ERCO Ercoupe The ERCO Ercoupe is a low - wing monoplane aircraft that was designed and built in the United States . It was first manufactured by the Engineering and Research Corporation ( ERCO ) shortly before World War II ; several other manufacturers continued its production after the war . The final model the Mooney M - 10 first flew in 1968 and the last model year was 1970 . It was designed to be the safest fixed - wing aircraft that aerospace engineering could provide at the time , and the type continues to enjoy a faithful following . Design and development . In 1931 , aeronautical engineer Fred Weick was assistant chief of the aeronautics division of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ( NACA ) . In 1934 he asked permission to build an aircraft based on the 1931 Stout Skycar , using fabric instead of aluminum covering , and control modifications based on NACA research . Weick and a group of co - workers designed and assembled the experimental aircraft with a group of his colleagues who worked on the project in their spare time and paid for it themselves . The resulting aircraft , known as the W - 1 , featured tricycle landing gear , a parasol wing , and a pusher propeller configuration . Fred Weick listed the W1 design goals that were tested in later seminars : In 1934 the Bureau of Air Commerce approached Weick ' s team looking for standards for a competition for a safe and practical $ 700 aircraft . In 1936 the winner of the competition was the Stearman - Hammond Y - 1 , incorporating many of the safety features of the W - 1 . Two other winners were the Waterman Aeroplane and a roadable autogyro , the Autogiro Company of America AC - 35 . The W - 1 was not intended for production to qualify as a competitor , but was purchased by the Bureau for continued experimental tests in spin - control safety . After the prototype W - 1 underwent a forced landing , an updated W - 1A was built by Fairchild , incorporating leading edge cuffs . Weick left NACA in 1936 and joined ERCO ' s fledgling aircraft team as chief designer , primarily to continue improving his aircraft design . Focusing his efforts on a number of design issues , primarily simplicity and safety , Weick strove to create a reasonably priced aircraft that would not stall or spin . Retaining the tricycle gear , for ease of maneuvering on the ground , and limited stall - spin features , Weick switched to a low - wing monoplane configuration in his new model , powered by an engine in tractor configuration . The ERCO 310 , which included a fully cowled engine , made its first flight in October 1937 at College Park Airport and was soon renamed the " Ercoupe " . The easy - to - fly design included unique design features , including a large glazed canopy for improved visibility . The prototype 310 featured an ERCO - made inverted four - cylinder engine , the ERCO I - L 116 , which was quickly dropped due to its high manufacturing cost compared to the new Continental A - 65 horizontal . Lacking rudder pedals , the Ercoupe was flown using only the control wheel . A two - control system linked the rudder and aileron systems , which controlled yaw and roll , with the steerable nose wheel . The control wheel controlled the pitch and the steering of the aircraft , both on the ground and in the air , simplifying control and coordinated turning and eliminating the need for rudder pedals . A completely new category of pilot ' s license was created by the CAA for Ercoupe pilots who had never used a rudder pedal . The Ercoupe was certified by the Civil Aeronautics Administration ( CAA ) as " characteristically incapable of spinning . " The first production Ercoupe , serial no . 1 , NC15692 built in 1939 was donated to the National Air and Space Museum . In 1941 that aircraft , designated YO - 55 , was used in US Army Air Force testing . The two - seat ERCO Ercoupe 415 went on sale in 1940 . " Life " magazine described the aircraft as " nearly foolproof " and showed pictures of a pilot landing with his hands in the air . Only 112 units were delivered before World War II intervened , halting all civil aircraft production . By mid - 1941 aluminum supplies were being diverted to war - related production , so ERCO decided to manufacture Ercoupes for military use by using wood as the principal building material . The substitution of wood resulted in a heavier but quieter aircraft , because the wood absorbed vibrations from the engine and air flow . Ercoupes were flown during the war by the Civilian Pilot Training Program for flight instruction , and the Civil Air Patrol used them to patrol for German submarines . Post war sales . Although World War II had interrupted production of the Ercoupe , general aviation manufacturers were enthusiastic about the prospects of a post - war aviation boom . Thousands of men and women were trained as pilots by the government , and the hope was that they would want to include flying in their civilian life . Production of the model 415 - C resumed in 1946 , and in that year alone 4 , 311 aircraft were produced and sold at a cost of US $ 2 , 665 . This was the same price as in 1941 . At its peak , ERCO was turning out 34 Ercoupes per day , operating three shifts per day . The aircraft was aggressively marketed through non - conventional outlets such as the men ' s department of the Macy ' s department store chain . However , private aircraft sales slumped after the war and the bottom dropped out of the civil aircraft market in late 1946 , ending prospects for a boom market for civil aircraft sales . Aeronca obtained a licence to produce the Ercoupe 415 as the Aeronca 12AC Chum in 1946 and built two prototypes : " NX39637 " , with the Ercoupe twin - tail , and " NX83772 " with a larger , single tail , metal wings and trailing - link struts in the main undercarriage . The Chum was powered by a Continental C - 85J with a cruise speed . No production ensued . In 1947 ERCO sold its remaining Ercoupe inventory to Sanders Aviation , which continued to produce the aircraft in the same ERCO - owned factory . A total of 213 aircraft were sold by 1950 . During this time , ERCO ' s chief engineer Fred Wieck moved on to Texas A & M , where he developed the agricultural Piper Pawnee aircraft and eventually the popular Piper Cherokee with John Thorpe and Karl Bergley . Univair Aircraft Corporation of Aurora , Colorado purchased the Ercoupe design from the Engineering and Research Company in 1950 . It provided spare parts and customer support to the existing aircraft . Other production . In April 1955 , Univair sold the Ercoupe type certificate to the " Forney Aircraft Company " of Fort Collins , Colorado , which later became the " Fornaire Aircraft Company " . The aircraft produced differed from the 415 - G in its engine / propeller combination they were up - graded to a C - 90 engine , revised engine cowling , larger baggage compartment , and aluminum - covered wing panels . Production began in 1958 and ended in 1959 . A total of 138 aircraft were produced . Between August 1960 and March 1964 , the rights to the Aircoupe aircraft were held by the AirCoupe division of " Air Products Company " of Carlsbad , New Mexico . The company was started by the city , with the hope of establishing aircraft manufacture as a local industry . It purchased the type certificate from Forney when a potential deal with Beechcraft fell through . Only a few airframes were produced before the type certificate was sold to " Alon , Incorporated " on March 16 , 1964 . Twenty - five of the F - 1A Forney Trainer were produced for US $ 7 , 450 each . Alon Inc . was founded by John Allen and Lee O . Higdon , two executives who had retired from aircraft manufacturer Beechcraft to found their own company . They had previously negotiated with Forney Aircraft to purchase production of the Aircoupe so that Beechcraft could use the design as an introductory trainer . The deal was canceled by Olive Ann Beech , who decided to concentrate resources on the Beechcraft Musketeer . This decision caused the executives to leave Beechcraft and establish Alon in McPherson , Kansas , which purchased the type certificate for the Aircoupe from the City of Carlsbad , New Mexico on March 16 , 1964 . " A new company formed by former Beechcraft executives Allen and Higdon , who have purchased all assets , jigs , tools , and engineering of the program from the city of Carlsbad NM . They expect to deliver the first of 30 - 50 Aircoupes to be built next year for about $ 8 , 000 . " ( - - Aviation Week 3 / 30 / 64 ) The Alon A - 2 and A - 2A Aircoupes featured a sliding canopy , a Continental C90 engine , separate bucket seats and an improved instrument panel . The A - 2 also differs from earlier two - control models in having limited - movement rudder pedals . This was done in order to make it a more acceptable training aircraft and to make it easier to counteract increased P - factor yaw during a climb from the more powerful engine . Nosewheel steering was no longer interlinked with the control yoke , and was changed to the more common practice of being interlinked with the rudder pedals ( this was the same system that was installed in the Forney F - 1A ) . The older two axes control system was offered as an option . The single control ( non - differential ) wheel brakes remained . The airplane had a higher rate of climb , a higher speed for best climb rate , and better engine cooling . Its non - spinning characteristics remained unchanged . Alon produced 245 A - 2s from 1964 to 1967 , with peak production of 137 in 1966 . The last 25 A - 2s produced by Alon had spring steel landing gear in place of the original main gear struts , light alloy castings and trailing links . The base price in 1967 was up to $ 7975 . Production of the A - 2 ceased in September 1967 , and on October 9 , 1967 , Alon was purchased by , and became a division of the Mooney Airplane Company of Kerrville , Texas . Mooney began producing the aircraft in 1968 as the Mooney A2 - A . Next the company re - designed the fuselage from the cockpit back , with square windows behind the sliding canopy . Even as it produced the A2 - A Cadet , Mooney was busy re - designing the aircraft . On February 23 , 1968 , the first Mooney Cadet M - 10 flew . The aircraft has a single fin , with a vertical leading edge , as most Mooneys do . The type certificate was sold to Univair Aircraft Corporation of Aurora , Colorado in October , 1974 and remains with Univair . The company has not produced any new aircraft but continues to produce replacement parts and provide technical assistance to Ercoupe owners . Operational history . Military . Three model 415 - C aircraft were procured by the United States Army Air Forces for use during World War II . On 12 August 1941 , the first Air Corps rocket - assist takeoff was made by a Wright Field test pilot , Capt . Homer Boushey , using a small civilian - type Ercoupe aircraft . Subsequent refinements of this technique were made for assisting heavily - loaded aircraft in taking off from limited space . The tests were conducted between 6 August and 23 August 1941 , at March Field , California , using various combinations of rocket units mounted under the wings of NC28655 . Light sport use . The Ercoupe is a type certified aircraft . However , some Univair Ercoupe 415 - C and 415 - CD models meet the FAA requirements to be flown by sport pilots as light - sport aircraft .