Stewart Headwind

Stewart Headwind
Role Homebuilt aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Stewart Aircraft Corporation
Designer Don Stewart
First flight 1962
Introduction 1962
Unit cost
approximately $990 to build in 1971[1]

The Stewart Headwind JD1HW1.7 and SAC-1VW is a single-seat high-wing tube-and-fabric construction homebuilt aircraft.[2]

Design and development

The first Headwind was flown on March 28, 1962. It was one of the first aircraft to fly in the United States using a VW engine. The prototype flew with a Huggins VW conversion.[3] To use a standard propeller, a patented PRSU (propeller speed reducing unit) was developed to keep the engine RPM high and propeller RPM at its optimum speed.[4]

The design was inspired by the Demoiselle by Alberto Santos-Dumont.[5] The fuselage is triangular sections of welded tube steel covered in fabric.

Variants

A Volkswagen air-cooled engine was the only engine specified for this model, however many examples exist with alternate engine installations.

Specifications Stewart Headwind

Data from Sport Aviation

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 17 ft (5.2 m)
  • Wingspan: 24 ft 2 in (7.37 m)
  • Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
  • Wing area: 110.95 sq ft (10.308 m2)
  • Empty weight: 300 lb (136 kg)
  • Gross weight: 650 lb (295 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Volkswagen air-cooled engine automotive conversion engine, 65 hp (48 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed wooden

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 74 kn; 137 km/h (85 mph)
  • Cruise speed: 70 kn; 129 km/h (80 mph)
  • Stall speed: 33 kn; 61 km/h (38 mph)
  • Never exceed speed: 96 kn; 177 km/h (110 mph)
  • Range: 169 nmi; 314 km (195 mi)
  • Endurance: 2 hours
  • Service ceiling: 7,000 ft (2,100 m)
  • Rate of climb: 650 ft/min (3.3 m/s)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. ↑ Leo J. Kohn (Winter 1971). "The true cost of building your own plane". Air Trails: 63.
  2. ↑ Air Trails: 76. Winter 1971. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ Air Progress Sport Aircraft: 70. Winter 1969. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ www.jrwebworks.net (1962-03-28). "Stewart Aircraft Michigan". Stewartaircraft.com. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
  5. ↑ "Stewart Headwind". Airbum.com. Retrieved 2010-05-31.

  • Sport Aviation Feb 1972, pp 22. Stewart Headwind
  • Sport Aviation June 1976, pp 70. On To Oshkosh! Headwind Caravan
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