Ercoupes with the 85 hp engine get better take-off and climb performance, and will cruise a bit faster, and will use a little bit more fuel than 75 hp planes. But there's not a lot of difference. Cruising speeds with the 85 hp engine range from 104-112 mph.
. . .
The Forney Aircoupes have the C-90 engine with a well matched propeller. They always out climb my C-85 which has a climb propeller and they have to throttle back quite a bit for me to stay with them in cruise. Cruising speeds probably run from about 106-114 mph (again according to Paul). The Alon Aircoupes, with their sleek bubble windshield and 90 hp engine often claim cruising speeds up to 124 mph.
Realistically it's more like 115-120 mph. I was getting, oh, about a 95 in a 1976 150, although to be sure it had STOL wingtips and no pants.
Here's one humorous summary of Alon's improvements:
Exactly. It would outperform a Cessna 150 in every way possible except perhaps for useful load. Took off quicker, climbed much better, and cruised 10 or 15 kts faster, all on 10 less HP. Very easy to land. But I found the seats uncomfortable and the noise awesome. No mufflers. And those rudders were mostly for decoration. Might be a good airplane but you won't get much respect in the pilot lounge. Some clubs used to use Ercoupes to drive the pilots out to their real airplanesThere were a lot of nicknames: Burpcup, Airpoop, and so on.
Dan Thomas then repeated this assessement with some variations in various fora.
Biggest problem for me, however, is that all "cheap" 150s seem to have disappeared.
. Cruise on the one I flew was about 105 on a good day.
