About The Ercoupe:

My plane is a member of the family of aircraft known as the Ercoupe or Aircoupe. The Ercoupe features great visibility and ground handling. For safety, the elevator deflection of 13 degrees made stalls nearly impossible. Turning the control wheel operated nose wheel steering, ailerons and proportional rudder for coordinated turns.

Basic flying characteristics are the same as modern aircraft with one exception. In Ercoupes with linked rudders/ailerons, in a cross-wind, the airplane is landed in a wing- level crab. Though the landing gear is sturdy, it is not abnormally strong and certainly doesn't "swivel." Yet, due to the natural geometry of a tricycle with a swiveling nose wheel, the airplane immediately lines up with the direction of travel after touchdown. Two-control Ercoupes fly with a demonstrated cross-wind component of 25 mph. Some Coupers regularly fly with even stronger crosswinds.

Ercoupes/Aircoupes carry up to about 500-550 lbs useful load and fly from 100-114 mph burning from 4.5- 5.5 gallons of fuel per hour. The Ercoupe 415-C and CD have a maximum gross weight of 1260 lbs and were built from 1940-1947. The Ercoupe 415-D, E & G have a maximum gross weight of 1400 lbs and were built from 1947-1950. They fly about 100-108 mph. The Forney F-1 and F-lA, Alon A-2, Mooney A-2-A Alon Cadet and Mooney M-10 Cadet versions all have a gross weight of 1450 lbs. They fly about 105-114 mph. 

The Ercoupe Owners Club supports all models of Coupes and may be reached by writing to P.O. Box 15388, Durham, NC 277O4.

Ercoupe Specs:

• Engine Limits.............................................2275 r.p.m.
• Airspeed Limits.........................................108 m.p.h. maneuvering speed
                                                        114 m.p.h. maximum structural cruising
                                                        144 m.p.h. never exceed
• Maximum Weight......................................1260 lbs.
• Empty Weight............................................To be determined for individual airplane
• Useful Weight............................................To be determined for individual airplane
• Datum.......................................................Forward face of firewall
• Center of Gravity Range............................26.4" to 30.3"
• Empty Center of Gravity............................To be determined for individual airplane
• Any Special Limitations............................"This airplane is characteristically incapable of spinning

Next: History of the Ercoupe