part series and it has strengthened by desire to fly one of these, but I think the most amazing thing about this plane is its ability to be flown by disabled Sport Pilots. I saw an interview at Oshkosh of an incredible young women that has no arms and flys an Ercoupe with her feet ( Solo ).
This is so great to hear! You should totally fly an Aircoupe (or Ercoupe). And, yes, someone pointed out the story about the young woman who has no arms getting to enjoy aviation with an Ercoupe. One of the many reasons this little airplane is a gem.
@@airspeedaltitude just subscribed look forward to more vids.
Stick and rudder is an awesome book
I am a new owner of a 1946 415 D Ercoupe. Has a lap belt. Love the shoulder harness, could you share brand and 337 info?
Unfortunately I don’t have that information. The airplane is now on the east coast. I haven’t been able to locate that information.
OK Airspeed I found your channel by checking out videos that has the aircoupe ! My Pop is a e AirForce guy and he said hey check out this plane. So I watched a hand full of videos and they were super informative. I do not fly but I am very interested in learning to fly at 62. I’ll have to sell a Porsche to do it. School and plane. Well I’m stoked to learn and watch so many videos. Books are on the way! Retired and time on my hands. Around Bend Oregon out on wheels
The Ercoupe is a beautiful looking airplane though and of course a fantastic option for many disabled people who would otherwise have no way to fly.
Indeed it is! Thanks for watching and for commenting!
G'day,
There are a few of those
"Conditioned Foot-Traps" built into transitioning from one type of Aeroplane to something which is different.
I once watched a 64 Hp 2-Seat Trike with a Rogallo touching down in a mild Crosswind..., for which the correct technique is to "Crab" down the Final Approach, pointing into the Wind and tracking along the extended Centreline..., flaring while Crabbing, and then when about to touch down - use Weight-Shift to ensure the Downwind Rear Wheel touches first..., and that drags the Trike straight to align with the Runway....; however this Trike was on a Try before Buy Flight by a 3-Axis Pilot recently transitioning to Weight-Shift..., and as the Nosewheel contacted the Runway the Trike turned 90° into Wind, rolled over sideways, and smashed the Wing into the dirt.... "Crunchie-BOING !!!"
When he went to line the Trike up with the Runway on initial contact, he was subconsciously using his feet on the Nosewheel Steering Bar - as if it were a Rudder-Bar..., and he forgot that a Tricycles' Foot-Pedals are like those of a Billycart - push with the RIGHT Foot to go LEFT..., by swivelling the vertical Axis of the Front Wheel's Plane of Rotation ; whereas Mr 3-Axis High-Time was used to Rudder-Bars and Pedals connected in the same way that Wilbour and Orville did theirs , with REVERSE-Billycart Steering - involving one's Left Foot Pushing Left Rudder to go Left (because that's easier, simpler, and LIGHTER than rigging an Aeroplane with crossed Rudder Cables to make it steer like a Billycart or a Bicycle...!).
So..., as Old Mate touched down in the new Trike he was thinking about buying, in a mild Left Crosswind, he automatically attempted to use his Right Foot to pull the Nose across from Crabbing into Wind to suddenly align with the Runway's Centreline.....; and thus he surprised himself by spinning Hard LEFT, breaking the A-Frame/Keel Connection as the Wing flew straight on while the Trike yawed to 90° off-track and then rolled over to the Right - punching the Apex of the Rogallo and the entire Right Leading-Edge into the ground. Then wrapping it all up in a Ball of expensive wreckage.
The NOISE of that big drum-tight Dacron Wing slamming into the Earth was unforgettable, the biggest
Bass-Drum beat I've ever encountered.
And I don't think the Prospect bought the Kite..., it became one of those things which make Trikes so very expensive to insure...; because "Insurance" is a Scam, a ritual financial Godtheory for Behavioural Atheists - wherein the Price of the Premium they pay is always 600% of the actual Cost of the Risk being "insured" against...! (Guess who trained as a Life Insurance Salesman, at 18, in 1979....?).
So, yeah...; and, it's all a matter of Conditioned Response, actually - rather than genuine Instinct.
Flying Amphibians is a similar oppositional set of Correctitudes, wherein it's vital to recall correctly what one is alighting onto, Liquid or Solid ; and retracting or lowering the correct type of Undercarraige, accordingly, becsuse wheels go up or down, some Wingtip Floats are retractable, and Water Rudders won't work well when ploughing through the Bitumen Runway, kinda thing.
