Cassutt 'aftermarket' wings

The original Cassutt 111M design had 15 or 17 foot 'slab' wings. In the early seventies, more sophisticated wings from various sources started to be installed in Cassutts, in the search of more performance. In the research for my scale model, I found confusing information on those 'aftermarket' wings. This page tries to present an overview and analysis of these wings. Note that I'm not trying to identify each individual Cassutt's wing type, or make an overview of all Cassutts with a particular wing type. 3D CAD & 3D printing         1/72 model         Aftermarket wings This is a work in progress, with frequent changes, and some research notes temporarily inserted in the text.

Wilson wooden wing

James (Jim) Wilson (Texas) designed a new taper wing for his second Cassutt racer, N25JW, #25, 'Plum Crazy', first flown in 1971. It was a bolt-on replacement. Called 'Wilson wing' or 'Wilson Whistler taper wing'. Leading edge is straight, trailing edge is swept forward. 17.5' or 18' span. Looks like it has Hoerner tips. The span of the ailerons is very difficult to judge; they could be full-span. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N25JW

Photo measurements: the wing span was 4.58 times the tail span. If the latter is a rounded 4'0", the wing span was ~18'4". I measure a taper ratio of 0.62. Assuming the standard area of 66 sqft, the root (centerline) chord was ~4'5" and the tip chord was ~2'9".

N25JW, #25, 'Plum Crazy' again. Trailing edge sweep difficult to see. Hoerner tips. Small leading edge radius, maybe like original Cassutt design? Photo source: Ebay

N8ED #33 'Second Wind' built and raced by Ed Dutreaux, looks like it has a Wilson wing, and now the ailerons can be seen clearly. The curved wing tip line suggests Hoerner tips. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N8ED

Photo measurements: the wing span was 3.78 times the tail span. But the latter wasn't standard, with tip caps, so we can't calculate the wing span from it. I measure a taper ratio of 0.60. Copying the wing span figure of ~18'4" from the previous analysis, and assuming the standard area of 66 sqft, the root (centerline) chord was ~4'6" and the tip chord was ~2'8". Aileron span is 15.5% of the wing span, ~2'10".

N119 #19 'Okie Streaker', owned / raced by George Budde, also appears to have a Wilson wing. The ailerons are difficult to distinguish, but appear to be of similar span as the previous photo. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N119

This looks like a Wilson wing. The ailerons are painted in a different color. The ailerons have a larger span than N8ED in the previous photo. N4651T #51 owned / raced by William (Bill) Sullivan. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N4651T

Photo analysis of the ailerons gives 24% of wing span. Assuming the unverified span of 18'4", this gives an aileron span of ~4'5".

A Wilson wing built by Homebuilt Airplanes Forum member 'thom'. The project was sold before he flew it. The ailerons are difficult to distinguish, but appear to be full-span like the original 15 ft slab wing. Photo source: Homebuilt Airplanes Forum

Check: N102 #6 'Okie Stroker' George Budde, https://airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001817696.html

https://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/threads/cassutt-looking-for-anyone-who-knows-anything-about-it.22674/page-3

Stockbarger wooden wing

The late Ken Stockbarger designed a new wing for Jon Sharp's Cassutt, N43SJ #43 'Aero Magic'. It was known as the 'Stockbarger wing' and used on other Cassutts too. A set of plans was available. One other Cassutt with Stockbarger wing is N46785 #25 'Gold Fever', see Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N46785 in which a Stockbarger wing is mentioned. Almost 20 foot span, conventional spruce/fir and mahogany ply construction. Double taper wing, as in both leading and trailing edges swept. The rear spar has a splice partway span. Rights currently owned by Andrew Buehler, who owns the Cassutt rights. No dimensional data could be found so far. Taper ratio looks quite modest. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N43SJ

The same aircraft in an earlier paint scheme. 'Bilbo'. Photo analysis is not feasible for this and the previous photos. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N43SJ

Owl wooden wing

The late George Owl designed the OR-series aircraft, OR-65, OR-70 and OR-71. During the late seventies / early eighties, the Owl wings started to find themselves on Cassutts. But it is unclear which Owl wing(s) was (were) used on Cassutts. Here are the main numbers for the Owl wings: OR-65 wing: span 16'0", area 66 sqft, aspect ratio 3.88, profile 63A210 OR-65-2 wing: span 16' OR-70-1 wing: span 20'0", area 66 sqft, aspect ratio 6, root chord 4'2", tip chord 2'6", 13.7% profile OR-71 wing: same dimensions, but outer 60% of wing is 10% The Cassutt Owl wing design is now owned by Andrew Buehler, who also owns the Cassutt rights. As an example, a photo from the 1974-1975 Jane's, of Owl OR-70 N711BS #11 'Fang' by James Stevenson. See Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N711BS. Photo source: 1974-1975 Jane's All The World's Aircraft

Judging from the planform, the wingtip shape and the aileron mass balance, this is an Owl OR-70 style wing on N6291N #15 'Last Lap Player' owned by Creighton King. See Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N6291N Photo source: Simpl-e-Commerce

This looks like an Owl wing to me, but maybe a shorter span OR-65 version? N5381 #40 'Miss USA', see Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N5381. Photo source: Formula 1 Gallery powered by a Continental O-200 engine

I made measurements in the photo, and found that the wing span was 4.83 times the tail span. If the latter is a rounded 4'0", the wing span was 19.5', close to the 20' of the OR-70 wing.

