Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 04:01 AM - Big X (Rick and Cindy)
2. 05:34 AM - Re: Big X (Boud Kuenen)
3. 10:58 PM - Re: Big X (Rcaprd@aol.com)
Message 1
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
TailwindForum@yahoogroups.com
--> Tailwind-List message posted by: Rick and Cindy <rcaviate@ne.infi.net>
If anyone saved the pics and specs of Big X that were once posted on Bob
Rudolph's site would you please e-mail them to me. Thanks for your help!
Rick
N241SW
Message 2
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
--> Tailwind-List message posted by: "Boud Kuenen" <bkuenen@horizonaero.com>
I would like to see them too!
Boud Kuenen
NX888WT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick and Cindy" <rcaviate@ne.infi.net>
<TailwindForum@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Tailwind-List: Big X
> --> Tailwind-List message posted by: Rick and Cindy <rcaviate@ne.infi.net>
>
> If anyone saved the pics and specs of Big X that were once posted on Bob
> Rudolph's site would you please e-mail them to me. Thanks for your help!
>
> Rick
> N241SW
>
>
Message 3
| INDEX | Back to Main INDEX |
| PREVIOUS | Skip to PREVIOUS Message |
| NEXT | Skip to NEXT Message |
| LIST | Reply to LIST Regarding this Message |
| SENDER | Reply to SENDER Regarding this Message |
|
--> Tailwind-List message posted by: Rcaprd@aol.com
In a message dated 4/22/03 6:02:18 AM Central Daylight Time,
rcaviate@ne.infi.net writes:
<< --> Tailwind-List message posted by: Rick and Cindy <rcaviate@ne.infi.net>
If anyone saved the pics and specs of Big X that were once posted on Bob
Rudolph's site would you please e-mail them to me. Thanks for your help!
Rick
N241SW >>
Here ya go :
"BIG X" SPECIFICATIONS 4-PLACE TAILWIND FROM 1965
Wingspan Approx.29ft.
Length, Approx. 24 ft. 10 in.
Fuel capacity 36 gals.
Engine-Franklin ' , 335 6A4-150-B3
Propeller McCau'iey klip tip fixed pitch
Baggage capacity, , , , 100 Ibs.
Maximum (red line) speed 165 mph
Cruising speed, , Approx. 140 mph,
corrected at 5,000 ft.
Cabin width, , , , , 40 in.
Cabin height, ... 48 in.
Panel to back of seat, . 58 in.
Cabin length seat back to firewall ....47 in.
By Bill Lewis, EAA 3199 3817-23rd St., Lubbock 10, Texas
ON A COLD blustery afternoon, May 27, 1961, the Wittman W .D., commonly
known as the "Big X" easedin for a landing at the Newton, Kans. airport, and
I accepted the delivery of my first experimental airplane.
Frank Under, the previous owner, had flown this ship in from Delavan, Wis.
Frank and I had been corresponding over a year and today was the big
inspection and final okay on the trade. I found everything to be just as
Frank had said through our telephone conversations and many letters. The
paper work was completed, the money changed hands and there I was, broke, a
little scared, but eager to find out about those so"called "homebuilt"
airplanes.
Early the next morning I topped off the gas, checked the oil and slipped
in on the left side; fastened the safety belt and made my first close check
of the instrument panel. The panel was adequate but lacked a few goodies I
would add later.
I found the doors of this airplane quite large, makin" it very easy to
get into. The cabin is very roomy with plenty of shoulder and hip room. The
Wittman-type wind- shield had been brought backward over the top of the
fuselage to about even with the pilot's head, giving good visibility upward,
and in a turn in the pattern from down onto base leg you get a clear
unobstructed view of the runway. This is a real comfort. I received some
good ground instruction from Mr. Linder in reference to the "touchy" toe and
combina- tion heel brakes of the "X" which bugged me a little. However,
after a few taxi runs this smoothed out okay. The left seat had to be
completely forward for me to reach the rudder pedals comfortably. There is
plenty of leg room for six footers-re: SteveWittman.
On my taxi out the inverted Wittman U control felt extremely odd,
however, Frank had said to just relax and fly the plane as if it had a
conventional stick control and forget the odd shape of the inverted u. On
the final run-up I found the Franklin to be very smooth. Everything checked
and re-checked; I opened the throttle and taxied to the center of the runway,
pointed the nose down the center line and eased open the throttle on the 150
Franklin. Well-l-l, right about here is where things began to happen.