One MUST remember what one is playing with, and if that means flying with one's Motor Cortex on full manual control then so be it - like when learning anything new (to drive a car for example, after a while one's Brain develops an "Autopilot Circuit" to deal with all the fine motor-neuron control of all the balanced precise muscle movements required to convert your awareness of the need to slow down into operating Accelerator, Brake, and Clutch Pedals without looking at them - and while changing Gears with one hand and steering with the other, as one checks the Rearview Mirror to ensure nobody will tailsmack one's back Bumper when the deceleration begins.....; that's none of it "Instinct" and it isn't "Reflexive" either - it's ALL Conditioned Response, "Muscle-Memory", and Practice....).
Perhaps if you try to only fly the Ercoupe in really smooth Air, until you get used to relying on the Aerodynamic Stability to ensure that all Turns are co-ordinated - and then fly it like a 2-Channel "Bank and Yank" R/C Glider or Park-Flyer...; although the Ercoupe does have Rudders and they work too - but they're hardwired to ONLY correct for the Adverse Yaw caused by Aileron-Drag.
You will have to THINK yourselves into being comfortable with a DIFFERENT way of doing a thing which you have long Bin-comfortable with thunkin' that ye already knowed everythin' they was t' know, what was worth knowin' about...(!).
Kinda thang !
You apparently feel as did the first EuroPeon to ever meet a Black Swan, and a Platypus, after seeing a Kangaroo (lol) ?
Have a good one...
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !
Wow! Thank you for sharing that story and your perspective! Really appreciate you watching and commenting!
@@airspeedaltitude
No worries mate !
I like being able to share some of the obscure stuff which I've accrued in my "trivia file" over the years..., stuff that I've thought a bit deeply about, and no longer move in the sort of social circles where there's much opportunity to discuss such stuff.
I've seen a couple of Piper Tri-Pacers, and had heard of the Ercoupes..., but until encountering this series I thought the Ercoupe had a Bungee Rudder-Aileron interconnection like that of the Tri-Pacer ; it was only on seeing your Part 1 that I realised the Ercoupe lacks Rudder Pedals at all...
Actually, the Ercoupe's
"All 3-Axes on the Yoke"
system reminds me of the way Volmer Jensen's Foot-Launched Aerodynamically-controlled Hang Gliders were rigged ; with all 3 Controls actuated by a Side-Stick in the Right Hand, like the VJ-23 & VJ-24..., in the 1970s, and probably back to his VJ-11 (a Foot-Launched Biplane Hang-Glider for which he was selling Plans in 1948 !).
My guess is that Volmer Jensen probably got the idea of having Rudder Co-ordination being operated by the Aileron Circuit, without any Pedals at all - from the publicity surrounding the Ercoupe.
I also hadn't realised that the Ercoupe dates back to 1938..., when there was a driving fashion to make something which could levitate safely, cheaply, and be foolproofably uncrashable by trying to be unstallable.
It's a hard Row to hoe, that one, full of big Rocks...
Gyrogoflopters was one avenue, Pinions bedecked with all manner of Flappery, Slottery, Slattery and Leading Edge Droopiness was another - but all that magnifies and multiplies Drag..., so it works wonderfully well until the Engine fails.
Then other people tried having adjustable Wing Incidence...; and eventually the "Cure" turned out to be fine-tuning the Tailfeathers' Area, Riggers' Incidence, and Moment-Arm behind the Wing's Centre of Pressure - that the Pilot has enough Elevator Authority to hold the Nose above the Horizon, mushing down in a straight Glide (with perhaps just enough to be able to 3-Point a Taildragger as the Stall-Burble commences to break away and turbulate..., Power off ; and some types contrive to be unable to pull the Nose up sufficiently high as to stall if commencing from powered level flight...
All of which turns out to be a bit silly, because it's more effective to build Aeroplanes which grant the Pilot more control authority than normally required, and teach them to not overuse, misuse, or abuse the ability to alter the machine's Attitude - but to have the extra leverage available for use in correcting any hypothetical possible upset.