N262SW #69 'Knotty Girl', Phillip Goforth, is confirmed as having an Owl wooden wing, and a Grove horizontal stabilizer (see Formula 1 - Getting 260 mph out of an O-200 Continental just for fun). See also Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N262SW. Photo source: Flickr: Stratocaster #69 "Knotty Girl" piloted by Philip Goforth in the Formula One Silver Race

Cosgrove / Moeller metal wing

A metal tapered wing, probably a one-of, designed by Don Cosgrove (source) and built by air force personel, for B/Gen Robert Moeller, for N2081 #81 'Boo Ray'. Raceair: "I have the original Don Cosgrove wing airfoil lofts for your wing. It was a nasty wing in some respects, but mostly it was a very heavy wing. I helped assemble that airplane a couple times when Col. Moeller owned her, and that wing must have weighed 180 pounds!!" (source)

Grove composite wing

Cassutt 11M (not 111M) N2081 #81 'Boo Ray' owned by William (Bill) Berle (Victor Bravo on www.homebuiltairplanes.com) had a Grove-built composite wing and tail during (at least) 1988-1989. See Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N2081. Bill Berle: "In 1988-89 I raced the F-1 raceplane 'Boo Ray' race #81". (source). "It had a 20.5 foot span, 64-209 profile with the lower cusp removed" (source). "It in scared the tar out of me" (source) It looks like the leading edge has more sweep than the trailing edge. Several were built. Robert Grove, Grove Aircraft, Gillespie Field, El Cajon CA. https://www.groveaircraft.com/ Photo source: Air Britain Photographic Images Collection

N6884 #33 'Sahara' Scott Morris, later Dave Morss. This Cassutt also has a Grove wing, and this photo gives a first view of the wing planform. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N6884

N6884 #99, 'What Airplane, Honey?' Timothy Cone. The same aircraft but later, presenting a great view of the wing planform. The tips are like that of the SR-1, angled with respect to the aircraft axis. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N6884

In this photo analysis the Snoshoo wing planform was laid over the wing. It fits roughly, showing that the planform is similar but not identical. The ailerons are more outboard and of larger span but smaller chord.

N17517 #6 'Yellow Peril', raced by Doug Bodine, appears to have a Grove wing too, judging from the planform and the aileron position. Photo source: JetPhotos

Maybe the Grove wing planform is similar to the SR-1 wing, but with different wing tips??

Gibson composite wing

Former NASA astronaut Hoot Gibson built a wing of his own design for Cassutt 11M (not 111M) N911HG. Does not appear to be Rutan style. It was shredded in a mid-air collision with Henry 'Rocky' Jones Jr, 7 July 1990. Not sure whether it was rebuilt. YouTube video: Fatal Accident | Hoot Gibson Episode 13 | Formula One Collision And Deadly Crash. Another video with Cassutt content: All New Video Podcasts from USA's Greatest Living Aviator! Hoot Gibson's Hangar.

Snoshoo wing

The SR-1 Snoshoo is a development of the Rod Kreimendahl-designed and Carl + Vincent Ast-built 'Shoestring' from 1949, raced until at least 1975. 'Snoshoo' stands for 'iS NO SHOestring'. The website reports that the SR-1 has a Ken Stockbarger designed wooden wing. This wing is also suitable for the Cassutt, although it's not identical: the SR-1 wing has a (sort of) continuous rear spar (see SR-1 photos), whereas the Cassutt Snoshoo wing has discontinuous rear spars. The SR-1 wing was reportedly developed and flown on a Cassutt. The SR-1 general arrangement drawing lists a span of 19'11", 66 sqft area, aspect ratio 6.01, taper ratio 0.35, tip chord 21" and inboard ailerons. It follows that root (centerline) chord is 60". Drawing source: SR-1 3-view

This looks like a Snoshoo wing. N43SJ #6 'Aero Magic', owned / raced by Jerry Marshall. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N119

A photo analysis shows that the SR-1 wing planform (copied from the general arrangement drawing) fits well over this photo. The only deviation is seen at the tips, that are not angled like the SR-1, but parallel with the aircraft axis.

To be checked: N603R, N17517

Catto composite wing

N96SR #96 'Miss Demeanor' Miles Conklin is reported to have a Catto wing, see Formula 1 - Getting 260 mph out of an O-200 Continental just for fun. But it's clearly a very different wing than seen in Kitplanes below. A Catto composite wing constuction report can be found here: Part 1 and Part 2 from Kitplanes magazine, March and April 2015 issues. There's also a web version of the articles. Photo source: Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N96SR

Question marks - just some examples

N137RK #37 'Mohave Green'. The straight leading edge suggests a Wilson wing, but with different wing tips? See also Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier N137RK. Note the stall strips on the leading edge. Photo source: AirVenture - National Championship Air Races 2005 Reno / Nevada

F-PCMV #46, with maybe an Owl wing, with special swept wing tips? The profile looks like it has more camber and maybe a bit of reflex? Photo source: PictAero

https://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/threads/cassutt-looking-for-anyone-who-knows-anything-about-it.22674/page-4

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.aviation.homebuilt/c/glY20SWYkCI/m/88_Vz1Yb0GAJ