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Fearless Flying - The Ercoupe Story
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- čas přidán 13. 08. 2024
- A remarkable history of an innovative aviation design decades ahead of its time. Many said flying the world's first spin proof, two control, tricycle landing gear airplane was like "driving a car."
Late in 1931 Fred Weick, a young NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) aeronautical engineer, invited several of his friends and co-workers to join in a private hobby venture to design and construct a safe, spin proof airplane suitable for the private pilot. During the next five years of experimentation, redesign, and testing, a two control, high flying, pusher design with tandem seating emerged incorporating a unique but unconventional, steerable, “tricycle” landing gear.
In 1936, Fred was invited by Henry Berliner to join his newly formed Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) in Washington DC. There, Fred would apply his skills and knowledge to design a 100 mile per hour, spin proof private airplane that would be economical and comfortable.
Fred proceeded to create a two-place airplane with an all-metal structure featuring side-by-side seating, doped fabric covering for the outer panels of the wings, tricycle gear and good pilot visibility. After several modifications and different engines were tested, the Ercoupe Model 415-C evolved.
One hundred and twelve airplanes were built until production was halted in 1941 because of World War II. In August 1945 production of the 415C with a 75hp Continental engine was resumed. Almost 5,000 Ercoupes were built until 1950 when ERCO deemed the project no longer economically feasible.
Many other companies including Sanders Aviation, Vest Aircraft, Forney Enterprises, Air Products, Alon Aircoupe, and Mooney Aircraft tried their hand at manufacturing the Ercoupe. All failed, and the tooling was finally sold to Univar Aircraft who still manufactures parts for the various Ercoupe and Aircoupe models.
In February of 1946, Fred Weick received the Fawcett Aviation Award for the greatest contribution to the scientific advancement of private flying. He has since been recognized as a true aviation pioneer. His many aircraft innovations including the “tricycle gear” are incorporated on countless aircraft today; but of all his achievements, the Ercoupe is the most remembered.
FEARLESS FLYING - The Ercoupe Story - Written and directed by Don Abbott
Research & Editing by Gary Schlintz
Special thanks to:
The Board of Directors Ercoupe Owners Club
Bowling Green State University
William Bain
Kim Blackseth
Ed Burkhead
Skip Carden
Syd Cohen
John Cooper
Gene Gagliardi
John Wright Sr.
John Wright Jr.
Kurt Yearout, & Mike Jenkins
Skyport Ercoupe Services
Copyright 2010 Air Campers Association
Came home from Vietnam a paraplegic and needed something to bring me back to life. A friend offered me a ride in his Cessna 150. After the flight I saw this cute little airplane for sale and found out it didn't have any rudder pedals. I bought the Ercoupe had to modify the brakes. My Ercoupe N87101 was the very first Ercoupe to have disc brakes with a FAA STC. I flew that little plane during some of the best times of my life. After 15 years I failed my FAA physical due to high blood pressure and lost my medical card. My wife and I also had two kids to raise. That little plane is a big reason I didn't end up a drunk, or on drugs or dead.
You can indeed fly without medical with Light Sports these days and some Ercoupe are certified as light sports, all you need is drivers license.
In 1968 My father bought a 1947 Ercoup while he was serving on a B-52 crew at Blytheville AFB in Arkansas. When we drove out to see it for the first time it was sitting in weeds 6 ft. tall and needed a lot of work. He paid $900 for it and boy were we excited to own an airplane. In 1969, my brother and I squirmed into the seat next to our father and flew it to N.C. when our dad left the Air Force. And as time went by we worked to perfect this aircraft into a better than new example. In 1974 my dad and I flew her from NC to Oshkosh, Wisconsin where we won Best Ercoup. My dad's name was Mitch Cooke and he flew this plane out of Twin Lakes airport in Mocksville, NC. We had a lot of fun with this project, and now looking back I think these were the best times spent with my dad. He served our country and he had a great time flying. And I had fun with the easy to fly Ercoup. What a great airplane. I hope N-3265H is still out there somewhere. My dad is passed away and I'm almost 60, but those memories will never fade.
I ran the N number and it says your dad sold it in 1975 and it went to Canada. Without knowing it's Canadian registration, I cannot determine it's history since.
A friend from Iowa gave me my first Ercoupe ride, in a 'G' model around 2008. I earned my sport pilot license, in a 'C' model (N3174H) in 2011. By the way, I'm disabled - from polio - and can't walk. But thanks to Fred Weick, and the Ercoupe, I can fly.
So proud of you Michael!!!! What a wonderful accomplishment!!!!!!!!
Congratulations my friend!!!! Flying sets you free & I’m sure that’s what it’s done for you!!! you make me smile today!! also my heart 💙 & wings go out to you Michael!!!!!
