The Eaves Cougar 1 was based upon the Nesmith Cougar and features a strut-braced high wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit, fixed conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.
The aircraft is made from welded steel tubing and wood, covered in doped aircraft fabric. Its wing has a 23.251NaN1 span and can be folded for storage or ground transportation. Engines used typically range from 85to but the airframe can accept engines as powerful as the 1500NaN0 Lycoming O-320.
The aircraft has an empty weight of 700lb and a gross weight of 1400lb, giving a useful load of 700lb. With full fuel of the payload is 490lb.
The construction of the prototype was commenced in January 1957 at Eaves' home in Oklahoma City. The design won third place in the 1963 Experimental Aircraft Association aircraft design competition. It was featured on the cover of Sport Aviation magazine in February 1963.[2]
Eaves was killed in the crash of another homebuilt aircraft design on 3 March 2012 at age 92 and plans for the Cougar appear to be no longer available.