Ercoupe history & general info 

A reminder to please renew or join the (National) Ercoupe Owner Club
If you are not already a member of the National EOC, dues are a bargain at only $30 annually.  EOC Membership includes the monthly Coupe Capers newsletter, with lots of valuable technical and flying related information.  Please support our wonderful Ercoupes (keep'em flying!) and contact;

Carolyn Carden
PO Box 7117
Ocean Isle Beach, NC
28469-1117
910-575-2758
coupecaper@aol.com  

Check out the on line encyclopedia 'Wikipedia' regarding Ercoupes;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ERCO_Ercoupe

Want to order a copy of an Ercoupes official records from the FAA (to check for LSA status, etc)?  You can order them on CD from the FAA directly; Go to address below: enter N number and serial number. Add to shopping cart, go to check out, Enter shipping info. Next you get a page to enter credit card info. Cost is $10. CD arrives in the mail in about 7-10 days. http://162.58.35.241/e.gov/ND/airrecordsND.asp

List of registered Ercoupes and status look up by "N" or serial number;   
http://www.aircraftone.com/aircraft/models/ercoupe_415_c_0420322.asp?spg=1 
(This list is only as up to date as we make it. There is a link at the bottom of the page to send updates in.)  Another link for N # searches;  http://www27.brinkster.com/n99904/ 
the FAA site; http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/ 
a link to a photo album; http://www.ercoupe.net/PhotoAlbum.html 

Here's a link to the Ercoupe add with the child seat (courtesy of Hartmut Beil). 
The 415-G included the option of a child seat. One/some Alon models too.  But with the gross weight constraints, not really a usable option.  Have a look how that child seat looks like: http://www.ercoupe.com/ecbroch/p5-ercoupe%20brochure%20inside%20top.jpg.html

Twin Ercoupe “recent” photos, courtesy of Ed Burkhead;  http://edburkhead.com/Ercoupe2/Twin-Ercoupe.htm 

Tailwheel Ercoupe / "Decoupe";
Jason J. Ellingson wrote; I do know of one Ercoupe that was put into the Experimental Category... the "Decoupe" located in Johnson City, TN (FAA registration: N415DC).  That plane is an Ercoupe converted to tail-dragger and a 6-cyl O-300 installed.  I don't know what process the builder went through to get the Experimental designation, but perhaps others on here know?   I think there are a couple of other tail-dragger 'coupes as well... this is what I found...

http://www.popularaviation.com/Ercoupe/Display.asp?Photo=3846 
http://bassace.com/ercoupe/taildragger.htm  
http://www.aerofiles.com/ERCO-taildragger.jpg  

Syd Cohen wrote;  The D-Coupe was built by a friend of mine who is a member of my EAA chapter, Dick Mork, in Eagle River, Wisconsin. He started with an Alon fuselage, installed a 6 cyl. O-300 engine and prop from an old Cessna 172, used Cessna 150 nose struts for the mail landing gear and mounted them to the fronts of the spars, beefed up the tail cone to take the stresses of the tail wheel hitting rough ground, installed a tailwheel, installed sticks to replace the yokes, and did a whole lot of other things to the airplane. He documented everything he did, and got the FSDO to grant him an Experimental Homebuilt certificate for the airplane. He had showed them that he had built more than 50% of the airplane himself. It took him over 12 years of fairly steady work to get the airplane flying. He flew it for a few years, and sold it to the party in Tennessee.  Syd

Jason J Ellingson created a new website devoted to the Ercoupe and later models. 
http://www.ercoupe.us/    NC2273H

Here's some interesting Ercoupe related history;  On March 12, 1947, Carolyn West and Beatrice Medes flew an Ercoupe to win the first AWTAR - they were the only finishers! In 1948, Mardo Crane, Chairman, trail blazed the "Jacqueline Cochran Cross County Race" to Miami. The LA Chapter has always had a great interest in racing, with many members generally placing in the top ten.  http://www.sws99s.org/history/losangeles.html

AWTAR = All Woman Transcontinental Air Race http://members.aol.com/creasonwings/awtar.htm

From Glen Davis on the Coupers Fly-in list; I have added some info and pictures to my website of Jessica's progress toward her Sport Pilot's license.  If you’re interested, go to www.ercoupepilot.com then click on the Jessica button.   Glen Davis CFII   Grumman Tiger N70GD    1946 Ercoupe N3103H

Here's a home video from the EAA Flabob event, made by a local Bellanca pilot.   He must have a sense of humor, recording the landings at Flabob with some nasty cross winds however; he captured a landing by 68H and me, with quite a crab angle!   The winds out of the north (a direct cross wind @ Flabob) at 20 gusting to 30 knots.  @ 5:40 into the video you can watch N3968H land.  The winds required over 30 degrees of crab angle; fortunately 68H did her job and made me look like a better pilot than I am (a nice design feature, I'd say!).  The really interesting part is watching & listening to the take off of the Bellanca at the end of the video.  http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Ob7toBLP2I  

Les Slifkin shared this (Thanks Les!).  Here's something that may be of value for the Holidays as a great gift idea, or just for fun.   Dolly Maufras (Dolly) does customized shirt embroidery, and is very nice and helpful.   Dolly charges $25.00 for the digitizing and $12.00 to stitch any shirt. She will send a catalog or web site to choose the shirt. If you ask, you may be able to supply your own shirt.   Dolly's web site is @ www.flyingmachineembroidery.com