@Neil Carpenter I remember an Oscar Brand album of aviation-themed songs from back in my childhood. In one song, "Light Planes On Parade", the Ercoupe (by then renamed the Aircoupe) is mentioned:
*"The Aircoupe's just a flying car, except it's got no doors;*
*It's made with built-in bravery they never sell in stores.*
*It doesn't have any pedals, so it drives your feet insane;*
*That's the reason why, if you want to fly, you can always find a plane!"*
czcams.com/video/kqvMR4Q4kLk/video.html
Neil Carpent
Congratulations! Truly a remarkable example of perseverance. 🛫❤
My father had one. I flew in it many times. When I was 10 he would let me fly it all the time. In a good headwind you could go backwards over the ground. Dad used to joke the Ercoup didn’t have an airspeed indicator it only had a clock.
Or with really high headwinds, use a calendar!
After 43 years in aviation, this is one of the best documentaries I've seen on a light aircraft model. Thank you Don and your team, for putting this all together and making it available for us all to enjoy, I learned a lot about, and have a much greater respect for, an aircraft that I always felt was pretty darn cool. 😊👍🏼🙏🏻
Thank you, AfricanFlightStar. You said it all much better than I could.
yes, very well done. THANKS
super
Well said and I totally agree!
When I was a kid my father began to rebuilt an Ercoupe in our home parking, this video brought great memories. Congrats
Yes! I do remember our father’s Ercoupe project!
My first flight, at the age of 14, was in an Ercoupe. In my memoirs, I describe the takeoff thusly:
The transition was magical. One instant we were a high-speed tricycle, rumbling and jouncing across the pasture. The next we were a graceful aluminum bird floating through the air, wings dipping slightly back and forth, nose climbing above the horizon, the rush of air around the canopy accompanied by the constant drumming of the engine. I looked out the right side and watched as the ground sank away under the wing, the fence and power lines at the end of the pasture passing beneath us. I was flying! And I was hooked for life.
I loved my Ercoupe. I believe it would be worth mentioning that the fuel system was operated by pumping fuel from the wings to the center gravity flow center tank. If you lost a fuel pump, you still had a full center tank. Thanks for a wonderful video.
My dad flew me and my mom from west Texas to San Francisco when I was about 2 (I'm 72 now and he's 96). He told me I spent a lot of the time on the floorboard under my mom's feet during the trip. Another thing I remember is him telling me how he had to circle and circle to get over the mountains. He flew F6F's in the Pacific and owned at least 3 other planes the I can remember (Cub, Tripacer, 182). Thanks for your story.
Was he on a carrier and which one?
@@jockellis Hormet VF11
arnoguy My Father was duty officer for VF-81 on the Wasp’s first cruise.
I have watched this video at least five times and almost feel like I can tell the story to others verbatim! Thanks so much Don for making it!
I couldn't stop watching. Very well made and a fascinating story!
This video brought back some wonderful memories. My father owned a 1946 Ercoupe and taught me how to fly at 8 years old. His Ercoupe is still around today. I researched the tail number and found its location. Thank you for this wonderful video.
Yes, I know where my '46 is today, over in Clearwater Fl & I go over once and a while and pet it...
Just an FYI, back in the mid 1980's I worked for Forney's as their chief forklift driver (located on Laporte Ave. in Fort Collins, Colorado). There were many old buildings at the time, some of which were filled with various products Forney's made but eventually quit selling. In one of the warehouses tucked way back in a corner were pallets of Ercoupe propellers and steering wheels, along with other parts. It might be worth investigating whether those parts are still there.
Great video. I learned to fly in a Champ and retired as a 747 Capt. Any Ercoupe is a welcome site on my airport. They're an important part of General Aviation history.
Indeed! Years ago my brothers and I were at the EL Toro MCAS, I believe...don't think it was at March AFB, for the annual air show. Jets and warbirds spanned the tarmac.
We found a beautiful polished aluminum Ercoupe, a sight of joy! Just had to go for a close long look. My father flew with all of us in N3134H, a 1946 415-C, when we were wee lads.
Seeing a pristine Ercoupe that day was beautiful. The owner was surprised at our excitement over his bird.
Thanks for making this documentary of the Ercoupe. It brings back fond memories of flying both examples (with and without rudder pedals) as a kid. We had both at the FBO where I worked as a line boy and my boss would let me fly them pretty much whenever since they were a “blight on the industry “ and no one else wanted to. I thought they were a blast to fly and I enjoyed every minute! Thanks again for the memories of a really beautiful little plane.
