ERCO 415-E 'Ercoupe' | Planes of Fame Air Museum

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ERCO 415-E 'Ercoupe'

HISTORY

Fred Weick, who came to work for the American company ERCO (Engineering and Research Corporation) from NACA, continued to develop his low-wing monoplane, which was the ERCO 310 prototype. His aircraft focused on maximum safety and simplicity. The easy-to-fly 310 had tricycle gear and would not spin or stall. ERCO (Engineering and Research Corporation) first manufactured the Ercoupe, which first flew in October 1937. After WW2, several other manufacturers continued producing these aircraft.
In 1940, ERCO put the Ercoupe 415 on the market for the public to buy. However, WW2 interrupted production resulting in only 112 manufactured before the war. Some were supplied to the military, used by the Civil Air Patrol looking for German submarines.
In 1945, ERCO resumed production resulting in the model 415-C. These aircraft became so popular that over 4,300 of them sold in 1946, and the price was right as well at around $2,600. Over 5,600 'Ercoupe' aircraft were built and sold from 1940 to 1969 by several manufacturers.
Other manufacturers of the Ercoupe included Univair, Aeronca, and Sanders Aviation. It was Sanders Aviation who bought the remaining Ercoupe inventory from ERCO and produced the Planes of Fame Air Museum’s Ercoupe 415-E.