Just back from Toledo. Here are some shots of the New BUSA Ercoupe.


Span 120"
Fuse 84"
Weight 28 to 32#
Engine 45 to 55cc
Radio 4 channel
Price $899.95

Neat!! Does it have scale landing gear? Can't see too clearly from the photos..... I saw a photo of a real one on floats (I don't know how they did it..the C-75 powered one was extremely anemic..)

That would make a very interesting model though..........

Some details here: http://www.balsausa.com/kits/kit.htp?id=56&shopperid=

Anybody but me figure $900.00 is too much for a kit? I mean there is sticker shock and then there's "Oh my God".

$900 is a little high but look at what comes with the kit! The gear for the Ziroli Ercoupe is $125 so you could start adding there. This one is larger too.

BALSA, BASS AND PLY CONSTRUCTION. BALSA USA'S "FALL-OUT" DIE CUTTING. PLUG-IN WING PANELS W/ALUMINUM TUBES. SCALE OUTLINE. SCALE RIB PLACEMENT. SCALE SLIDING SIDE WINDOWS. FORMED WINDSHIELD. SCALE CAST ALUMINUM LANDING GEAR/FUNCTIONAL OLEO STRUTS. SCALE STEERABLE CAST ALUMINUM NOSE GEAR/FUNCTIONAL OLEO STRUT AND SCISSOR LINK. FIBERGLASS COWL. FULL SIZE ROLLED PLANS (7 SHEET). PHOTO ILLUSTRATED INSTRUCTION MANUAL. COCKPIT INTERIOR KIT (including: cargo compartment, interior sides and floor, seat, instrument panel & gauges, scale control yolks, even scale glove boxes! COMPLETE NAME BRAND HARDWARE PACKAGE (Including: wheels, fuel tank, carbon-fiber contol rods & fittings, pinked tape for rib stitching, scale rubber weather stripping, scale rivets for the side windows, all nuts, bolts, screws, control horns, and more!) NUMEROUS SCALE FEATURES (Including, scale inspection rings, aluminum landing gear strut covers, aluminum wing strips, scale wing walks, clear landing light cover & etc.) SCALE DECAL SET (Includes: Ercoupe badges, scale nomenclature, no-step, no-push, fuel tank capacities and octane rating, even the instrument panel placards as required by the FAA.)

Nice, but bummer [&o] I was hoping they were going to put it out in a 40 size. My uncle is a retired Lt. Col. WWII vet that has had a few Ercoupes. I fondly remember helping tow one up to his home and restore it to flying condition some years ago. I have been looking for a 40 size to make for him as a gift.

My friend is so impressed with the Ercoupe that he is going to order one.

It looked very nice to me. I hope to get one after I finish a few kits from my current stockpile.

I would expect to see quite a few of these at flyins in the next year or so.

Crap. I just bought the Reid kit last fall. No wonder he quit making them...

Robart gear for the Ercoupe is $250, Plans $40, cowl $30, kit $275. About $600 for 80" span. BUSA at 120" for $900 is reasonable.

Carl

Did they give any indication of when it would be released?

Rick, Don't worry. I had one of the Jim Messer designed Ercoupes and it was a very good airplane, You should like the Reid version of it.

Yeahbut... bigger is better...

I've got a lot of respect for you guys. The Ercoupe is a fine looking airplane. Bigger is only better when it is your wallet. Mine's too small to play. Maybe I'll get a couple of side jobs this year and be able to play with the big boys!
Later,
John

Yup, it is a bit spendy, but hats off to BUSA for bringing out something that is not a Caplaserextrakoi

I don't feel the price is too high when you consider all that comes in the kit. The scale landing gear has to be worth $300.00. The kit also includes the wheels and a fuel tank.

To Chig:

How about a Jack Stafford Aircoupe new in box for $139.00 plus shipping. It's a 40 size, 60" ws.

Contact Christi at [email protected]

This is the company that owns Jack Stafford Models and they are selling off the remaining new stock. As of today they have 28 kits available.

Rich

No question: bigger is better. My 1/3 scale Ercoupe flies like a dream - G62 powered, NACA 2418 airfoil, 22/10 prop. Attached is a photo. Airplane is Ceconite covered with Latex paint, and weighs 30 lbs. This one has a one piece wing. Just finished another version of the same airplane with a three piece wing - split at the edge of the ailerons, leaving the landing gear fixed to the airplane. Wings have aluminum tube spars - plug in - only two screws that go into the spars makes for simple assembly. This airplane has a G62 engine but a 22/10 Mejlyck prop - just goes a little faster. Weight - still 30 lbs.

I wonder how much the Balsa USA weighs? What engine do they recommend? And yes - in my opinion - $900.00 is out of line. I build the complete airframes for my scratch built models, covered and painted, for less than a hundred bucks apiece.

Jim,

BUSA says 28-32lbs, flying on 45-55cc's.

Looks like they are right in line with my design. Only I think it needs the G62, or anything that will swing a 22/10 prop. I doubt if the 45-55 engines will do that, but I'm no expert on the newer engines now marketed.

Thanks for the heads up I remember hearing about these folks a while back. Glad they've got around to selling the stock.

What do you Ercoupe people think of a Kavan FK50 for power? Mine currently flies a 40 lb. 1/3 scale Cub on floats. It swings a 20-8 prop with authority. I checked with Balsa USA, and they say it will fit in the cowl.

How about an Ercoupe on floats? The Balsa USA 1/3 scale Cub floats should fit well.

Hi Jim Messer

I finally got my Ercoupe that you kitted back in the 70's into the air this past summer
It's the 88 inch version and it flies absolutely fantastic Good job

Roby

Hi Roby: Well - if your kit was from the 70's, it had to be one of the originals that I hand made myself. I made them all - every piece - up until I sold the business in 1991.

Through the late 70's and 80's, I sold a lot of these kits, and I received a lot of feedback from the builders. Everyone marveled at how well the airplane flew, so yours is no exceptiion. Not once did I hear otherwise.

Thanks for the compliment. You'll love this airplane. My original model had over 3000 flights on it before I sold it, just last year. Furthermore, it had never been dinged. I flew that airplane for 28 years. I think that the guy that bought it listed it on E-Bay, so don't know where it ended up. I sold it cheap - $125.00 with engine, servos, prop, spinner, wheels - ready to fly. Just add receiver and battery. Still looked like new.