Acceleration was quite fast, the tail came up very quickly and the center
line of the runway disappeared. The well known torque was making a bid for
control of the airplane. With a slight pressure of toe brake, as the rudder
is weak at this point, the center line; was back in its place. At about 65
mph I eased the stick back and we were airborne. Right at this point I
remember thinking, "Man, this is no Culver Cadet." A very few seconds later
the air speed was indicating 110 mph at about 1,000 fpm; rpm was 2,650, with
30 in. mercury. I eased the throttle back to 2,550 rpm and the mercury gauge
25 in. and held a steady climb out at 100 mph; circled the field and leveled
out at 5,0OO ft. i adjusted the stabilizer to fly hands off with about 2,400
rpm at 22 in. mercury. The air speed was indicating slightly over 125 mph,
which was slow as I discovered later. I pointed the nose in the general
direction of Texas. The trip to Lubbock was made with two practice landings.
I find the "X" flies a lot like a Piper Pacer. It is faster in the air and on
the take-off run. At the same time there is no lunch p'eriod on this take-off
run or the roll-out in landing.
The "X" responds well with slight movement of the controls. I found with the
small ailerons it still has good roll action even in a stall at 50 mph with
power. With pow- er off stalls occur at about 55 mph; release back pressure
and the airplane is flying again when the nose reaches the horizon. In the
stall there is no tendency to fall off on either wing.
In my 30 years of flying I have flown everything from OX-5 Waco 10 to the
present day modern aircraft. I enjoyed flying them all, but the "Big X" just
about meets all specifications for cross-country and general
sport flying.
BACKGROUND:
The Wittman W.D. was built in 1945 by S. J. Wittman of Oshkosh, Wis. The
first engine installed was a Franklin 130 hp, and the first test flight was
flown by Mr. Wittman January 1, 1945 for a duration of five min-
utes. On March 6, 1950 the 150 Franklin was installed and has to the present
accumulated over 1,228 hrs., the major portion being cross-country.
The "Big X" looks similar to the Tailwind; however, they are completely
different planes. The "X" is a four- place. Airfoil used was a NACA 2412
thinned down to a 2410 or 2411. The "X" was built for a fast cross-country
airplane and in testing pulls a load of 3.8 G's with full gross load. This
plane was built with commercial production in mind and had the first steel
flex gear that was ever used on this type aircraft. The
Cessna aircraft purchased the rights to use this steel flex gear on all
Cessna air- craft, and as a result Mr. Wittman shelved the plans for
commercial production. There is only one "Big X," and I am the proud owner of
it.
CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS:
The "Big X" has had more changes in the past few months than a strip gal
from Las Vegas, rather something new has been added rather than taken off. A
completely new instrument panel; primary group, plus artificial horizon; dual
head temps; master switch, shielded spark plugs and harness; radio~VHF both
ways and low freq-omni. Lear LR5/RT-10; new fiberglas nose cowl; muffs and
heat shrouds, exhaust extensions, oil
cooler, Scott tail wheel, 8 in; refinished complete with Stearman vermilion,
with gold speed dash on side for stripe plus one on vertical fin; changed N
numbers from wings to fuselage; they are black.
It was a ~reat disappointment when for business reasons I could not
attend the 1962 Fly-In. I naturally wanted to shqw off the "Big X," and also
to' participate in the wonderful work that EAA is doing. My interest and
desire to fly and own a homebuilt has been sparked by the splendid EAA
organization that keeps sport flying so much alive.
Subj: [TailwindForum] Big X
From: garywood_ts@yahoo.com (garywood_ts <garywood_ts@yahoo.com>)
Where is the 4 place that Steve built? All I could find was that it was
restored in 1980. Is anybody thinking of building another one?
Gary
From: cgalley@mchsi.com (Cy Galley)
Had an in-flight fire killing the owner and all aboard.
From: jimstanton55@hotmail.com (jrs14855 <jimstanton55@hotmail.com>)
The NTSB report says that the exhaust pipes set the fabric on fire. The hose
from gas tank to carb was probably a low pressure hose with standard hose
clamps. There was no gascolator. People who for now will remain nameless
believe that the person in the right seat got their foot on the fuel hose and
pulled it loose. Best to use a high pressure hose in this location, it is not
likely to be pulled loose. I last saw the Big X at Blakesburg. The cabin on
this airplane was huge.
Other Matronics Email List Services
These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.
-- Please support this service by making your Contribution today! --
|