My brother John Rogers was a great fan of the ercoup. I can remember flying with him in the late 50's in his 1950 ercoupe. He later sold it but when he found it crashed in an Alaska airfield he recused
and rebuilt it. He made many a modifications to his plane. All were approved by the FAA. One paticular one was adding extra fuel tanks in the wings to give extend range when he lived in Alaska. He want more range because of longer distances that Alaska challenge all aircraft . His wife, a retired FAA inspector Betty still has the plane.
Would that be John Rogers ??? He used to do the annual on my ercoupe. Hell of a good guy.
BRAVO!!! Excellent video! As an aircraft maintenance engineer in Canada, I had the pleasure to annually inspect only one of these treasures, but gained an appreciation for the simplicity and ruggedness of the design. I'm retired now, but remember the 'coupe fondly.
Wow!!! I'm (almost) speechless. Tremendous research about a lesser known craft that still flies in safety today. Way ahead of its time, beautiful in a vintage 1950's sort of way, a classic craft treated poorly by the GA community at large. It really is a designed safety craft that MANY of its ideas should have been incorporated into newer craft over time. Thank you so much for a well covered history of the 'lil Ercoupe- past due recognition for an airplane ahead of its time!
The Ercoupe was the first plane I flew in (as a passenger) when I was 14 years old. It was owned by a friend of my dad, in Havana, an experience that I will always remember, my father as an aviation fanatic, was in love with this little plane. Thank you for putting together this historic documentary.
I bought one in 1966 for $2200, great airplane and N67M is still flying. Mine was a 1946 'Erco' 415C Aircoupe w/ metal wings and 75HP.
As late as the early '80s I could have bought one for $5000. But being 6'5", I would have had to fly with the canopy open. :)
@@MrWaalkman omg so right! You can't get two adults into a C150 for years now! Merica got fat! Well, tall too, so there's that.
@@MrWaalkman >>> So there IS an advantage to being *5'5"...😝*
@@Allan_aka_RocKITEman From up here, yeah. :) I also can't fit in a Triumph Spitfire either, which is a car that I've always wanted to own.
@@dryan8377 Sorry for the late reply, I just saw your comment.
I flew with a friend in a 152 and that was the most terrified that I have ever been in a plane. Meadow Lake airport, at 6877 feet doesn't lend itself well to under powered aircraft, and we weren't getting much in the way of lift. We were however, quickly running out of runway...
I enjoyed this. Thank you! I was born in 1940 and grew up near a private airport, Pearson airport, in my hoimetown of Vancouver, Washington. Seeing the special look of the Ercoupe flying over is one of my tender childhood memories. Thank you again!
Pearson has some historical significance went there for a fly-in once.
My first "ride" was in a Ercoupe around 1964, hung out at the local airport and was able to get rides from time to time. I still remember that first ride and from then on I was hooked at 12yoa. and have had a lifelong passion for flying. Great story on the Ercoupe.
My 1st was somewhere around 1950. I use to go up with my dad, and anyone else at the local airport. i was 10.
My first aircraft was a 1946 Ercoupe. I loved it. Sunny Sunday, 90 mph, canopy open and elbow on the frame. Remember one time landing at Battle Creek. Looked over to see two F-15s and two A-10s holding short waiting for me to putt putt in for landing. Bet they used more fuel waiting than I did the whole time I owned it. I went on to an L-17 after that. High performance, retractable, variable pitch...what a difference. Weick was a genius with the ‘coupe design!!
Simplicity really is precious, isn't it?
If memory serves me, Sky King's niece Penny had an Ercoupe named the Powder Puff. Sky's first had a Cessna P-50 and ultimately a Cessna 310 named the Songbird. The TV show, as a kid, that first made me want to be a pilot.
It was a T-50, not a P-50, also nick named "The bamboo bomber."
Thanks Mr. Abbott for the wonderful video. I learned to fly and soloed in a Mooney Cadet in 1975 and didn't know until watching your fine video that its production was tied to Ercoup. I loved the Cadet. The best part was that I was paying $15/hour wet!
Excellent documentary! The level of research, script and production proves it was a labor of love. Thank you for creating it and sharing on CZcams.
Thank you, Don, and everyone associated with the Ercoupe. I hope I get to fly one day soon.
That was an epic documentary on this plane. Im 54 from South Africa & can't I have ever seen one live. I love its lines :) "SAXSY"
I bought my first aircraft in 1974 ... a 1946 Ercoupe 415C with rudder pedals, 85hp continental and extended baggage compartment for $3900 ... I loved that plane and would buy another today if the chance ever came up.
So happy I found this video, my Father was the CFO at Alon in McPherson I have fond memories of being 12 years old and washing the plane. I have 8mm home movies - now digital - of the day they released the 4 seater plus some black and white photos of the 4 seater. That 4 seater was one of the most beautiful airplanes ever made....
