02/28/2009. Fred Weick designed the Erco (Engineering and Research Corp. of Riverdale, Maryland) model 310 prototype that was first flown in October 1937, followed by 112 production aircraft, designated 415 Ercoupe, between March 25, 1940, and December 6, 1941 (when the USA entered WW II). Another 5,070 were produced after the hostilities till production ceased in 1951. Production rights changed hands a few times, including to Sanders of Riverdale, Maryland, Vest of Denver, Colorado and Univair of Aurora, Colorado, however none produced the Ercoupe.

The Forney Aircraft Manufacturing Co. of Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, bought the type certificate from Univair in April 1955, the first aircraft, redesignated F-1 Aircoupe and registered N6130C (c/n 5600), flew for the first time on February 18, 1956 and a total of 115 aircraft (c/n 5600 to 5714) were produced by 1959, when production was halted. Reportedly the company used the marketing name Fornaire from 1958, although the name was not used to register aircraft.

Thereafter the type was produced by a number of companies (and significantly modified) by:

Air Products, Carlsbad, New Mexico
50 F-1A AirCoupe (c/n 5715 to 5764)

Alon, McPherson, Kansas
245 A-2 Aircoupe (c/n A-1 to A-245)
64 A-2A Aircoupe (c/n B-246 to B-309)
1 A-3 Argus 130 (c/n C-1)
1 XA-4 (c/n 001)

Mooney, Kerrville, Texas
11 M-10 Cadet (c/n 690001 to 60011)
50 Aerostar 90 (c/n 700001 to 700050)

The pictured aircraft was one of the last Aircoupe's produced by Forney in 1959. First registered in Australia on April 2, 1992, the aircraft was registered to Peter Middleton of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, on March 1, 2006, and is a regular attendee at fly-inns.