Today’s Top Pick is a 1946 ERCO 415-C Ercoupe.

Fred Weick, an airmail pilot, aircraft designer, and engineer who also helped advance early airmail operations, left his fingerprints on a number of famously safe and reliable airplanes, including the Piper PA-28. Before that, though, he designed the Ercoupe, which used simplified controls and limited control-surface movement to help keep pilots from losing control of their aircraft.

The Ercoupe reflects many lessons learned from an experimental Weick design called the W-1. The W-1 and W-1A tested several safety features, ranging from reduced pitch control to tricycle landing gear. The Ercoupe followed and was marketed as a “safety airplane” with extremely forgiving flight characteristics.

The aircraft’s reluctance to depart controlled flight made it popular among flight students and casual aviators looking for a safe, easy-to-fly airplane. The endearing Ercoupe has a devoted following among owners who continue to fly and maintain them. Owning an aircraft like this opens a door into an interesting chapter of aviation history.  

This 1946 Ercoupe has 2,264 hours on the airframe and 785 hours on its Continental C-75 engine. The VFR panel includes the most basic instruments, such as a compass, altimeter, airspeed and engine rpm and oil pressure and temperature gauges. The aircraft also carries a trig comm radio and a non-ADS-B transponder. 

Pilots with solid pilotage navigation skills, or tablets in their laps, who seek a traditional 1940s-style general aviation experience should consider this 1946 ERCO 415-C Ercoupe, which is available for $28,750 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

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