1948 Ercoupe For Sale

Awww, selling the 'coupe. That's a shame. Hope you find a good buyer. It does took like fun, too.
 
steingar said:
Awww, selling the 'coupe. That's a shame. Hope you find a good buyer. It does took like fun, too.
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Yeah, we bought it in '08 with two other partners (who also own other airplanes) so that our kids would have something to fly. It had gotten to the point where the kids couldn't even afford to rent the clapped out old 150s anymore, so we bought Sweetie and rented it to them for $15/hour, dry.

The first year, everyone flew the pants off of it. Then, one of the kids got sent to Afghanistan. Another quit flying. My son is 3rd year ROTC at the U of Iowa, works at our other motel, and has zero time to fly.

The coup de grace was when we moved to Texas. Mary and I were the ones flying it most often, and now it's just been sitting in the hangar. I've already got a plane I don't fly often enough, so it makes no sense for me to bring it to Texas. So, it's for sale.

It makes me very sad. We had a lot of fun in that plane, and our son flew it into OSH '08 when he was just 17. We put a new prop on her, added an oil access door, re-did the wings -- it's a nice airplane.

Interestingly, it's painted almost exactly like the 2008 Hallmark Aviation Xmas Ornament: http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/s7ond...0&vc=skin=/is-viewers/flash/basicZoomSkin.swf

In fact, when that ornament came out, we wondered if they hadn't copied our plane's paint scheme!
 
Jay, That looks like a ton of fun for not much $$. Shoot Kate a PM. She was looking for some Ercoupes a couple years back for thier flight school. I'll also foward your link to a local pilot who is involved in Able Flight that would be an awesome plane for that mission.
 
What's the useful load?

John
 
It's close to me. I have always wondered if I would fit in one of these.
 
jsstevens said:
What's the useful load?

John
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I don't have the numbers in front of me, but it has the improved useful load that the later models were known for. This means it can actually carry two people legally.

One thing you can guarantee about the LSA Ercoupes: If you see two grown men in one, it is either illegal, or out of gas.
 
wabower said:
You know what they say. "If you have to ask . . . "
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Depends on your height. If you have a tall torso, it can be tight.

Good news: This 'Coupe comes with the custom seat my A&P/partner made for me. It is an inch shorter than the stock seat, which saved me from constantly hitting my headphone headband on the canopy. :wink2:
 
Mason said:
That looks like a fun airplane. Does it have the rudder pedal kit?
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That kit is an abomination. No real Ercoupe has RUDDER PEDALS! :wink2:

Believe me, it is not needed. The stock 'Coupe, with interconnected rudders/ailerons, can handle more crosswind than you will EVER feel comfortable flying in. It's a terrific system.
 
i've flown a lot of ercoupes.... and i would hate to see one w/ a rudder pedal system! that's just terrible! that would greatly limit your xwind ability.
 
Another thing you can (almost) guarantee is that a pilot who can't qualify for a medical won't be flying any airplane it if it's not LSA. The rest is irrelevant.

Jay Honeck said:
I don't have the numbers in front of me, but it has the improved useful load that the later models were known for. This means it can actually carry two people legally.

One thing you can guarantee about the LSA Ercoupes: If you see two grown men in one, it is either illegal, or out of gas.
Click to expand...
 
i checked a guy out in a coupe once that had rudder pedals. we just ignored them. made life a lot easier. this one still had the interconnect and the nosewheel was still hooked to the wheel. rudder pedals would just move the rudders independent of the wheel. i suppose for some pilots who felt like they had to do something in a xwind landing.
 
wabower said:
Another thing you can (almost) guarantee is that a pilot who can't qualify for a medical won't be flying any airplane it if it's not LSA. The rest is irrelevant.
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No, he won't be flying any other plane *legally*. :D
 
Jay Honeck said:
Depends on your height. If you have a tall torso, it can be tight.

Good news: This 'Coupe comes with the custom seat my A&P/partner made for me. It is an inch shorter than the stock seat, which saved me from constantly hitting my headphone headband on the canopy. :wink2:
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at 6'4 with a 52" chest a lot of planes are interesting for me.
 
