1980->

Wolff Sky-Wolff

TerryLeave a comment

Paul Wolff’s 4 place, all composite Sky-Wolff was intended to make Oshkosh 1988, but was not flying in time, later, flying from Findel Airport in Luxembourg.

Aimed at a US25,000 kit price, The Sky-Wolff will have removeable wings, an electric/hydraulic retractable gear, and wet wing with additional tip tanks. The wing is equipped wih flaps and drooping ailerons.

Fuel capacity: 169.3 USG
Range: 4200 miles
Engine: Lycoming O-320
Cruise 75%: 186 kt / 214 mph
Stall: 50 mph

Wolfe Aviation WAT

TerryLeave a comment

Single seat single engined flex wing aircraft with weight shift control. Rogallo wing. Pilot suspended below wing in trike unit, using bar to control pitch and yaw/roll by altering relative positions of trike unit and wing. Undercarriage has three wheels in tricycle formation. Push right go left nosewheel steering independent from yaw control. Aluminium tube trike unit, with optional pod. Engine mounted below wing driving pusher propeller.
The WAT the title stands for Wolfe Aviation Trike. In concept it is simple enough a monopole trike using a 2 inch (5cm) square section aluminium pole, adjustable in height to suit various Rogallo wings. Wolfe offers a variety of engines, with or without reduction drive, various seat options and also a selection of undercarriage designs. One of these undercarriages is unique as far as trikes are concerned in that it has retract¬able main wheels which fold behind the power pack to reduce drag. The WAT is also available with a double nosewheel. Another drag reducing option is a fabric pod.
To make the WAT as versatile as possible, the hang point uses a clamping arrangement, the idea being that the glider can be attached without drilling holes through the keel tube.
Standard engine is the Cuyuna 215 cc unit with reduction drive but among the engine options is a Cuyuna ULII-02. Price of the trike unit with 215 cc engine and reduction drive was $1690.

Engine: Cuyuna 215, 22hp at 6000rpm
Propeller diameter and pitch 50 x 20 inch, 1.27 x 0.51 m
V belt reduction, ratio 2.0/1
Max static thrust 160 lb, 73kg
Fuel capacity 2.0 US gal, 1.7 Imp gal, 7.6 litre
Length overall (Trike unit only) 5.0ft, 1.52m
Height overall (Trike unit only) 7.0 ft, 2.13 m
Empty weight (Trike unit only) 110 lb, 50kg

Wolf W-II Boredom Fighter

TerryLeave a comment

Don Wolf, a technical engineer at Fairchild’s Engine Division on many classified military projects and flew many different the past half century, then finally got around to designing a replica of the World War I wood-and-wire fighter types he loved as a kid. Rather than metal, he chose to build the framework of steel fittings of chrome-moly as well as tube structures for cabine, landing gear, etc. Wolf spent a year of spare time detailing Boredom Fighter after running stress analyses. First flying on 30 August 1979, the takeoff roll of 150 is spectacular, as well as its fast climb and excellent economy cruise of 100 mpg burning 3 gph of low-octane fuel.

W-II
Engine: Continental, 65 hp
Wing span: 20 ft
Wing area: 100 sq.ft
Length: 15.7 ft
Height: 6ft
Weight empty: 473 lbs
Gross: 770 lbs
Fuel cap: 15 USG
Speed max: 120 mph
Cruise: 110 mph
Range: 440 sm
Stall: 42 mph
ROC: 1200 fpm
Take-off dist: 150 ft
Landing dist: 350 ft
Service ceiling: 16,000 ft
HP range: 65-75
Seats: 1
Landing gear: tailwheel

Wittman O & O Special

TerryLeave a comment

Built in 1986, this was a two-seat high-wing aircraft, N41SW, which appeared like an oversize Tailwind. It was specifically designed for fast cross-country travel between Wittman’s two homes in Oshkosh and Ocala, Florida (that’s where the O & O designation came from).

It was in this aircraft that crashed on 27 April 1995 and Steve and Paula were killed.

Engine: Continental, 225hp
Cruise speed: 210 mph
Stall: 52 mph
Seats: 2

Wittman W.8 Tailwind / W-9L Tailwind / W.10 Tailwind

TerryLeave a comment
W.8 Tailwind

The Tailwind (prototype) W-8C, a two-seat high wing monoplane, built and first flew in 1953. So suc-cessful was this aircraft that plans were made available to amateur builders.

Wittman Tailwind Article

The Tailwind is a side by side, two seat, high wing, strut-braced, cabin monoplane. The wing consists of two separate panels, each incorporating wooden spars and ribs, internal wire bracing and plywood covering. An NACA 4309 aerofoil section is used. The ailerons and flaps are of steel tube construction, and are fabric covered. The fuselage is a chrome molybdenum steel tube structure, and is fabric covered. A cabin door is incor¬porated in each side. The empennage, like the fuselage, is built up of welded steel tube, and is fabric covered. The main undercarriage incorporates round spring steel main legs, and 500 x 5” wheels. The wheel track is 5’ 5”. A 20 Imp. gallon fuel tank is installed in the fuselage behind the firewall.

