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Pietenpol-List: Tailwind (not Piet!)

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:04 pm
by matronics
Original Posted By: "Kevin Ross"
No, not GN-1, either!I will have to say that one of the very first issues of Sport Aviation that I ever had my hands on back in the 70s, and suddenly realized that it was possible for ordinary earthlings to build an airplane that could fly in the same airspace as certified aircraft, featured a Wittman Tailwind that was built by a gentleman with such talent and attention to detail as I had never before seen in my life. The project was described over many pages in the magazine and described how he improved a thing or two here and there, and it was a most astonishingly beautiful airplane to my little spam can eyes! I sure wish I could remember who wrote that article and built that Tailwind; I have the searchable Sport Aviation archive on CD and should just search for Tailwinds, but I remember sitting up late at night reading those first copies of Sport Aviation and marvelling at how, even just in a wishful dream, I might could... maybe... naw... me?... build and fly... a real airplane? And it could have real instruments just like real airplanes, and could fly hundreds and thousands of hours and the FAA would let you do it, here in the radio controlled states of America? Wow! Nobody ever told me!Carry on, Chuck. If I didn't dislike that oddball single/dual control yoke thing, I'd love Tailwinds all to pieces. Simple, efficient, fast, clean lines... and I did mention over on the Corvair list how I thought the Buttercup would be a marriage made in heaven with the Corvair on the nose. The Buttercup is just as nice as the Tailwind in many respects.Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.Oscar ZunigaSan Antonio, TXmailto: taildrags(at)hotmail.comwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Re: Pietenpol-List: Tailwind (not Piet!)

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:17 am
by matronics
Original Posted By: Clif Dawson
Subject: Re: Pietenpol-List: Tailwind (not Piet!)In a message dated 11/13/2006 9:06:30 PM Central Standard Time, taildrags(at)hotmail.com writes:Carry on, Chuck. If I didn't dislike that oddball single/dual control yoke thing, I'd love Tailwinds all to pieces. Simple, efficient, fast, clean lines... and I did mention over on the Corvair list how I thought the Buttercup would be a marriage made in heaven with the Corvair on the nose. The Buttercup is just as nice as the Tailwind in many respects.C'mon Oscar !!That oddball single / duel control yoke speaks volumes about simplicity !! Another very interesting aspect of the Tailwind, is how the leading edge of the wing is designed. The inboard portion of the wing angles back in to the fuselage, and at high angle of attack, allows air to spill over, and accelerate,over the top of the fuselage, which then the fuselage actually becomes more of a lifting body, and reduces wing tip vortices. This is how he designed a high speed airplane, with very gentle stall characteristics. Just before his demise, Steve Wittman was working on incorporating that movable leading edge concept (ala Buttercup wing) to the Tailwind wing.Chuck G.NX770CG________________________________________________________________________________Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 23:23:15 -0800