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103
Well-Known Member
Don't wait!!!
103
Well-Known Member
Yesterday I planned a 1 hour visit with Ron Dixon. The hour evaporated into two + with some old fashioned hanger flying. Fortunate my wife made quick friends with his Girlfriend. Ron was around in the very early days of home building. I was delighted with the 24" wide cockpit of the Minicoupe! It is a rugged simple design that flies equally well with a big VW or a Continental. I have it on my list this next to a SSSC it would be a great companion ship in the fleet!
For some reason an H-tail is very appealing to me. I can come up with rational arguments why it is a good choice, and probably more why it’s not, but I still just like it.
I always like one since the time I flew in formation with one in my Ercoupe.
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WarpedWing
Well-Known Member
Lol, it's nice to know ole Ron has not changed. Other than getting older. He can talk a blue streak! I can understand how 1 hour turned into two.
I have known Ron since 89 when I became a member of EAA Chapter 4. He tried to get me to build a Minicoupe just about every day for twenty years. He loves that plane of his. It is a sweet little machine. It's simple and enjoyable to fly. He is a great pilot and a gentle giant. I was always amazed at how he fit into the Minicoupe.
103
Well-Known Member
Good description he told me when he first flew it he was over 300lbs. I am sure it flies better at his current 177lbs. The point he made is the design can take the extra weight of a 0-200 over a VW. This would also make it a good mount if you were interested in flying a Corvair!
Richard VanGrunsven of RV fame did the stress analysis on the design with the C85 and full electric before Ron flew it at 300lbs and had no concerns....
A chat with Ron Dixon
It is quite fortunate (for me) that probably the foremost active authority on the MiniCoupe, Ron Dixon, lives only an hour or so away up in...
vamutantcruiser.blogspot.com
Matt
Random thought...was there ever a project for a two-seat Minicoupe? And no, Pops, don't say that would be an Ercoupe. 
But I was thinking that. OK. 
I still think a homebuilt clone of the Ercoupe would be a nice airplane. Wish I had enough time to build and fly all the airplanes I wanted. Then there is the BeetleMaster. Maybe all the time in heaven we will be able to do that.
I still think a homebuilt clone of the Ercoupe would be a nice airplane. Wish I had enough time to build and fly all the airplanes I wanted. Then there is the BeetleMaster. Maybe all the time in heaven we will be able to do that.
Random thought...was there ever a project for a two-seat Minicoupe? And no, Pops, don't say that would be an Ercoupe.
I take it from the deafening silence that the answer here is no? I didn't find anything on Wikipedia or Aerofiles or in a Google search.
That photoshopped taildragger Mini Coupe reminds me of the unbuilt Miles M.74 trainer derived from the M.38 Messenger. I do think a two-seat design like the Mini Coupe with both taildragger and tricycle gear options would be great fun.
Kurt Ayres
Member
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2019
- Messages
- 15
New Mini Coupe plans owner (and builder?). I have already started an H5, but when I saw on Facebook that Mini Coupe plans were available, I just couldn't help myself and bought a set, which arrived on Tuesday. So are there any present or previous builders here who might be willing to share experience with, and answer questions for, this newbie?
Tiger Tim
Well-Known Member
At some point doesn’t that just approach a Zodiac?
I had a Zenith 600 project that I gave to my son and grandson. Less firewall forward and canopy. Plans show a 1835 cc VW engine. Zenith just sold plans, no kits. 2 place side by side like the 601.
