- Source: Watson GW-1 Windwagon
The Watson WG-1 Windwagon is a single-seat recreational ultralight designed in the United States in 1976 and marketed for homebuilding. Designer Gary Watson originally sold kits as well as plans, but later sold only plans.
Design and development
The Windwagon is a low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional design with fixed, tricycle undercarriage, and a single-seat open cockpit. Construction is of pop-riveted metal throughout. The outer wing panels are removable to facilitate hangering and trailering.
Power is supplied by an air-cooled, tractor-mounted piston engine driving a propeller. The engine selected by Watson was an automotive Volkwagen air-cooled engine sawn in half across its crankcase to turn the flat-four engine into a flat-two (a modification called a "half VW"). Plans for the Windwagon included instructions for modifying a Volkswagen engine this way.
By 1987, Watson had sold over 1,025 sets of plans, and over 500 Windwagons had been built around the world.
The Hummel Bird is a development of this design.
Specifications (as designed)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1987-88, p.732General characteristics
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 13 ft 0 in (3.96 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m)
Height: 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)
Wing area: 54 sq ft (5.0 m2)
Empty weight: 273 lb (124 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 485 lb (220 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Half VW 2-cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled piston automotive engine, 30 hp (22 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 135 mph (217 km/h, 117 kn)
Cruise speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)(flaps and undercarriage down)
Range: 300 mi (480 km, 260 nmi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
Rate of climb: 450 ft/min (2.3 m/s) max. climb at sea level
Wing loading: 8.98 lb/sq ft (43.8 kg/m2)
References
Dwiggins, Don (1980). 31 Practical Ultralights You Can Built. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books.
Markowski, Michael A. (1984). ARV: The Encyclopedia of Aircraft Recreational Vehicles. Hummelstown, Pennsylvania: Aviation Publishers.
Taylor, John W.R., ed. (1987). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1987-88. London: Jane's Information Group.