Great story! I first flew this plane In 1948 when I was 8 years old. My first flight. I was forever hooked on aviation and now after 25,000+ hours starting with the Navy and then United airlines have this airplane to thank. JC
Wow!! What nostalgia. In 1953, I co-owned on Ercoupe. There were 6 co-owners in our "club". Booking time got to be a major problem, so I sold my share to other 5 for $300.
I had a Ercoupe in the nineties, along with a Cessna 172, and a 175. The Ercoupe was the most fun, and cheaper on gas, it was also easiest to fly. Wish I could find it. Can't remember the N number expect that it had a H, a 0, a 7, and I think a 4. It left from Arkansas, and went to Texas painted white with a red stripe. I got to talk to Mr. Weick at a Ercoupe fly-in, just south of Russleville, Arkansas. Some called it "The Chicken Ranch Fly-in, because it was at a huge chicken ranch, complete with a Saturday night ho-down and all the fried eggs you could eat for breakfast. He was a very nice and interesting man to talk to, with a remarkable memory.
I have several hours in an Ercoupe. A truly unique flying experience. Flying with the windows down is a thrill.
If I had, had the money in 1959 I would have been an Aircoupe owner. I loved the aircraft, but couldn't raise enough money to swing the deal. I still love them. Thanks for this video.
I'm not a pilot but am an avid airplane enthusiast. To me, the Ercoupe has the most pleasing to the eye lines of any light aircraft. I've built two models of it. Excellent video!
Were they flying models? I'm returning to building models after a 30 year layoff. Stick and tissue, rubber powered and now I'm going to look for some plans.
Yes, old Comet rubber powered stick and tissue models. I still have the last one. Great hobby. Enjoy!
Glad I found this! I used to ride my skateboard to South Columbus Airfield and watch all the time. One day an older gentleman was trying to pull his plane out of the hanger but couldn't get it past the door guides. He yelled over to me, Hey Kid! Can you come give me a hand? I was about 15 or so and gleefully said yes. He showed me where to grab on the prop and we pulled it out easily. He asked if I would like to go for a ride and I yelled yes! Soon thereafter we were doing circuits over my neighborhood. He let me fly it some too! This was around 1979 or so. South Columbus airport was very active for a while, and I pretty much watched planes in the pattern over my house all day. Thanks for this memory and preservation of a legendary aircraft.!
My dad never told me that his introductory flight and first 5 lessons in April 1948 were in an Ercoupe. I just bought one last week, and wish my dad a former ATP pilot with over 15000 hours could be here to see it. Unfortunately he passed away in 2010. I feel like buying this plane and teaching my son how to fly is a family tradition. God bless!
Are you going to buy one and teach your son how to fly, or have you?
@@leelafarlett4401 I bought one now over a year and a half ago. We are getting close to graduating her from Hangar Queen to Flying Girl. My son has helped me a lot and is looking forward to learning to fly.
With all due respect, if your father never told you his introductory flights were in an Ercoupe, then how did you find this information out? Genuine question. Thanks.
I’m ferry flying an aircoupe across Canada right now and I absolutely love it! What a great airplane!
It's possible that you have accidentally misspelled it but I've always pronounced it that way. I don't know of a Bear Cubs born to fly but an aircraft equipped with a steering wheel and no Rudder pedals is to me; an Air Coupe. I did however, mispronounce Bombardier for a long while.
Dad flew me around in one of these when I was a kid.
Good times.
I remember him explaining the unique control system.
This brings back good memories...
When I was growing up, and my father ran the airport in Jacksonville NC, I loved that airplane. As a child, and even today as a 64 y.o. old fart.
Well done video. A number of years ago, I put down a deposit on my first airplane purchase...a ‘46 Ercoupe 415C. About 2 weeks before I was to pick it up in Ohio and fly it back to Chicago, my wife was diagnosed with cancer. Obviously the need for all available funds for treatment of her illness necessitated asking for my deposit back, thus cancelling the sale. My wife made a full recovery, and Ill always remember the flight I took in that Ercoupe, which , at the time, convinced me to buy it. As a 2-service veteran (Both Marine Corps AND Navy), Ive been around many interesting aircraft, and as a pilot I have logged time in a dozen or so different planes, but none captured my personal flying interest quite like the Ercoupe, and I still have a Polaroid photo on my desk of the one I almost owned.
In 1947 a New Zealander called Harry Newton, who had flown Wellington and Mosquito Bombers with the Royal Air Force during WW2, went back to his farm in NZ, but, missing his girlfriend, returned to England, to find she had not missed him quite so much and had moved on.
