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LAWRENCE'S WEB SITE
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Date: 11-1-2015
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Number of Hours: 5.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Moving on from Previous Aborted Build
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My most recent attempt at a homebuilt is a Cougar -- most folks know that the Cougar is a cousin to the W8 Wittman Tailwind (some, including Steve, might say an illegitimate cousin). When the basic Tailwind plans first came out in the mid 1950s, they were copyrighted, but that didn't stop the late Robert Nesmith from producing a semi-clone, and renaming the effort the "Cougar." Nesmith essentially built a Tailwind with some minor changes, although he reputedly never built a prototype Cougar -- modestly personalized the a Tailwind and renamed it. Some of Nesmith's alterations have withstood the test of time, some not -- notably the landing gear arrangement, which is often changed to the sturdier Wittman configuration. Such is the case with the partial fuselage I've acquired with the resolute support of my good friend Gary. Gary rescued these parts from Texas, a Cougar originally built in the 1970s. In order to live within the LSA requirements, the needed wings will be of new aluminum construction and about 30% greater wing area, incorporating the W10 airfoil, wing-tanks and the Stojneck wingtips (similar to the contemporary Wittman tips, except carrying the airfoil all the way out with a modified Hoerner final tip). The balance of the parts will come from those I've assembled form other aborted "builds" and my Cougar will of course be powered by the Azalea Aviation Spyder (Corvair) that Bill Clapp built for me -- that saga is a story in itself. The Good Lord willing, this Cougar will actually fly !! So here I am, restarting Cougar #98 once again – the Buttercup, Sonerai and CH701 mothballed.
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Well known early Nesmith Cougar
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Work to do, but has the shape
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Includes some raw materials as well
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