Forney F-1A Aircoupe

I went to Colorado A and M (now Colo State U) from 1955-1959. I worked for J.D. Forney at the field West of Fort Collins..I did general "gofer" work, polished planes, helped with the restoration of a Luscomb "Observer" he had bought and also pushed and washed some of the Aircoupes. Learned to fly in a J3 cub they had for flight training. Got a couple of rides in the Aircoupe but my flying was mostly in that old beater J3.

Forney made welders and there is a big museum of antique train and machinery in Denver that Forney put together...

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sorry about the text in my previous comment.......got too excited to see G.ARHA after all this time.

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visited England with my old man in 1962. vendAir flying club base at Biggin Hill owned G-arha and I spent many wonderful hourS flying all over
The Seth East with my old man and Keith Smith who I. Would dearly love to contact.Great little aeroplane with no vices other tan button throttle which brought a pilot to grief hen he hit full power without depressing it and landed short of the runway and bent her a bit.

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I have a Forney F1A with rudder pedels, 100 HP, 2 radios, autopilot, and gull wing canopy for $18,000.

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Believe thay were made in Ft Collins Colorado by Forney Mfg. They also made the flycycle thing that you sat on like a motorcycle. It was up in a hanger when I went to Colo. A&M back in 1956. Forney basic business was making welders.

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Many years ago, I owned a Forney and loved it then as I do now. My recollection is that the engine was changed or reworked to provide 90 HP. Great plane. Mine was noisy for long flights. (7518C) Want one David?--go to Trade-A- Plane. They are averaging somewhere around $25,000. Periodically, i see one advertised for maybe $30,000 claiming a complete renovation. Some with pedals and some without.

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I purchased a l946 Model 415-C Ercoupe N93612 in Sept. of 1972. It had a metal wing (earlier versions were cloth) and a 75 hp. Continental engine. I seem to recall that the company had several owners, and as such, I think "Aircoups" were produced under various names; i.e. Aircoupe, Ercoupe and possibly Aercoupe ?? (names need further documentation for accuracy). With only a 75 hp. engine, the plane I had would out perform a Cessna 150 with equal take off weight. It would take off shorter, land shorter, and cruise slightly faster than the Cessna with a 100 hp engine. Crosswind landings were always "exciting" which gave the L-shaped nose gear and front wheel bearings quite a beating. Thus the front wheel always wobbled. An after-market forked nose gear was available which aleviated the problem and rudder kits could be purchased. On crosswind landings I would flare on the upwind side of the runway and allow the plane to slowly drift downwind across the runway. Just before stall I would turn slightly into the wind, "hooking" the upwind gear on the deck first which would help turn us straight down the runway without the white knuckles and horrible "squall" from the tires that resulted from simply crabbing into the runway.

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The Ercoupe and Aircoupe came equipped with a 75 hp engine. By changing to a larger carburetor throat, it became an 85 hp engine. Later, when it became the single tail Mooney Cadet, the Cadet performed worse than the twin tail version, and I've flown them both to know.

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When the US Air Force Academy was located at Lowry AFB (its original home), the Academy Aeroclub had an all-metal Aircoupe (aka Ercoupe) based at Stapleton Field in Denver, Colorado As a Cadet, it was the first powered aircraft I ever soloed. I believe it had a 65hp engine, and starting from 5000 ft, it took a long time to get to traffic pattern altitude. With no manual rudders, it needed castering main gear to permit cross-wind landings. If you needed to slip it, you could stick a hand out and spoil the airflow over the wing root. There was just a single brake pedal on the floorboard, and you steered the front wheel on the ground with the control wheel just like a car. All in all, it felt a lot like driving a Volkswagen with an automatic transmission. Great fun. I'd love to have one now.

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My uncle, William Heydet, owned and flew Aercoup N99051. Any idea where I might be able to research the history or present wherebouts of the aircraft ?
Thanks.

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I WANT A REASONABLY PRICED ONE WITH RUDDER PEDALS

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