The two-place side-by-side Ercoupe first enter production just before World War II, with a 65 hp Continental engine. After the War, it was reintroduced with larger Continental production just before World War II, with a 65 hp Continental engine. After the War, it was reintroduced with larger Continental engines of up to 85 hp. The Ercoupe possessed an extremely unusual flight characteristic…. it was spin proof! The airplane was designed by Fred Weick with a novel ‘two-control’ flight-control system that did away with rudder pedals entirely! Instead, the rudder system was hooked directly to the column (and thus to the ailerons), so the aircraft could be flown without the hand-to-foot coordination required by most other designs. Also included in this unusual system was an elevator travel-limiter that prevented the pilot from reaching the critical angle of attack and stalling. If an airplane won’t stall, it can’t spin! This aircraft was often flown by pilots who had limited, or no, use of their legs, as their feet were not required to fly this ingenious little machine.