The W-8L Tailwind, powered by a Lycoming engine, was built in 1954. Revisions have been made to allow the use of the 150-hp Lycoming, 145-hp Continental and the Olds/Buick 215-cu.in. V-8s. The Oldsmobile Tailwind was built in 1974.

Wittman W-10 Tailwind built by Jim Clement
Wittman W-9 N4JB

The W-9L Tailwind, with a tricycle landing gear, was built in 1958. Based on the W-8, the prototype N374 was powered by a 160hp Lycoming O-320-B1A.

In 2009 available as kit or plans from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. Plan Price $180.00.
AJEP Developments in the UK offered kits to construct modified version of Whittman Tailwind homebuilt aircraft.

AJEP Tailwind G-BCBR September 1975 at Luton

Aircraft Spruce acquired the rights to the Tailwind in January 1996 and is became the exclusive distributor for plans and materials kits, the W-10 replacing the W-8.

Gallery

Engine: Continental, 100 hp
Gross Wt. 1300 lb
Empty Wt. 700 lb
Fuel capacity 25 USG
Wingspan 22’6’
Length 19’3”
Span: 22’ 6”
Length: 19’ 3”
Wing Area: 90 sq. ft
Empty Weight: 318 kg / 700 lb
Loaded Weight: 590 kg / 1300 lb
Wing Loading: 14.5 lb/sq. ft
VNE: 161 kt / 185 mph / 298 kmh
Max. Speed: 130 kt / 150 mph / 241 kmh
Cruise Speed: 130 mph
Stall Speed: 60 mph
Climb: 900 fpm / 5 m/s
Range: 500 miles
Takeoff run 800 ft
Landing roll 600 ft
Seats: 2

Engine: Lycoming O 290 D2, 135 hp
Wing span: 21 ft. 11 in
Airfoil: NACA 4309
Length: 19 ft 3 in
Height: 5 ft 3 in
Wing area: 82 sq.ft
Wing loading: 17 lb/sq.ft
Seats: 2
Empty weight: 800 lbs
Useful load: 600 lbs
Gross weight: 1,400 lbs
Power loading: 11 lb/hp
Fuel capacity: 26 USG
Baggage capacity: 60 lbs
Rate of climb: 1,200 fpm
VNE: 161 kt / 185 mph / 298 kmh
Max speed: 170 mph
Cruise speed (75% power): 160 mph
Range (at max cruise, no res): 500 sm
Stall speed (flaps down): 65 mph

Engine: Lycoming O-235, 115 hp
Wingspan: 22 ft 6 in
Length: 19 ft 3 in
Height: 5 ft 6 in
Wing area: 90 sq.ft
MAUW: 1400 lb
Empty weight: 318 kg / 700 lb
Fuel capacity; 25 USG
Baggage capacity: 65 lb
VNE: 161 kt / 185 mph / 298 kmh
Max speed: 160 mph
Cruise: 130 kt / 150 mph / 241 kmh
Stall: 70 mph
ROC SL: 1000 fpm
Take off run: 800 ft / 244 m
Landing roll: 600 ft
Ceiling: 17,000 ft
Range: 600 sm

W-9L Tailwind
Engine: Lycoming O-320-B1A, 160hp
Wingspan: 20’0″
Length: 19’3″
Useful load: 650 lb
Max speed: 198 mph
Cruise speed: 180 mph
Stall: 55 mph
Range: 600-700 sm
Undercarriage: tricycle
Seats: 2

W.10 Tailwind
Engine: Cont. 85, 90, 100 or 145 HP Lyc. 108-160 HP
Length: 19′ 6″
Wing Span: 24′
Wing Area: 90 Sq. Ft.
Cruising Speed (Vc): 150 to 190 MPH

W10 Tailwind
Top speed: 200 mph
Cruise: 180 mph
Range: 600 sm
Rate of climb: 1200 fpm
Takeoff dist: 750 ft
Landing dist: 650 ft
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft
Engine: continental O-300, 145 hp
Fuel capacity: 35 USG
Empty weight: 876 lb
Gross weight: 1425 lb
Height: 5.5 ft
Length: 19.6 ft
Wing span: 24 ft
Wing area: 92 sq.ft
Seats: 2
Landing gear: tailwheel

W-10 Tailwind
Engine: 150hp Lycoming O-320 or 145hp Continental O-300 or 130-135hp Oldsmobile F85 or Buick V-8
Max speed: 210 mph
Cruise speed: 180 mph
Stall: 40-43 mph
Range: 466 sm
Seats: 2
Undercarriage: Tricycle