The Nesmith Cougar is a light aircraft that was developed in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in the 1950s and marketed for homebuilding.

Development

The design, by Robert Nesmith, is a conventional

high-wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

strut-braced In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

with fixed

tailwheel undercarriage Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynami ...

. The pilot and a single passenger were seated side by side. The

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

and

empennage The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third ed ...

were of welded steel-tube construction, while the wings were of wood, and the whole aircraft was fabric-covered. Some later aircraft were fitted with a tricycle undercarriage. Nesmith Cougar N9092R Opa Locka 08

The original Cougar design was marketed by Nesmith himself. His intent was to market a low-cost aircraft for homebuilders. He also used the aircraft as a troubled youth project to encourage teens to work together toward a goal. When a modified Cougar won an

Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapt ...

(EAA) design competition in 1963, that organization took over selling plans. Rights to the design were eventually purchased by

Acro Sport Acro Sport Inc was an aircraft manufacturer based in Hales Corners, Wisconsin that marketed plans for homebuilt aircraft.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 89. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011 ...

. The aircraft shape was influenced by the

Beechcraft Staggerwing The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is an American biplane with an atypical negative wing stagger (the lower wing is farther forward than the upper wing). It first flew in 1932. Development At the height of the Great Depression, aircraft ...

and

Wittman Tailwind The Wittman W-8 Tailwind is a popular two-seat light aircraft for homebuilding. It is a high-wing, braced cabin monoplane of taildragger configuration. It is constructed with a steel tubing fuselage, wood wings, and fabric covering. It offers exc ...

. The name came from the college of Nesmith's daughter, the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

, whose athletic mascot is a

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...

Variants

;Nesmith M1 Cougar :The original design for home building. Powered by 108hp Lycoming. ;Nesmith Cougar Comet :Cougar modified with a 125hp Lycoming O-290D. ;Nesmith Chigger & Landoll's Skydoll :One example was built with folding wings and

Culver Cadet The Culver Cadet is an American two-seat light monoplane aircraft, also as a radio-controlled drone, produced by the Culver Aircraft Company. Design and development The aircraft designer Al Mooney developed an improved version of the Culver Dart, ...

landing gear, called the "Chigger". Another example built with folding wings with automatic control latching. Both aircraft are capable of being towed backwards behind a car.

Specifications (typical)

References

* * *{{cite book, title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1977-78, publisher=Jane's Yearbooks, location=London, pages=538 1950s United States sport aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft Acro Sport aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1957

Development

Variants

Specifications (typical)

See also

References