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| STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 750. Empty wt. 450. Fuel capacity 6. Wingspan 28’3″. Length 17′. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 110. Cruise mph 80. Stall mph 35. Climb rate 600. Takeoff run 300. Landing roll 400. Range 195. |
The virtue of the Headwind is not high speed or altitude performance but utter simplicity of design and construction and ease of handling. In the words of the designer, Don Stewart, “It’s not quick and skittish like a lot of homebuilts, but in fact flies a lot like a J-3 or Champ with a very docile stall.” The Headwind is described as an extremely simple airplane of steel tubing construction for the fuselage and tail. The wings are two wooden spars with either sawed plywood or formed aluminum ribs. All the fittings are flat, and only two of them require any preassembly. The engine bolts directly to the front of the fuselage, saving a separate engine mount. A 36- to 65-hp VW engine is used.
