Silvaire wrote:
he long ago moved from Ohio to Wittman Field in Oshkosh
Aha, so that’s why it’s called Wittman Airfield. Lots of history in that Wittman Tailwind in other words. I don’t think I ever have seen one (or maybe I have without paying notice, but definitely should).
Things have a way of repeating themselves… and good designs aren’t forgotten. Some Wittman design history here
The precessor to the Tailwind was the 1937
Buttercup, powered by an A-65 Continental IIRC and having leading edge slats for low speed performance. Fairchild was all set to put those into production, or perhaps a four seat version called the Big X, except that WW 2 came along.
The Tailwind arrived postwar, configured like the Buttercup but designed to go faster. They were likewise originally built with small Continentals, 85 or 90 HP was typical for the first Tailwinds and they were very light – like 685 lbs or 311 kg!
Then as time went on, people put all kinds of (bigger) engines in Tailwinds, Wittman himself liked the the 145 HP six cylinder O-300 Continental for its smoothness and a lot were built with those. Then he took the cylinder count one step further with an upside down all-aluminum Buick/Oldsmobile V8, the early 1960s car engine that was eventually bought and used until about 2006 by Rover Cars in the UK. Nowadays almost all Tailwinds are built with Lycoming four cylinder engines, because they work and make sense.
Sonex products are a lot like Wittman’s designs in that they are designed to maximize performance with minimized cost, with light weight being an enabler. Monnett is a Wittman fan and associate, he long ago moved from Ohio to Wittman Field in Oshkosh (where SW was the airport manager) and the original 1970s Sonerai was a lot like the 1948 Wittman ‘Little Bonzo’ air racer. When Sonex designed a high wing plane it was probably inevitable that it would be a lot like a Tailwind, and I think it’ll be exciting to see it.
Dan wrote:
Like others do. Looking forward to compare the performance though
A bit like a Lancair. Everything flies (fast) with a big enough engine in the nose 
The high wing Sonex will most certainly have a 100-130 HP engine, possibly a standard 100 HP Rotax 912 or ULPower as default, maybe even the (hardly) 80 HP Aerovee, and the performance will be accordingly. All Sonexes are also rather fast with 100+ HP. The Sonex will probably be a lighter design to start with, less wing loading, and capable of flying well with a smaller engine than the Tailwind.
LeSving wrote:
Looks very similar to the new high wing Sonex/Waiex
Historically speaking the sentence should read “the new high wing Sonex/Waiex looks very similar to the Tailwind”… 
As to the resemblance, well… but true, both are hi-wing taildraggers in a standard configuration using a cantilever wing. Like others do. Looking forward to compare the performance though
Looks very similar to the new high wing Sonex/Waiex.
John Monnett (Sonex founder) was a Steve Wittman disciple, and many years ago located the company on Wittman Field in Oshkosh, where Steve lived. They’re still there now.
Looks very similar to the new high wing Sonex/Waiex. Although it’s hard to imagine a high wing Sonex looking anything but this.
One day we were trying to come up with a list of the items that the builder did not build from scratch on this Tailwind. It’s a very short list…. Tires, wheel bearings, fuel valve, landing and position lights, instrumentation, engine controls and autopilot (it got one after the linked article was published). The wheels, brakes and landing gear legs were manufactured about 50 meters away, down the hangar row by an associate of the builder. The engine is a conglomeration of mostly Lycoming parts, but is not a standard model and was assembled by the builder. It makes about 170 HP.
Yes, a bit dated, but very good article.
I have always liked the squarish lines of the TW, back to the times when a few turned up at OSH. And it was also on my list when I was evaluating an aircraft to build, competing with the T-18 and the Bushby Mustang, and the Vans.
But today’s trend has changed, and for a lot of people is to want an airplane, and want it now
From what I observe within our association more and more people are going for quickbuilts, or quickly built kits. The typical homebuilder has changed from builder to assembler, or systems installer, with its associated pros and cons.
As for the Tailwind, this talk has wetted my appetite… I’ll have to go beg for a ride South of the Alps
Great Airbum article found here
Ground speed matters if you can quickly climb to 13,500 eastbound and take advantage of a tail wind. Hence the name of the design.
This one in current form is pretty fast regardless IIRC about 175 kts IAS at low altitude, or slightly more (on an IO-320). About the same as an RV-4 with the same powerplant, but the Tailwind has a lot more room inside. I rode in it quite a bit as a passenger, including for the Kit Planes article photo shoot. It was hard to keep it behind Marc Cook’s Glastar for the photos, much throttling back required
The cabin is not particularly narrow and like most of them built anytime recently the seat back on this one is moved back in what’s termed the Jim Clement Mod. Lots of leg room too (I am quite tall) with the 50 USG carbon fiber wing tanks, and therefore no fuel tank between you and the engine. Also easier to get in and out of than almost anything other than a Cessna Cardinal, the Clement mod also widens the door opening. It’s great for old guys in that regard and a remarkably good design.
Where it could use improvement is in control harmony. It’s not hard to fly, actually fairly easy, and it has no intimidating characteristics but without going into great detail it’s a bit weird/different until you get the feel of it. You fly it with your fingertips and without a lot of stick force gradient.