Wanting to get home, he found that he could not fly by airliner for about two years and could only go by ship if he worked his passage as a stoker. At a trade show in Brussels, Belgium he purchased an Ercoupe, s/n 4780, from the agent and flew it home to New Zealand, a journey of some 15.500 nautical miles, which he accomplished in 17 days, (although he spent two days in Malta on the way, so he could have averaged 1000 miles per day).
The aircraft landed at his home town of New Plymouth, and remained, for many years, the smallest aircraft ever to cross the Tasman Sea. It was sold to Auckland Aero Club in 1948
In 1951 it was damaged in an accident at what is now Auckland Airport and was considered beyond economic repair. A Mr Peter Beck spent some 10 years restoring it and it has returned to flight. It was re-purchased by Harry Newton's family and is still flying out of New Plymouth. It is registered as ZQ-AQX and was built as NC94669 being registered as OO-EXC in Belgium.
Incidentally, the official cause of the accident was listed as ''stalled and crashed on landing''!
I have a photo my father took of OO-EXC and owner Harry Newton on Rongotai aerodrome soon after it arrived in New Zealand
25 years ago I was at an airport and an older gentleman wearing an Ercoupe ballcap came up to me to admire my RV-4 that I’d built. After answering his questions, I asked do you own an Ercoupe? When he answered yes, I asked if he was interested in swapping rides. We did. I’d always admired that “little B25” looking airplane. The ride he gave me did not disappoint. What a wonderful design!
I was present, as a spectator, at the national Ercoupe/Aircoupe fly-in in Newton Kansas in the very early 1990s. I grew up in Wichita, but had never seen an Ercoupe/Aircoupe until that fly-in. What a machine! Reminded me of my 1963 Corvette that I had sold a few years prior to finance dental school. The Ercoupe/Aircoupe owners were very happy to share their knowledge and flight experiences. It was a great weekend in Newton! Thank you for this enlightening video history.
Excellent job! When I was learning to fly at the Bayport Aerodrome on Ling Island, as grass strip, there were probably a half dozen Ercoupes on the field, all of them were parked in a row on one side. It was kind of cool to see them all there, some never flew, others were meticulously maintained some flew once a month. Eventually they all disappeared and now there are none left.
When I was a kid in the fifties and sixties, I wanted to fly desperately and my Dad considered buying an Ercoupe (which until this vid I thought was pronounced Air coupe). I remember getting in the one he was looking at as he too wanted to learn to fly... but ultimately, he declined saying, "he had two boys that one day would want to go to college" which we ultimately did but all these years later I feel a bit guilty he sacrificed what he wanted to do because of my brother and me. I did ultimately learn to fly, have over 2000 hours and IFR, but still desire to try an Ercoupe.
The later versions were produced by a new company named Alon. The plane originally was built by Ercoupe. When Alon bought Ercoupe the name was changed to the Alon Aircoupe with a sliding canopy. Rudder pedals was added, but the hp never changed. Later, Mooney bought out Alon and produced it with a single vertical stabilizer, and I believe a 100 hp engine and called it "The Mooney Cadet." The weight must have increased because it was very under powered. I've flown all three models.
Richard Mourdock What did you get your college degree in?
As owner of the cockpit section of 1946 Ercoupe N3188H I have found this fascinating. I certainly learnt alot. 88H was written off when a pilot inexperienced on type fell foul of the limited flare and hit hard and short. Many thanks and Hi to all 'Coupe' owners and enthusiasts.
Great video. When the footage gets to the Alon, one that was pictured there was N5475E, and that's the one that I got my PPL in during 1968-69. Great little airplanes.
I'm just now llearning about Airplanes. The story about the Ercoupe reminds me of story of the Tucker automobile which was way ahead of its time.
THE STORY LINE IS NOT EVEN CLOSE
To Daniel Baker, the Tucker car was a very innovative design, like the Ercoupe was... The availability of parts and supplies before & after WW2 was limited, but the Ercoupe marched on with a privately developed engine, fabric covered wood structures (metal shortage), and the Tucker used an improvised surplus (but new) aircraft engine (post-war automotive engine shortage), after WW2 - much like the Ercoupe. The Ercoupe and the Tucker were both known for their performance and safety... The Ercoupe and the Tucker were both very unusual & recognisable designs: The Tucker for the 3rd 'steerable' headlight, rear engine, 'Pop-Out' windscreen; and the Ercoupe for the anti-stall / anti-spin characteristic, the recognisable empenage , and the first practical use of the nosewheel 'Tricycle' type landing gear... And both companies were at extreme odds with the larger/much more financially (& politically) powerful competitors, because of their unconventional , yet far better designs.... Both companies finally succumbed to the relentless political / financial pressure that their much larger competitors continually provided, because of their unusual-yet superior designs that the larger companies refused to supply to their customers... Yes, Very similar stories indeed....