Apparently it was around 1938 that people realised they'd gone too far with the obsession to build Foolproof or Crashproof Airframes..., when some Nutter designed and built a Trainer with it's Undercarraige engineered to withstand a 15-G "Arrival" from a Full-Stall held off 15 or 20 ft above the Runway ; as the History books tell it they paid some penniless Optimist to give it a go, and he duly stalled and fell to Earth, bounced mightily a few times, rolled to a Stop, and sat there, propeller ticking over at idle...
It turns out that the Human Neck breaks at a Shock-Load of about 5 G's...; so, yeah, the Undercarraige was fine and dandy - but the Test-Pilot suffocated and died, strapped into the Seat with his Head lolling around blocking his Airway, while everybody waited for him to taxi back to the Hangar...(!).
These dayze, the Undercarraige is designed to break up, absorb Energy by such deformation - and thus save the Pilot's and Passengers from sudden-onset Acute Quadgiplegia...(!).
Not all progress is bad, but often mistakes occurr along the way.
The Ercoupe appears to be a delightfully curious, even charming, little Aeronautical Dead End....; if you look after it, it should yield many hours of slightly alarming Fun - until the Fossil-Carbon Magic Motion-Lotion becomes too expensive to burn for fun.
I fantasize about Electrifying my old VJ-24w, probably with components from an Electric Motorcycle...; if ever I became sufficiently rich and bored - but I live atop a Ridge y'see, where I can look down on all my neighbours without needing to rebuild my Hairygoplane...(!).
Such is life,
Have a good one...
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !
The Ercoupe... I think it got it's name when one of the engineers on the project said to his boss, "Er... forgot to design rudder peddles in this thing." Boss says, Talk to Sears and sell it anyway. Gotta recoup our investment. Hence, Er-coup.
You, my friend, are a HISTORIAN!!!
(16:06)”There’s nothing wrong with the airplane. Everything that I’m experiencing is nothing to do with the airplane; it’s all to do with me.”
Bingo: the Ercoupe is so different from anything you’ve ever flown before that there are sensations that you simply have to ignore if you’re ever going to get comfortable with it.
Exactly! Thanks for recognizing and reinforcing that point! It really is a cool airplane, and we look forward to flying one again very soon!
If you pause @2m12s you can see a group of three aircraft in the background. The one in the center is my 1946 Ercoupe that I rescued last year. Must have filmed this some time ago, I've been in a hangar for a while now! Want to be my test pilot when I'm done putting it back together with some upgrades? 😅
Uh oh... we smell a sequel!
Come on guys. Have flown the 415 with no problems. Later, with a rudder added, flew the Alon Ercoupe and it was a joy also. Maybe you should stick to more complex aircraft!
If you’re interested in ercoupes I make videos flying mine as I time build. It truly is a weird but awesome little plane!
Right on! We'll check them out!
Early car drivers: “Where do I strike the whip?”
LOL! Right? Thanks for watching and for commenting!
Part of the problem may be that the plane is not rigged or set up quite right. It’s not like they’re all that common, so a tech might be forced to simply return it to the state it came to them in, rather than correcting an
Issue.
Interesting! Thanks for watching and for commenting!
some people have modified these to have rudder pedals =)
All we want now is CHEAPER 100LL!!!
AMEN!!!
I been looking for a good ercoupe to buy
I have to agree with one of the other posts. Why on earth didn’t you engage the services of a CFI that is experienced in flying “Coordinated Control Aircoupes / Ercoupe’s”? Wouldn’t that have been better than trying to just figure it out on your own?! I had the opportunity to obtain some dual in the last iteration of the split tail coupes, the Mooney A2-A. That one had the rudder pedals. It indicated 116 mph at 2400 rpm on a hot day. The nose seemed to hunt a bit, like it needed a bit more vertical fin area at that speed. The thing that bothered me most was that the deck angle seemed excessively high while climbing at Vy. The other issue I had was that the engine seemed rough, making my Lycoming powered 172 seem like a turbine in comparison. My dad had told me that the Ercoupe’s were very inconsistent in that regard. He said that some were real vibrators and he was flying them when they were brand new back in the 1940s. Enjoyed the series! P.S. Is the Alon available for dual? I may be out that way in March.
Daniel actually does have time in a few coupes, but your point is totally valid. I don't know how many CFIs are around who specialize in these types of airplanes - I think you would perhaps agree that most CFIs probably lack this type of knowledge altogether, as these airplanes are not as common as PA-28s, C172s, etc. Would be interesting if we do find someone though - it would be cool to revisit the coupe. Really appreciate you watching and for leaving constructive comments!
