| Cosmic Wind | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cosmic Wind G-ARUL at the 2009 Cosford Air Show | |
| Role | Racing aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Designer | Tony LeVier |
| First flight | July 3, 1947 |
| Number built | 6 |
| Variants | American Electric Piranha |
The LeVier Cosmic Wind is a small single engine, single seat racing monoplane designed and built by staff of the Lockheed Corporation in 1947. It did not race successfully in the US but one won the premier cross-country competition in the UK in 1964. It still flies today.
The Cosmic Wind was designed and built by Lockheed's chief test pilot, Tony LeVier, and a group of Lockheed engineers. [1] A very small single-seat racer, it was aimed at the Goodyear Trophy for Formula 1 class racers initiated in the US soon after World War II. [2] [3]
It is an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane. Wings and tail surfaces are all straight-edged and tapered. The ailerons are full span and carry trim tabs, as does the full-fin-depth rudder. The undercarriage is fixed, with streamlined main legs and wheels in long fairings. The roller tailwheel is tucked into the rear corner of the fuselage forward of the rudder. The cockpit is enclosed with a small, single-piece, perspex canopy. The first aircraft were powered by 85 hp (63 kW) Continental C-85 horizontally opposed engines but more recently at least four [2] [4] [5] [6] have used the 100 hp (75 kW) Continental O-200-A. The engine installation includes a large pointed spinner and long, bulbous cylinder head/exhaust fairings. [1]
Three Cosmic Winds were built at Lockheed's between 1947 and 1948 and a fourth rather later. A fifth was also built in the US by amateur constructors. The last example was built in the UK as late as 1972. [1] The type was not particularly successful in competitions in the 1940s, [2] coming only 3rd and 4th in the 1947 Goodyear Trophy races. [7] One example of the first three, named Ballerina and exported to the UK as G-ARUL, won the King's Cup Race of 1964; [1] it remains active in the UK, and is a regular participant in air displays. [5] The UK-built Cosmic Wind remains on the civil aircraft register as G-BAER, but currently (2010-10) lacks a Permit to Fly. [6]
In the US, the amateur-built example is now in the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. [2] Another Cosmic Wind, built or modified with a shoulder rather than low wing, is in the Planes of Fame Air Museum, [8] Chino, California.
Data from Airlife's World Aircraft [1]
General characteristics
Performance
The ERCO Ercoupe is an American low-wing monoplane aircraft that was first flown in 1937. It was originally manufactured by the Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) shortly before World War II; several other manufacturers continued its production after the war. The final model, the Mooney M-10, first flew in 1968 and the last model year was 1970. It was designed to be the safest fixed-wing aircraft that aerospace engineering could provide at the time, and the type continues to enjoy a faithful following.
The Aermacchi AL-60 is a light civil utility aircraft of the late 1950s and early 1960s, originally designed by Al Mooney of Lockheed in the United States. After the company decided not to build the aircraft in the US, it was manufactured in small quantities in Mexico, and a few were assembled in Argentina by Aviones Lockheed-Kaiser Argentina. It was also built in quantity under licence by Aermacchi in Italy and Atlas Aircraft Corporation in South Africa.
The RA-14 Loisirs was a French two-seat high-wing light touring aircraft designed by Roger Adam shortly after World War II.
The Rollason Beta was a British midget racing monoplane developed from a competition to build a Formula One air racer in the 1960s in England. The Beta was first flown on 21 April 1967. The aircraft were successful air-racers in England during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The Tipsy Nipper T.66 is an aerobatic light aircraft, developed in 1952 by Ernest Oscar Tips of Avions Fairey at Gosselies in Belgium. It was designed to be easy to fly, cheap to buy and cheap to maintain. It was designed for both factory production and home building. "Nipper" was the nickname of Ernest Tips' first grandchild.
The Avions Fairey Junior, also known as the Tipsy Junior was a single-seat light aircraft built in Belgium following World War II.
The Culver Dart was a 1930s American two-seat light monoplane aircraft produced by the Dart Aircraft Company.
The Call-Air Model A is an American two- to three-seat utility aircraft designed by the Call brothers and built by the Call Aircraft Company, later developed into a successful line of agricultural aircraft.
The Stinson Voyager was an American light utility monoplane built during the 1940s by the Stinson Aircraft Company.
The Funk Model B is a 1930s American two-seat cabin monoplane designed by Howard and Joe Funk. Originally built by the Akron Aircraft Company later renamed Funk Aircraft Company.
The Robin HR100 is a French four-seat light monoplane, designed by Chris Heintz and built by Avions Pierre Robin as metal-winged version of the Robin DR253 Regent.
The Macchi MB.308, later Aermacchi MB-308, is a light aircraft produced in Italy in the late 1940s.
The Maule M-4 is an American four-seat cabin monoplane designed by Belford Maule and built by the Maule Aircraft Company.
The SECAN SUC-10 Courlis was a French high-wing touring monoplane designed and built by Société d'Etudes et de Construction Aéronavales (SECAN), a branch of the automobile company Société des Usines Chaussons. The aircraft had problems with the engine installation and only 144 were built, some without engines and were scrapped.
The Jurca MJ-2 Tempete is a single-seat sport aircraft designed in France in the mid 1950s and marketed for homebuilding.
The Miles M.13 Hobby was a small low-winged monoplane built for racing and research in the United Kingdom just before World War II. A single engined single seater, it ended its days in the wind tunnel at the R.A.E.
The Scheibe SF-23 Sperling (en:Sparrow) is a 1950s German two-seat cabin monoplane.
The Waco Model W Aristocraft was an American four-seat monoplane, the last aircraft designed and built by the Waco Aircraft Company. It had an unusual configuration with an engine mounted at the front driving a pusher propeller at the rear.
The Mitchell Kittiwake is a British single engine sporting aircraft designed for amateur building. Plans were available for both single-seat and two-seat versions, but only four were constructed.
The Starck AS-57 is a single engine low wing monoplane seating two in side-by-side configuration. It was designed and built in France just after World War II; only ten were produced, one of which was still active in 2012.