Having no rudder pedals is not what I would call an aircraft ahead of its time.
Excellent work, Don. My first airplane was N99495, a 415 C/D. Loved it, and learned firsthand how you could, with effort, steer yourself into something that resembled a groundloop in a strong crosswind.
THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL VIDEO, I FIND THE ERCOUPE TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LITTLE AIRPLANE!!GOD BLESS!!
Ree
Really enjoyed this video production, and it filled in a lot of missing information for me. I was a riveter and (as my engineering studies progressed) later a draftsman for AirCoupe when it was at the Carlsbad, NM airport. That experience opened my eyes to aviation, prompting a lifelong interest and a career at NASA in Houston. Thanks, Mr. Abbott.
I’ve always loved the design of the Ercoupe. In fact as a young boy, my first model plane build in 1952 was an Ercoupe!
So well done. My first airplane ride was in an Ercoupe that my cousin had just recovered the wings. Later in life I was able to get my Aand P ticket, my private and commercial licensealong with, flight instructor ticket. . I logged about 1100 hours teaching and 1500 total hours before retiring from that adventure. Never got another ride in an Ercoupe!
My dad had an ercoupe . At the age of 3 I remeber him blowing up balloons amd throwing them outside via the open canopy. He has a tight grip on the back of my pants as was standing on the seat. With no rudder pedals i could fly around and pop all the balloons! Once we had one foul the oil cooler and had to land. It was a simple fix but my mom put a stop fo it... Ill never firget my dads face as i fold her all about it. I remember his ercoupe had its wings changed to metal from fabric and he would navigate with something called a superhomer. Thanks so much for this great video. Blue skies!
I grew up hearing my father talk of the safest most forgiving aircraft ever built... the safest he ever flew... the Ercoupe. Thank you for producing this fine movie about an amazing airplane.
I did very much enjoy this video. I have been a type 1 diabetic since 1966 and fell in love with the Ercoupe at the Santa Paula, CA airport. They had one for sale and I was making arrangements to purchase it in 1985. The sales rep said you should call the FAA and see if you can get a license. I did and they just laughed at me. Things have changed since, thank goodness. Light sport aviation has been created and I almost bought a Rans Coyote II just 2 years ago. With no hangar space available I walked away. Whenever I see an Ercoupe I try to get a ride.
So well done, Brings me back to the 70"s when I owned N3843H for ten years. Closing in on 70 now but there may just be one more coupe for me.
Go for it ;)
Thank you very much for this fantastic history of the Ercoupe. Been waiting along time.
Thank you for putting this together and publishing it so many others can see it WoW ... Very informative and I really learned alot .. good job.
A & P mechanic retired Phoenix AZ
Owned and flew N99391 twenty years ago. 350+ hours in coupes! Gave Paul Prentice a ride in my coupe one beautiful winter day in Bowie TX and also had the opportunity to meet Mr. Fred Weick back in the 80's at a FLA Ercoupe fly in. Blue skies!
Thank you for all the work on this great documentary . I think people should always choose safety and practicality over looking cool, after all it is your life.
I knew a physician in Parker, Arizona, 30 years ago, who had his 1946 all-metal Ercoupe hangered at the airport, about 2 miles from where I worked.
He showed it to me, one Saturday, as I remember.
It was a real beauty.
My very first ride in an airplane was in a 1948 Ercoupe. I was about 10 years old, and the pilot kindly allowed me to steer it across the wide apron to the taxiway. Having grown up around aviation, I knew about the basic controls of an airplane, and the pilot explained to me the virtues of the pedal-free Ercoupe. I'm vision-handicapped and can't fly myself, but I'll always have a soft spot for the wonderful little twin-rudder ship that imbued me with a lifelong love of flying.
Excellent video, did about 20 hours on an Ercoupe, might buy one in a few years.
I flew one once in Sherbrooke, Quebec, I owned a BD-4 at the time and had flown in to Sherbrooke to visit relatives. I parked by the Ercoupe and started talking to the owner. We traded rides. It was great fun but I kept searching for the rudder pedals absent mindedly. By the way, great history video. Really enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed the video. My dad got his private pilot's license in a Cessna 172 when I was about 12 years old. Some time later when I was about 14 he told me he was going to buy an "Aircoop." He located one in another state and told the seller if he would fly it to Houston he would buy it at an agreed price. I asked him if he was concerned about buying an airplane he had not seen or flown before if he was concerned about it's safety. He said "son if he is willing to fly it here it must be safe." He enjoyed it for a few years. He let me fly it once it was in the air. He kept pointing at the altimeter. I guess I was flying too high.
My father had one and I got to fly it frequently. Flew great and I am a big fan. Thanks for the great video.
