Something you rarely see, a Mullicoupe

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By Jack Watson

Sometimes the best ideas are born underneath an airplane’s wing .

Just ask Mark Holliday, owner of the Mullicoupe, the second example of the type built by Jim Younkin at his Springdale, Ark. shop.

A legend in the field, Younkin is known mostly for his re-creations of racers of the Golden Age, starting with the Travel Air Mystery ship, Mr. Mulligan, and a few other creations, such as the “Goliath” super Stearman, the Mystery Pacer, and a Beech Staggerwing production line that cranked out four of them, all better than new examples of the fabled machine.

Younkin traced the genesis of the Mullicoupe:

“Bud Dake and I were sitting under Mr. Mulligan’s wing at Blakesburg in 1982,” Younkin said. “We were thinking how neat it would be to have an airplane like that sized for the R-985 for personal transportation, rather than the R-1340 Mr Mulligan had.”

The concept matured and became a cross-breed between Mr Mulligan and a Monocoupe 110 Special. For a number of years, the Mullicoupe was a fill-in project at Younkin’s shop.

Three were built for Jim Younkin, Bud Dake and Red Lerille. After Bud’s passing, number two was sold to Mark Holliday of Lake Elmo, Minn., who keeps the plane at Platte Valley Airport, northeast of Denver and Lake Elmo Minn.

“I grew up in general aviation,” Holliday explained. “My dad had an FBO in Lake Elmo, Minn. I soloed on my 16th birthday, obtained my private on my 17th, commercial at 18, Airframe and Powerplant mechanic shortly after.

“In the beginning, I mostly flew deliveries and charter flights. In 1984 I started with Piedmont Airlines, then USAirways and retired in 2005.”

He got involved with the Vintage Aero Flying Museum (VAFM) of Fort Lupton, Colo. about 10 years ago,” he said.

“My first airplane was a Culver Cadet, and I have owned - and still own - quite a few Swifts. I have flown all of the airplanes in the VAFM collection, including the Fokker D-VII, D-VIII, DR 1 Triplane, SE.5As, Sopwith Pup, and a BT-13.”

The Mullicoupe is definitely not for the Sunday pilot, as is apparent by Mark’s evaluation of the airplane:

“Preflight is a regular walk-around, with some close attention to the engine-prop combination. To get in the airplane, if you are tall enough, you back up to the door, one hand on the strut, the other on the seat, and you push yourself up into the cabin.

“Otherwise, there is a small ladder that hooks up to the door frame and allows you to climb in.  Once you’re in, it is a pretty standard airplane.

“Starting is pretty much regular R985 procedure: boost pump on, a few quick shots of primer, hit the starter button, and the engine roars to life. It has a non-steerable tailwheel, so you maneuver with differential braking. Sitting on the left side, you can see ahead pretty well through a cutout on top of the instrument panel, but are pretty much blind on the right side.”

Once aligned at the end on the runway, lock the tailwheel, and advance the throttle to 36 inches manifold pressure ... the acceleration is awesome. It takes only a couple seconds for the tail to come up, and you are up and climbing.

With a reasonable load, about half tanks, the airplane rolls for 500 to 600 ft.

I like to climb at about 160 indicated airspeed, which, depending on the load, gives a 1,500 to 2,000 fpm rate of climb. I have seen around 4,000 fpm in a max climb, but forward visibility is pretty poor with the nose so high.

“I like to cruise between 11 and 14,000 ft, with 23" of manifold pressure, about 1,800 rpm, and about 225 mph true airspeed,” Holliday said.

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