I'm looking for a good Ercoupe kit, 72 to 100 4-stroke size.

Thanks!

Yep, there sure is a great big one..........it was in the mags a year or two ago............but I can't remember who made it.............but I am certain it is out there

Ziroli plans will build a very nice bird , several kits cutters offer it . The other is the Balsa USA kit it is a very complete kit including functioning struts and interior.
tom

Thanks guys, I think I'll go the Ziroli way.

Good choice. Ziroli designs always seem to fly great.
Good luck.
Thank you!

Thanks, Mr_Scale, I haven't tried a Ziroli from plans yet, although I've had a set of Corsair plans around for a long time. I think it's a nice challenge.

Jack Stafford Models has an Aircoupe http://www.jsmodels.com/Aircoupe.htm for .45 -.65 4 cycle. Not sure if this is what you are looking for or not?

hi i'am also interested in the ercoupe any follow up on the build out ?
john

For what it's worth, Reid's Quality Models offers an Ercoupe kit.


I understand that it was originally kitted by Jim Messer back in the
late 70's. The newer kits that are offered have a fiber glass fuselage.

I have on of the originals and it flys quite well , not to mention that
it never fails to draw attention at the local meets.


Regards
Roby

I'm building the Stafford kit right now. I would not recommend it. The plans are inaccurate, the written instructions are insufficient and the parts fit is poor. If I wanted to scratch build a plane I wouldn't have bought a kit. Go with the Ziroli, I wish I had.

Bassman

I have to second Bassman on the Stafford kits.

My personal experience with them is as follows:

You will need to re-engineer various parts/sections of the plane to get everything to work.

It is a 'builders' kit in that many things are not covered in the instructions OR adequately on the plans.

The quality of wood 'leaves something to be desired'. With a significant number of pieces you would probably be better off replacing the part. That way the quality of the wood and the "quality" of the cutting would be substantially improved.

However, when (if ) completed, they fly well.

In the kit I did (Rearwin Speedster ) I had to relocate the firewall rearward in order to get an OS 46FX to fit. Two of the primary fuselage formers had to be severly 'hogged' out in order to fit an 8oz fuel tank (wound up leaving 1/8" - 3/16" on the fuselage formers just to get the tank in ), the fuel tank HAD to be built in, the fuselage strut mounting was never addressed in the instructions and only shown in one view of the plans. There were numerous other minor 'difficulties' with this kit.

All in all, while their kits look nice and they do have a nice selection of aircraft models, I can not recommend them. In my opinion they are more trouble than they are worth. I find that doing a model from scratch is (in many cases ) easier than doing a Stafford kit.

The choices I know of are Stafford, Reid, Ziroli and Balsa USA. The Ziroli is 80" about 15 pounds with a OS 108 2s or 120 4s or G-23 gas. Balsa USA is huge and brilliant, I saw one at WOD July 2005.

Carl

I had a set of Ziroli plans and cut parts and sold them and went for the Balsa USA kit. I think Robart had gear for the Ziroli Ercoupe and it looks pretty good. The Balsa USA kit is really a work of are but you pay for it. Their gear looks just like the real thing and it comes with wheels and everything but the covering, paint, and radio I think.

Cliff

I like the BUSA kitted version. Looks like a great kit and intersting build. To much money for me just now, but maybe in the future. On of the locals is looking at this bird, but hates to build. I sense two kits on the way some day!!!

JEB

JEB,

The Balsa USA kit is a great kit and I don't think I have seen one as complete. It will take a lot of room to build and store but well worth it. There are a copuple of good photo posts on building that kit and give a good idea of what is involved. Hope to get started on mine after the first of the year.

I see you live in Indianapolis, my younger brother lives and flies there but don't know what club he is in. I will ask Joe what club he is in, keeps after me to come fly with him but haven't made it up there yet.

Cliff

You would always be welcome to fly at the Southside club. If you make it up this way give me a holler. I am from LA myself. That is Lower Alabama!

JEB

JEB,

It seems like Joe has mentioned the Southside club but will have to ask. If you have seen someone there with a Ziroli AT-6 sometimes and he just did in a Balsa USA DVIII several months ago it was probably him. He flies with his brother in law and I know Dan has a big Spacewalker but don't know what else.

Here's a photo of my Ziroli Ercoupe powered by an OS 91 4 cycle engine. It flys great and the OS 91 is plenty of power. Ziroli furnishes a separate sheet of patterns, or templates, for the parts which makes it fairly easy to cut them out.

I have a Stafford Ercoupe that just flies great, but it is a bit small. I always thought the Ziroli Ercoupe was along the same size as the 1/3 scale Balsa USA kit. Yours looks about 1/5 scale. Is that right? If so, I want one. heheheheh

What is the wingspan?

Don

Ooops: Disregard, my question was answered in an earlier post. I may have to pick up a set of plans, now.

The wingspan of the Ziroli Ercoupe is 90" making it about 23% scale. The Balsa USA kit is 1/3 scale making considerably larger than the Ziroli version.

Touch & go,

Do I remember correctly that Robart had some nice looking gear for the Ziroli Ercoupe?

Correction: The wingspan of the Ziroli Ercoupe is 80", not 90", as stated above.

If you want a 1/5 scale or 1/4 scale ERcoupe, contact Dave Reid, of Reid's Quality Model Products. I designed the 1/4 scale back in 1976 for the Quadra 35 engine. It has a 90" span and weighs in at about 18 lbs.

The 1/5 scale has a 72" span, slightly smaller than Nick's at 80", and I designed it for the G23, with a 15x 10 prop.

Dave has plans, and maybe kits. Don't know for sure about the latter.

I also designed a 1/3 scale, for the G-62, but did not do the plans to that one.

Nick Ziroli and I are good friends. See attached photo of the two of us, along with photo of 1/5 and 1/4 scale Ercoupes.

I can vouch for Jim Messer designed Ercoupe. It was one of the best flying models that I've owned. It's a good build and it always attracts attention at the field.

Clifford, I think that you are correct about Robart making gear for the Ziroli Ercoupe. I think they are also available directly from Ziroli. I, however, made my own main gear and used a Fults for the nose gear