Very tempting Jay...Very tempting.
 
tonycondon said:
Jesse, you'd look good in an ercoupe.
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EVERYONE looks good, in an Ercoupe.

It's really fun to have a plane that everyone gathers around when you arrive at a fly-in breakfast. Since I work every weekend, fly-in b'fasts don't happen very often, so this little plane made it extra special.

I can't tell you how many line boys would park me, and says "Um, what IS that plane?"

Another nice part of this 'Coupe: One of my two partners in it is my A&P mechanic for the last 10 years. He's also a grand champion home-builder. (He built, from plans, a P-6E Hawk fighter replica, among others.) To say this plane is "well maintained" is an understatement.
 
Jay Honeck said:
Good news: This 'Coupe comes with the custom seat my A&P/partner made for me. It is an inch shorter than the stock seat, which saved me from constantly hitting my headphone headband on the canopy. :wink2:
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How did your A&P/partner sign off the seat modification, log book entry or Field Approval 337?
 
Rotor&Wing said:
How did your A&P/partner sign off the seat modification, log book entry or Field Approval 337?
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The bucket seats in the 'Coupe are removable. Literally two little hooks on the front of the seat, and then your weight holds them in place. My friend and I crafted a lower-profile seat out of a high-school surplus plastic chair.

The "real" seats remain in place at all times -- until I fly the plane. I then remove one of the regular seats, and put my seat in, not unlike a yoke-mounted GPS, or Mary's seat cushions.

The seat is not installed in the plane -- it's mine. (I've actually used it at an airshow, sitting in the grass -- it's *that* portable.) No log book or 337 required. :thumbsup:
 
jsstevens said:
What's the useful load?

John
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Should be 1400#. Most 'Coupes weigh in the area of just under 900# - leaving 500+/- for fuel and souls.

Jay Honeck said:
I don't have the numbers in front of me, but it has the improved useful load that the later models were known for. This means it can actually carry two people legally.

One thing you can guarantee about the LSA Ercoupes: If you see two grown men in one, it is either illegal, or out of gas.
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You've got that right. I've got a 415-C, LSA, with the 1320# STC (up from 1260#). Empty weight is 880#, so when two of us fly we carry about two hours of fuel (with a VFR reserve) and nothing else. However it makes a wonderful solo aircraft, which is about 80% of my mission. My wife and I can fly with full fuel - but she is not too keen on light aircraft.

Looks like yours is in good shape and at a reasonable price. Here's mine - as you can see, it is cool to fly with the canopy open: :D

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Good luck with the sale.
 
Jay Honeck said:
You can always fly the 'Coupe with the canopy slid over to the other side. Then it doesn't matter HOW tall you are! :tongue:
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I sat in an Ercoupe once. If I were to fly it with the canopy open, I would need goggles, 'cause I would definitely be in the windstream. :D
 
Is this Ercoupe still for sale? My husband and I owned one in 1971, and I loved flying it. Unfortunately, that was in the days when husbands put title in only their name, so when he realized he couldn’t navigate, he sold it in 1973. I was devastated as I had only one more cross country trip to make to qualify to take the private pilots test!

We divorced shortly afterward. Now I’m 77, very healthy and very bored, single and and I’m playing with the idea of getting an Aercoupe for my next adventure.
 
Oh! Guess I should have read the fine print! Well, if you hear of any Ercoupes for sale, preferably in California, feel free to let me know!
 
Memory lane necro

saw some names I have thought of in long time
 
Wendy Miller said:
Is this Ercoupe still for sale? My husband and I owned one in 1971, and I loved flying it. Unfortunately, that was in the days when husbands put title in only their name, so when he realized he couldn’t navigate, he sold it in 1973. I was devastated as I had only one more cross country trip to make to qualify to take the private pilots test!

We divorced shortly afterward. Now I’m 77, very healthy and very bored, single and and I’m playing with the idea of getting an Aercoupe for my next adventure.
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The big red stripe at the bottom of the response box, that informed you how bloody old the thread was, the one you ignored, is supposed to tip you off.
 
Come on, man. What’s the harm in responding to an old thread if it’s relevant to a new member?

Way to be welcoming to a new person.
 
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