Speed Increase & Pedalless
December 2008
by Robert Rombouts, Belgium
First I like to introduce - Ercoupe “OO-PUS” or Sweety II: (Don’t think it is an erotic article when I start with “ho ho pussy and Sweety”) It is a 415D, originally it was a CD but lost his C somewhere, I cannot find any record of it. Serial number: 4577 from 13June 1947 ex USA registration NC3876H. The motor is a Continental C75-12 – Propeller Mac Cauley Model 1B90 CM 7351. With an empty weight of 890 lbs, gross 1400 lbs.
After different trips, reading all the Yahoo-Ercoupe-Tech, and talking with other Ercoupe Owners convinced me to change some instruments on the “PUS”. The purpose is to reduce the weight that will increase the speed and reduce the fuel consumption. In addition I intend to take out the pedals to return to the original Ercoupe designed by Fred Weick in 1932.
The first changes I made in 2007, was to eliminate the ADF with his huge antenna and gain 1,9Kg of weight and also less drag, that was a very good advise from Hartmut Beil (Germany). He also convinces me to remove the balance weights under the ailerons, (1,6Kg). I appreciate highly Hartmut’s skills and thank him for his help.
Then we had the big rush for the General Aviation (GA) to change the Transponder Mode C to S in March 2008. For the UK it was not necessary, Farnborough Radar could not detect me, London Information I don’t know, and perhaps they are pretending seeing me on the radar. For the Nederland’s you need it. In Germany you need it above the 5000ft and in CTR’s. In France you will need mode S in 2010 (perhaps). In Belgium they follow France, and are happy if you have Mode S in the CTR’s of Brussels-Ostend-Antwerp. Conclusion why did I change it after all? My thought was, that with the Mode S you don’t need to enter a special squawk, and the radar will receive all the necessary information: Registration/Altitude/Position/Speed on the radar, or perhaps I am wrong? Still I am changing squawk everywhere. The good thing is that I lose again with this change some weight (1,2Kg), and will result in less consumption and better speed.
The next item was the two big Venturies on both sides of the fuselage. If I take them off I will gain 5 till 10MPH and that’s a lot. But my Artifical Horizon and also my Giro are connected to them. So I find at Wevelgem airport Lambert Aviation who sell the electronic Dynon EFIS-D10A, with all the gadgets I like: Artifical Horizon, Compass, Airspeed, Altimeter, Vertical speed, Gyro, Turn-Coordinator/Ball, Turn rate, Clock/ Timer, G-Meter, Voltmeter, Horizontal Situation Indicator in one word, Fantastic. Conclusion: No Venturies, and no vacuum driven Artifical Horizon and big Giro that I have to reset every 10 minutes. In addition I have many gadgets, (I like that), not to use in visual around a congested airport.
It is not finished, a P-1000 from Horizon Instruments, an Electronic Digital Engine Tachometer with an STC will replace the RPM with cable, preventing oil leaks on the motor, and accepted by the Belgian Authorities; I could not believe it. This instrument includes, the continuous comparison of the left and right magnetos, and detects the total loss of either magneto or an error on one, safety first, beautiful gadget again.
Finally I will take off the rudder pedals and the OO-PUS will be as imported to Belgium now 61 years ago, or the original design of Fred Weick, ailerons and rudder combined together. I know I will make some overshoots before I knew how to land a real Ercoupe in cross wind, but each change has got a price.
Because I was flying for some time with all those improving ideas, I could not know that the International Financial situations will be so dramatic, because the cost about the changes will be a lot of bucks, but I am lucky that the Dollar was low against the Euro. It was not easy to convince the Belgian Authorities and my wallet, but if you start something you must go till the dead end.
“The different between a man and a boy is the price of the toy”. (I like this statement)After the Annual in December I will write the result, hoping I will not regret my changes.
Regards, Robert
