Stewart Headwind Explained

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

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.^[2] 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.^[3]

The design was inspired by the Demoiselle by Alberto Santos-Dumont.^[4] 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.

References

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

External links

• https://sites.google.com/site/flywithstewart/
• http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepPeanutHeadwind.html
• http://www.pilotfriend.com/experimental/acft3/66.htm

Notes and References

1. Air Trails. Winter 1971. 76.
2. Air Progress Sport Aircraft. Winter 1969. 70.
3. Web site: www.jrwebworks.net . Stewart Aircraft Michigan . Stewartaircraft.com . 1962-03-28 . 2010-05-31.
4. Web site: Stewart Headwind . Airbum.com . 2010-05-31.