Posts: 1985
Joined: 10/9/2002 From: Houston,
TX, USA Status: offline
I have a Stafford Ercoupe. This is an excellent flying airplane and would make a great "second" airplane if only its flying qualities were considered. However, the building qualities are a different story. It was a tuff plane to build. The shape of the Ercoupe is complex. And building one from plans would be even more difficult.
Posts: 65
Joined: 5/7/2003 From: Hot Springs,
AR, USA Status: offline
I thought that too, but these plans use a crutch to assemble the fuse, it looks easy. It is fairly easy to build just by looks alone. Isn't Staffords Ercoupe a lot of blocks?
Posts: 65
Joined: 5/7/2003 From: Hot Springs,
AR, USA Status: offline
That is a beautiful Ercoupe. What did you use to paint the fuse with? I would like to cover the wings with fabric too, maybe Koverall. Was it very hard to build?
Posts: 91
Joined: 2/21/2002 From: Green Valley, AZ, USA Status: offline
The fuse. was covered with Flite metal and i used aluminum Solartex on the wings. The plans should not be hard to work with if you have built a few scale kits. Dean
Posts: 654
Joined: 1/20/2002 From: Southport,
FL, USA Status: offline
Guys, how are these Ercoupes coming along? Flight reports? What did you think of the quality of Zirolis cowl and canopy? I'm getting ready for a new project.
Posts: 65
Joined: 5/7/2003 From: Hot Springs,
AR, USA Status: offline
I haven't gotten around to building it yet. Maybe this winter. There is no canopy for this model, it uses clear sheet plastic with templates on the plan. I will be posting a report for the whole building process soon. ( I just bought a 500.00 digital camera and I am dying to use it for this)
Posts: 199
Joined: 12/10/2002 From: Miami, FL, USA Status: offline
Mine is coming along nicely; its about 2/3 finished. Cowl appears to be of good quality. As noted above, the windows/windshield are cut from flat material. Note that the scale fixed landing gear that Ziroli sells for this plane, made by Robart, are $240. I decided to make my own main gear, to save a few bucks, although the ones I am making are not as scale like as the Robarts. For the nose gear I'm using a Fults. The plans are good especially since there is a separate page giving the patterns for all the parts that have to be cut out. The plans even include several pages of instructions and a list of materials. The design is unusual in one respect, as is the design of the full scale aircraft, in that the wing ribs are situated diagonally in the wings. Setting up the twin rudder system takes some work but any reasonably experienced builder should be able to do it. Mine will be powered by an OS 91 Surpass II mounted inverted. As for color schemes, go to the photo gallery at ercoupe.net for pictures of hundreds of ercoupes and take your pick.
Posts: 1117
Joined: 1/28/2002 From: Sebring, FL, USA Status: offline
Hi Ercoupe lovers: Please let me get in on this thread, because I have three size Ercoupes, all designed before Nick Zrioli did his. I knew Nick when I lived in NY, and his designs are the best. But here is my story:
In 1977 I introduced the Quadra 35 engine to the USA modeling fraternity. My first engine went into a 1/4 scale Bristol Scout. At that time there were no propellers for these engines (we had to hand carve our own), and I wanted a 1/4 scale airplane that was somewhat aerobatic. I wanted a civilian type plane that had fixed gears, recognizeable from any distance, and it had to have a tri-gear just to protect those hand made props. Guess what? The Ercoupe was the ONLY airplane that fit those qualificatiions.
From a three view, I set out to design the very first 1/4 scale gasoline engine powered performance type airplane in the USA, powered by the Q35. Having had great success with Ed Kazmirskis TAURUS, I decided to use the same airfoil, NACA 2418. What a good decision, because the completed airplane did everything I wanted it to, plus a lot more. The first photo below is that airplane, 1/4 scale, 90" span, 18 lbs.
In the early 80's, the Zenoah G-62 hit the market. My 1/4 scale was still flying after hundreds of flights, so I designed a 1/3 scale Ercoupe for the G-62. It spanned 10 ft. and weighed in at 28 lbs. Nothing in the civilian mode flies better.
Then in 1991 I needed a smaller airplane that I could put in my car for winters in Florida, so I designed a 1/5 scale model for the G-23 engine. The third photo is that airplane. This airplane also is pictured every month in the masthead for "Radio Control Scale" in Model Aviation magazine.
Posts: 5493
Joined: 12/27/2001 From: Corpus Christi, TX, USA Status: offline
I have been looking at the Ercoupe for sometime now. Maybe build one someday. I have noticed that some models have a "bubble" windshields and some have a flat, or wraparound. It does not seem to make any difference what year they are mfg. Is the "bubble" a replacement of some sort?
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Terry "Old Fart" in training. (not to be an R/Cer, but to be an "Old Fart")
Posts: 654
Joined: 1/20/2002 From: Southport,
FL, USA Status: offline
The bubble windshield came out on the later Coupes that were made by Alon Corporation. When Alon took over they changed the name from Ercoupe to Aircoupe. Ziroli's is an early Ercoupe 415. I wish he modeled the Alon Aircoupe and supplied the bubble canopy merely because I think its a better looking airplane. However, one can still fall in love with the original Ercoupe and I will be ordering my plans, cowl and landing gear soon.
Yak
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The Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you.
Posts: 41
Joined: 3/19/2003 From: Holbrook,
NY, USA Status: offline
HELLO ERCOUPE FANS: I was investigating the ERCOUPE and was awakened by this forum.
Thank you Jim for the building tips. My experiences of construction of Jim Messer's kit, and more photos as well, will follow this forum:
This is a constuction essay for all of those interested in Jim Messer's 3-93, 1/5th scale Ercoupe. W.S. 72", Engine planned: Surpass FS .91 4 Stroke. Let's begin:
12/26/03: All the Fuse parts are out of the box, everything looks in order. Construction is a little tricky, because of the round-ness of this ship. I'm referring constantly to 3-D, and Scale photos which I've obtained from the internet site for Ercoupe owners. I started by gluing Plywood B to balsa T. All formers are marked on plywood Q, and wing saddle using the measuring jig - (let's assume everything I say that is applicable for right and left is correct, and is done to both, at the time of building). Formers C and D are glued in place w/ Cable Slots to Starboard of center. These main canopy formers are 4 3/4 inches apart. The cabin starting to take shape.
Jim Soque
< Message edited by jimsoque -- 1/11/2004 11:29:10 PM >
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