Been flying for nearly 54 years and have seen a lot of Ercoups/Aircoups but never had the opportunity to fly one. This story/documentary has given me a much better understanding of the "little airplane that could!" Thank you for putting this together, I very much enjoyed it!
VERY WELL DONE! EXCELLENT HISTORICAL COMPILATION OF WHICH I LEARNED A TON OF INFORMATION. THE FAA OR EAA HAS A COMPETITION GOING ON RIGHT NOW FOR A DESIGN OF AN AIRCRAFT THAT "ANYONE" CAN OPERATE. WELL, THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY ERCOUPE!
I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS VIDEO AND THANK YOU FOR POSTING IT!
Owned a 1/4 interest in a 415c some years ago and I enjoyed it very much. My buddy and I would stick our arms out on final when I would come in two high. Our version of flaps! It worked great!
Not a pilot but was fascinated to learn about this unique aircraft. Thanks.
I completely rebuilt one myself years ago. Its done very little time since then. Has 100hp and fuel injection too. Amazing little plane. Thanks to all who made this very informative documentary.
Excellent documentary. I have flown in many of Fred's designs (rode with my dad in an Ercoupe as a kid) piloted a Pawnee and pretty much every version of the Cherokee:140/150/160/161/180/235/200 & 201 Arrow, fixed gear Saratoga and Cherokee Six.
Great documentary. While Syd Cohen is clearly an Ercoupe expert there is an important correction to be made at 18:54. He says full length ailerons improve “lateral” control while (correctly) motioning “roll” with his arms. Roll control is along the longitudinal axis, pitch is along the lateral axis. One way to remember that is the horizontal stringers that link the bulkheads are called “longerons” running along the longitudinal axis. One other little thing, most of us are stepping on the right rudder peddle more because of torque, gyroscopic precession and p-factor than the prop slipstream around the fuselage, IMHO :)
Good points. The video does say to point out mistakes if you see them. I am not a pilot, but I took a few lessons, and recall the point about torque, precession and the rudder.
What a great documentary! My first airplane ride was in a 1947 Ercoupe (Dallas, 1977). In the eighties, I met Alverna Williams at an airshow in Fort Worth.
An excellent biography of a aircraft that should be remembered in aviation history. Thank you for posting this to youtube.
I have always loved the look of the Ercoupe. It reminds me of a WW 2 bomber. When I was a student pilot I found an Ercoupe at a private runway. I was amazed and stunned at how exactly beautiful that plane was. I would love to have one and fly it as often as possible. Thank you this special
I hope you find one. It is about as close to being a bird as humans get. Best to you. Don
Such a perfect design! Ercoupe's two axes controls is probably the most underrated aircraft innovation of that time. The only thing i would change there is adding a differential brakes for crosswind landings.
Thank You for this great video. I think this is the best "start to finish" documentary on this great aircraft. I hope to be able to restore and/or own one someday soon.
Bravo! At long last, a professional documentary of an exceptional man constructing an outstanding design. My only exposure to ERCO was my flights to College Park, MD, looking towards Riverdale, and thinking “... hmmm, look at that dusty, overgrown airport over there!” Thanks to all for this historic production.
Great video! Thank you so much. My son flew as a Young Eagle with Sid in his Ercoupe. Now we are both taking lessons at the same airport he keeps his Ercoupe . Yes.....I am bragging. Sorry.
I've flown over a dozen Young Eagles, it made me feel special.
Great documentary, Mr. Abbott. As a pilot with more than 17,000 hours I've never had the opportunity to fly or ride in an Ercoupe. But in 1948 my then 28 year old dad was involved in a publicity stunt to encourage flying lessons and promote aviation. He was a friend of the operator of Knight's Airport in Vallejo, California. His friend advanced the idea of my dad soloing with a bare minimum of training. The aircraft was an Ercoupe. So, after an hour and fifteen minutes of instruction, he was sent off on his own to solo. The flight apparently went off without a hitch. There was an article in the local newspaper and photo talking about the "record" that had been set for the shortest period of training before soloing and how easy it was to learn to fly. I'm not sure if he ever flew again but recently I found his medical certificate and student pilot certificate. After I'd been flying for years he confided in me that he only had :45 minutes or so of instruction. His instructor said that sounded too low so they boosted it up to the hour and fifteen time. Truly a testament to the Ercoupe's abilities.
My Coupe used to belong to Tom Jones ( no not the singer) who was a good friend of Fred. My logs have personal notes they passed back and forth. Including some design ideas Fred had that didnt make to production. ScareCoupes was the term I always heard of them. I think thats just from the screaming tires can make in a Xwind landing. After 24 years owning one it never gets boring.