LOVE your series on the 'Scare Coupe'. Please make MORE videos! Though I have to say that I was APPALLED that the lady pilot chose to get off the plane via the front of the wing. I saw that mentioned also in a comment in the Part 2 Video.
You never, ever do this, and you also brief your passengers to never ever do this. If you fall, your are going to hit the propeller. That night hurt you, but it might also go live.And REALLY hurt you. I am old and I am just shocked that this lady was not ever taught that basic airmanship.
You guys are quoting 'Stick and Rudder' maybe it is time to find more flaws in modern pilot training. and make videos about that..
Thank you for the wonderful videos. Have subscribed,
Thank YOU for leaving such a wonderful and informative comment. Indeed, someone else pointed out the perils of stepping off the front of the wing. Never a good idea. We've all made mistakes and we're always learning, so thank you for keeping us honest. We can definitely assure you that Jenny is a great and safe pilot, but even the best of us can have a momentary lapse in judgment. Again, we appreciate your encouragement and we will definitely be putting more videos out soon. Thank you for subscribing!
The Ercoupe is not rudderless
Of course it's not. We were being cute. It's rudder-pedal-less. In any case, thank you for watching and for commenting. Much appreciated!
@Dave Gillespie Where is your Ercoupe located? N-number? Any contact info? If not too far away would be interested in a flight.
Love this! Ercoupe flyers unite!!!
This Ercoupe is in Florida.
75hp isn't all that much for two. It probably will climb better with just one.
This one has 100HP, but yeah... the other models that had lower output must have been limiting to say the least. Appreciate you watching and for commenting!
I have microsoft flight simulator and recently aquired the aircoupe,to my dissapointment it has rudder (bummer).I was hoping to fly live weather on it to feel it for myself,being a casual and lazy sim pilot I don't always use rudder,but even with rudder it is a little skittish................................
Interesting! Keep us posted if they add a traditional version (without pedals). Thanks for watching!
@@airspeedaltitude Will do.........................
How about letting someone with minimal experience try to fly it, of course with one of you guys
Well, out of everyone who has flown, I (Jeff) have the least amount of experience. Still a very low time pilot comparatively. But you bring up a great idea - if we ever revisit the coupe, it might be cool to put a student pilot in there with an experienced instructor and see what happens. Thanks for watching and for commenting!
The air coupe was designed to be the easiest plane to fly. Go from your car to the plane
You guys are doing a disservice to the Ercoupe. I am disappointed.
If you keep trying to fly the Ercoupe like it's a Cessna you're not going to like it. Land in the crab.
So, go put an Ercoupe driver in there with you.
As an experienced coupe pilot ....i lost count as to the number of mistakes made in the attempted coupe landings.....i suggest that you stick to aircraft with rudder peddles...
Constructive criticism here, lose the music. It is VERY distracting from the conversation.
Thank you for the constructive criticism. We're still figuring out the best way to tell these stories. I think some of my (Jeff's) filmmaking sensibilities bleed over a bit. But this is good to know. Appreciate you watching and for being constructive in your comments. Cheers!
I agree, the soundtrack was distracting but, however. Some background sound does polish a video. This is a bit too loud. You should try mixing for an iPhone/android speaker. My 2 cents. Enjoyed the series, well done!😊
You guys need to remove that annoying background music.
IMH0, it's an incorrectly designed aircraft. Someone initially probably thought that coupling ailerons and Rudder was a good idea. It isn't.
This kind of setup limits you in your ability to correctly control the aircraft. Many times you do not want the ailerons and Rudder coupled in the same direction. I understood that there was a mod to install Rudder pedals on these aircraft. If it were mine, that would be the first thing I would do.
It’s actually a very good aircraft especially with the 100hp engine.
It’s an old design and totally different from modern aircraft. Like all different types a few hours with an experienced instructor and it all makes sense.
They seem to be cheap to obtain in the US and a metal winged one is probably a good way into the vintage aircraft world
Very interesting plane. How experienced pilots feel uncomfortable flying. Makes me say HUMM. Watched all 3 and I don’t fly and it made it uncomfortable for me. I’ll have to watch a few videos with some old fart who own one and been flying it for decades. Around Bend Oregon out on wheels