Cable Airshow 2015
Ercoupe

This is a 1947 Ercoupe 415-CD. The Ercoupe was first made by the Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) prior to WWII. Several other companies made them after the war, including Mooney. The first Ercoupe, an ERCO 310, made it's maiden flight in October of 1937. The Ercoupe is flown with a single control wheel and has no rudder pedals. The unique design is a two-control system that links the aileron and rudder systems. The Ercoupe was the first aircraft certified by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) as "Characteristically incapable of spinning". The model 415, like the one in the photos, went on sale in the United Sates in 1940. Life Magazine showed photos of an Ercoupe landing with the pilot's hands in the air. Life called it nearly foolproof. During WWII, they were used for the Civilian Pilot Training Program and the Civil Air Patrol used them to patrol for German u-boats.
One of the most interesting stories about the Ercoupe is that it was the first aircraft to take off with rocket-assist. On August 12, 1941, Captain Homer Boushey flew NC28655 with a rocket-assist takeoff from March Field. Various tests were conducted with that airplane using various rockets to test the viability of using rockets to help heavy aircraft take off from short fields.