I put500 hours onN-3282H and never declined to fly because of winds.
BRAVO ZULU! 👏 Thank you for your wonderful account of the BEST airplane I've never owned. One of these days; one of these days...
Thank you so much Mr Abbott. As an early teen, my first ride in an airplane was in an Ercoupe. As most I thought it was pronounced Air Coupe. This was in the early '70s at spring bank airport west of Calgary. Mr Chapman even let me steer it. Boy let me tell you was I nervous. Been a wing nut ever since.
Well done! Thanks for preserving some very important aviation history.
I saw my first Ercoupe yesterday at the 2024 Will Rogers Wiley Post Fly In in Oolagah, OK. I immediately fell in love with it! I parked near the end of the runway, and as I was getting out of my car, the Ercoupe came in loooow over the row I was in. It's silhouette was immediately burned into my mind and I set out at once to find it and what it was. I need another mechanical mouth to feed like like i need a hole in the head, but now i want one! (Need to learn to fly first!)
One minor thing on pronunciation: the 'er' in McPherson, KS is pronounced as it is in 'Ercoupe' or, as the residents say, 'there is no fear in McPherson'. (Not that I should talk. I'd been saying 'Air-coupe' till I saw this video!) This is a very enjoyable and informative video that only makes me want an Ercoupe even more!❤
Great Video! I remember my first flight in a Ercoupe out of Hooks airport back in the eighties.. Wow what a great airplane. Thanks for the wonderful video.
When I was MUCH younger, a coworker and his brother owned a 1966 Alon 'Coupe. They gave me a couple of rides in it. It was *FUN!!!!*
The Ercoupe is the Goldie Hawn of airplanes.
Greatly enjoyed this presentation. I've never had opportunity to fly one but my Father loved them.
Remarkable history. Brought back a lot of memories. The first airplane I ever flew was an Ercoupe owned by a family friend (a WWII B26 Marauder pilot). Wonderful memories.
When I was a young cadet in the Civil Air Patrol in the early 1960s, I often flew in his Ercoupe with CAPT. Perez our of Stinson Field on the South side of San Antonio, Texas. It was a very interesting and kinda' different aircraft as it had no rudder pedals. The rudder pedals were linked to the control wheel and this made if very difficult to spin the aircraft. It was a pretty neat aircraft; but I must admit I really enjoyed flying the T-34A our unit received a year or so later.
What a great documentary ! I used to fly one 25 years ago and always loved flying it ! Great little airplane !
Hi Don, also being an Ercoupe aficionado and a 2X OSH 'Outstanding Ercoupe' prize-winner, I applaud you for your thorough, accurate and affectionate history of one of the most influential airplanes ever built. While not directly credited, Fred Wieck's design forever changed the face of modern civil and military aircraft.
--wp marsh
Got my private license at 21 (soloed at 16) in a Cessna 150... almost 60 years ago... I had seen Ercoupes and generally had the attitude that is was a "cheater aircraft" for disabled individuals. I finally got to ride in one sometime in my 50's. I always had an appreciation for it for the reason I thought it was created... great idea for some physically disabled but discounted it as not being a "real" airplane. Over the years I've flown Cessnas, Pipers, and Areo Cammanders I never considered owning or flying an Ercoupe. After seeing this presentation, I can see what a part of history and an amazing aircraft I have missed because of my stupid prejudice for something I knew nothing about nor had the impetus to learn. It's too late for me now as I can't fly any longer but I certainly appreciate everyone that has kept the Ercoupes flying and maintaining a very important part of aircraft development alive for all to know and better understand as well as enjoy. Thank you all...
What a wonderful, wonderful video!! Put together so professionally, that it is a pure joy to watch. Thank you so much for putting this historical gem of a aircraft under such great review. Fred did just as much for the advancement of aircraft and aviation, than anyone in the business. How about the Piper PA-28, need I say more than that?
My lifelong aviation career was spent on airports, I remember a gentleman drove up to an Ercoupe parked in a grassy tie down area and worked himself out of his vehicle into a wheel chair, I was working close by and moved over and offered assistance as he was wheeling himself over to the wing in his chair.
I asked if he needed a hand and quickly stated no thanks I do this all the time. I stayed back and watched as he pre flighted while in the chair and then climbed aboard cranked the ercoupe up and taxied away. He had a great flight and upon his return from pattern work I watched eagerly and he managed to get parked and made his way to his car and drove off.
It was just amazing that his issue never kept him from enjoying his dream of flying. It was a regular scene for many years. If not for the Ercoupe he would have been grounded. And all this way before sport license and low time piloting and such was around. Medical was needed, bi annual’s and all !!!
Great documentary! Thank you so much for the time and effort that went into this production!