| Wittman Tailwind | |
|---|---|
 Wittman W-10 Tailwind | |
| General information | |
| Type | light aircraft |
| Manufacturer | homebuilt |
| Designer | |
| Number built | >350 |
The Wittman Tailwind is a popular two-seat light aircraft for homebuilding. It is a high-wing, braced cabin monoplane of taildragger configuration. It is constructed with a steel tubing fuselage, wood wings, and fabric covering. It offers exceptional cruising speeds and is economical to operate and maintain. [1]
The Tailwind is the third in a series of high-wing aircraft designed by Sylvester J. "Steve" Wittman (1904–1995), a well-known air racing pilot and race plane designer, who also played an important role in the emergence of homebuilt aircraft with the Wittman Tailwind and other designs in the United States. [2] The first, the Wittman Buttercup two-seater, and later the Wittman Big X four-seater, which was bought by Cessna to use its spring steel landing gear. The Tailwind also inspired the last iteration, the O and O Special. A model of the 1965 Wittman Tailwind may be found in the Sun 'n Fun Museum. [3]
Wittman developed the C-85 powered "Flying Carpet" in 1953, later renaming it to the "Tailwind". [4] In 1953, the Tailwind became the first aircraft covered under the FAA's Experimental category to be certified to carry a passenger. While crude looking by modern standards, it outperformed many similar factory-built planes, and only with the advent of composite construction were new designs able to achieve similar speed per horsepower and range. [5]
Steve Wittman and his wife were killed April 27, 1995 when their "O&O Special", a similar, larger and one-of-a-kind aircraft crashed. The propeller and some fabric covering from this "O&O Special" is on display in the Wittman hangar located on the Pioneer Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co of Corona, California acquired the rights to the Tailwind in January 1996 and became the exclusive distributor for plans and materials. [6]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Sylvester Joseph "Steve" Wittman was an American air-racer and aircraft engineer.
The Bede BD-4 is an American light aircraft, designed by Jim Bede for homebuilding and available since 1968. It was one of the first homebuilt aircraft to be offered in kit form. It remains one of the world's most popular homebuilts with thousands of plans sold and hundreds of examples completed to date.
The Dyke Delta JD-2 is an American homebuilt aircraft designed in the United States in the 1960s and marketed for amateur construction. It is a monoplane with retractable tricycle undercarriage and seating for four. The wings can be folded for towing or storage and hinge upwards to lie flat above the fuselage, one atop the other. Construction is of SAE 4130 grade steel tube framework with fiberglass and fabric skins.
The Nesmith Cougar is a light aircraft that was developed in the United States in the 1950s and marketed for homebuilding.
The Pober Pixie is a single-seat light aircraft that was designed in the United States in 1974 and marketed as plans for homebuilding.
Western Hirondelle is a Canadian two-seat aircraft for cross country and recreational flying, designed by Western Aircraft Supplies to be homebuilt from plans. The name is French for the Swallow, and the model designation includes the initials of the designers Jean Peters, Glenn Gibb, and John Kopala.
The Rans S-16 Shekari is an American single-engined, two-seat, low-wing, experimental amateur built aerobatic monoplane designed by Randy Schlitter, and produced by Rans Inc of Hays, Kansas, and sold as a kit for amateur construction.
The Wittman Big X is a four seat high wing variant of the Wittman Buttercup. The aircraft received serious attention from both Fairchild Aircraft, and Cessna Aircraft in the post World War II aviation boom.
The Dream Tundra is a single-engine, high-wing monoplane designed in Canada. Seating four, its short takeoff and landing characteristics can be adapted to land, snow, or water use. It is produced as a kit for homebuilding.
The Salvay-Stark Skyhopper I is a low-wing single-place homebuilt aircraft designed in 1944.
The Folkerts SK-2, also known as Speed King Two, "Toots" and "Miss Detroit" was a racer built for the 1936 National Air Races
The Nexus Mustang is a two place homebuilt aircraft designed around the construction techniques of the Midget Mustang.
The Scott Ol' Ironsides is an early homebuilt aircraft using wood construction with stressed fiberglass panel construction.
The Hanson Woodwind is an all-wooden homebuilt aircraft with a fiberglass wing.
The Daphne SD-1A is a homebuilt aircraft that won second place in the 1970 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh flight efficiency contest.
The Dempsey TD-3 Beta Lightning is the second original homebuilt aeroplane design by Thomas Dempsey.
The Stits SA-5 Flut-R-Bug is a homebuilt aircraft designed by Ray Stits.
The Alpi Pioneer 300 is an Italian ultralight and light-sport aircraft, designed and produced by Alpi Aviation, of Pordenone. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.
The Velocity V-Twin is an American twin engined, homebuilt aircraft, designed by Velocity Aircraft and following the layout of their earlier Velocity XL but with a single vertical tail. It is the flagship model of the Velocity Aircraft Line.
The Christavia Mk IV (Christ-in-Aviation) is a Canadian homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Ron Mason and produced by Elmwood Aviation of Frankford, Ontario. The aircraft is supplied in the form of plans for amateur construction.
