AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2015 - 88

ODD 'COUPES
Twin Ercoupe. In 1946, the Thrasher Brothers Flying Circus of Athens, Georgia, fused two
Ercoupes, creating a one-off twin-fuselage,
twin-engine model they used in their airshow.
This hybrid was modified so it could perform
spins and loops (ercoupe.com/story_4.php).
The JATO-powered Ercoupe. Don't laugh.
In August 1941 the U.S. Army attached jetassisted takeoff (JATO) rocket engines to an
Ercoupe and flew it at California's March Field.
Some say it was the United States' first test of
a JATO airplane. The takeoff run lasted just 7.5
seconds and the Ercoupe got off the ground in
300 feet (www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1
214391173634&permPage=1).
The Bryan Autoplane. In 1953 Leland Bryan
used an Ercoupe fuselage and twin tail,
melded it with folding wings and a pusher
engine, and made three versions of a roadable airplane. The third version crashed in
1974, killing him (www.roadabletimes.com/
roadables-integ_bryan.html).

GENE OLINGER gave his Ercoupe's
panel a complete makeover that
retains the feel of the original (top
right). New yokes replace the stock,
circular designs, and modern switches
and gauges were installed; the
baggage compartment was reupholstered (far right); the original-issue,
art-deco "Beware Propeller" placard
(bottom left); and throttle and brake
controls (right).

production ended in 1970, Mooney
Olinger bought his 'Coupe for
$23,000 in 2004, and hoped to defray
Aircraft was making Ercoupes the comLasher Little Thumper. Using an Ercoupe
costs by having a partner, then leasing
pany rebranded as Mooney M10 Cadets,
fuselage and wings, together with an Aeronca
it to the FBO. But the wear and tear of
complete with Mooney's signature forChamp aft fuselage, C.W. Lasher made the
renting got to him, so he ditched his
ward-swept vertical stabilizer. Only 59
"Little Thumper" open-cockpit taildragger.
partner, ditched the FBO, and began a
Cadets were sold. Then Mooney sold
restoration process on the 2,000-hour
the type certificate to Univair Aircraft
airplane. "The airplane needed an
Corporation of Aurora, Colorado, where
it remains today.
owner, not a renter," Olinger said.
To many, the 1946 415-C is the most desirable Ercoupe. For one,
Then began 18 months of downtime while he addressed the
the 415-C is light enough to be flown under Light Sport aircraft maintenance issues. He inspected all the structural components,
(LSA) rules. Others prefer those with hikes in engine power. The replaced control rods that showed signs of corrosion, added pulse
models 415-E through -G came with 85-horsepower Continentals, lights, and overhauled the instrument panel. The panel is still bare90-horsepower engines were on those produced after 1958, and bones, but Olinger upgraded to a "glass cockpit" by installing an iPad
there's an STC to install a 100-horsepower Continental O-200. A mini running ForeFlight and a Stratus 2 ADS-B receiver. When he
slide-back canopy replaced the original slide-down canopy side needed parts he called on Univair. For any other sort of advice there
panels beginning in 1964. Aluminum wing skins and, over the is the excellent and authoritative Ercoupe Owners Club (www.
years, changes to a split-elevator design; a double-fork nosewheel; ercoupe.org).
Cleveland brakes; and other minor changes were introduced. And
The best news of all? There was no corrosion of the wing spars,
then there's the rudder-pedal mod, which isn't really necessary ribs, or wing spar box. These are areas prone to corrosion, because
unless you are learning to fly in an Ercoupe and don't want a limi- of dissimilar metals at the wing attach points-and the wings'
tation to no-rudder-pedal flying on your certificate.
dihedral, which promotes moisture drainage. Oh, and there's the
I've always had a soft spot for Ercoupes, and over the years I've problem of mouse urine. Don't laugh-it's acidic, and after decades
flown them intermittently. When I started flying I flew a 415-C that can render an Ercoupe unairworthy. Ercoupes with aluminum or
a coworker owned. That was a good deal until the day I experienced Ceconite wing coverings are extremely susceptible to spar corrotwo engine stoppages. Then there was a well-worn yellow Ercoupe sion because moisture is sealed inside. Fabric wings, like the ones
(most are bare aluminum) that a mechanic friend let me fly back on Olinger's airplane, breathe so condensation is more apt to wick
in the 1980s. That one was on the cover of AOPA Pilot back in the away-unless the airplane is kept outside. Even so, there are major
day. More recently I checked out in a nice yellow 415-C that was on airworthiness directives, AD 2002-26-02 and AD 2003-21-01, which
an FBO's rental line, and I flew that a while. Then it disappeared.
mandate inspections for corrosion, unless you install 16 inspection
Until the day I drove by the ramp next to the AOPA build- panels. Or pull the wings, your choice.
ing and saw it-in Gene Olinger's hangar. Olinger, a scientist at
The little Ercoupe oddities take some getting used to, but the
Frederick's nearby United States Army Medical Research Institute memories kept coming back after climbing into the cockpit with
for Infectious Diseases, had owned the airplane all along. But he Olinger. Hop up on the wing. Slide down the windows. Step on the
pulled it off the rental line after a number of dead-battery, scratched- seat and ease into the front office, the panel a few inches from your
windshield, and electrical-short incidents. Oh, and someone spilled face. Olinger has the rudder pedal conversion, which means no sinoil in the baggage compartment.
gle brake pedal, which means set the single hand brake. Prime the
88 | AOPA PILOT August 2015

http://www.ercoupe.com/story_4.php http://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1214391173634&permPage=1 http://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1214391173634&permPage=1 http://www.roadabletimes.com/roadables-integ_bryan.html http://www.roadabletimes.com/roadables-integ_bryan.html http://www.ercoupe.org http://www.ercoupe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2015