ERCOUPE ESCAPADES: ENGINE/MECH

摘要

Our review of the 100 most recent Ercoupe/Aircoupe accidents was notable for what we didn't find. There were no VFR into IMC crashes-we wonder if there is something about the aircraft that protects its pilots from one of the most common methods of slipping one's mortal coil in an airplane. In addition, there were no runway loss of control (RLOC) accidents on runways that weren't constructed of ice. None. We expect to see at least 20 RLOC events when we review an aircraft type-the absolute absence of them for the Ercoupe says it all when it comes to its ground-handling qualities. We note that when an Ercoupe's gear is rigged correctly, it has a nearly zero angle of attack when on the ground, so it may be landed at any speed, up to and including cruise.