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Introduction
The Great Planes Headwind is a sport scale model of Stewart Aircraft’s 1961 Headwind “B”, a light, single seat aircraft. The Headwind was constructed from steel tube, wood and fabric, and was powered by a small Volkswagen engine. The “B” model was a revised edition, which made construction easier, as well as implementing some aerodynamic improvement. The Headwind’s cruising speed was 80-85 mph with a top speed of 110. The Headwind’s stall speed was a mere 38-42 mph! Great Planes did an excellent job capturing the light plane essence of the Headwind.
Upon opening the box, a pleasing green hue met my eye. The parts were packed in such a way as to provide excellent protection. All the parts looked in good condition and nothing was missing. The manual was very well written with pictures, and clear, detailed instructions. Easy for a beginner or a pro to follow. All the wood looked to be good quality, and the assembly was top notch.
ConstructionWing Assembly
The first step in the manual was wing assembly. This was a very easy process. Be sure to apply sufficient epoxy to the wing joint so if there is a small gap, it will be filled. When the wing dried, I glued the plastic trailing edge support with a few drops of CA. The completed wing was light, yet strong.
Tail Assembly
The tail was the most difficult part of the entire build, and it was not difficult at all! I won’t cover all the steps here, just the key things to watch. You need to be sure you use enough epoxy to secure the tailskid. The manual uses a string to center the stabilizer, although I used a ruler. Whatever you use, be precise. Once in position, I pinned the end with a second pin, and marked the section of covering to be cut off the bottom of the horizontal stabilizer. When you glue it on, be sure it is level. When you glue the vertical fin, ensure it does not tilt left or right.
Canopy and Main Gear installation
Servo and pushrod installationMy servos were slightly longer then the ones Great Planes used, so I trimmed the servo slot with a hobby knife. I then installed the pushrods, being sure I had the specified control throws, and that there was no binding.
Motor Installation
The kit came with two motor mounts: one for the standard Great Planes 280 unit, and the other for a GWS IPS or Dual IPS. I used the Great Planes 280 motor, and mounting was quick and easy.
Final Radio and Battery setup
I installed my receiver, ESC and battery with adhesive Velcro. Be sure none of you wires interfere with the servos. Positioning the Velcro and rubber bands for securing the battery was a little awkward, but once done it was fairly easy to change batteries.
Flight Time
Once I tested my motor, servos, control throws, and set my Center of Gravity, I was ready to fly. The entire build took about 4 hrs; not bad! So, you wonder, how does it fly? Even though I ended up at a portly 14 oz, it performed beautifully.
Here a few of my observations:
*I would not fly this model in more than 10 mph winds. With winds beyond that, at anything less than full throttle the model begins to fly backwards! For the novice, 0-5 mph is best. My longest flight, consisting of mild aerobatics, cruising, and many takeoffs and landings, was 28 minutes. (Mind, if you use Li-poly batteries I can not guarantee you will ever stop flying!)
ConclusionGreat Planes certainly has a winner here. While I hesitate to recommend any balsa plane as a first, the Headwind is one I would. It is a strong, well-designed plane that has excellent, easy-going flight characteristics. For the advanced pilot, the Headwind is a great “Sunday flyer,” perfect for just cruising around, shooting touch and goes, or circling on thermals. Great Planes has once again lived up to its name!
Photo Gallery
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Apr 16, 2004, 11:59 PM
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#2 |
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Rationing rational responses
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Decatur, Georgia, United States
Posts: 2,983
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I have been looking at the Headwind B for a fun easy flyer, and the article confirms that, also I like the concise form of the article, as this is a quick build, I'm glad the author didn't make a bunch of modifications that most people would not do upon first build, and we can see how the plane performs, and I agree with the use of Nimh batteries for this plane, as the one change from factory recommendation, as the Nicad is a battery of old technology that I think is fine for the bigger planes, but this plane needs the extended flying time of the same weight batts. Thanks, tt
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Apr 22, 2004, 04:09 PM
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#3 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posts: 1,653
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Thanks for the comments Treetop, You will love it.
 -Sam |
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May 19, 2004, 07:45 PM
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#4 |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1
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Nice Feeling
Thanks for the article, but the video just gave me a big dose of emotion, as I'm the owner of a full size Headwind that I've not flown for some time , and
looking at the clip I inmediately got the urge to go at the hangar and give the "Tweety" (you know my plane is yellow) the required maintenance. Thanks Don Stewart for the great full size design, I´m a model plane builder since I was 7 and this one is a "I must have it". I will send photos of Tweety soon. Last edited by Guayo II; May 19, 2004 at 07:57 PM. Reason: Inclusion of photo |
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May 31, 2004, 09:13 AM
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#5 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 25
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Hi,
I've just bought such beautiful plane and an idea is "flying over my mind", or better a question: Why don't install a spare cox 020 instead of the 280-size electric motor ? Tell me what you think about!! cheers |
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May 31, 2004, 02:28 PM
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#6 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posts: 1,653
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I personaly would not because of a number of reasons:
Cox 020 is slimy and noisy, Cox 020 is more expensive, Cox 020 is direct drive, so will not allow as slow a flying, or as efficient and not as much power. Cox 020 eliminates the ease of flying (ie. with motor, connect battery arm motor, and fly.) Otherwise, if you really want to it would probably work. -Sam |
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Jun 02, 2004, 09:32 PM
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#7 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 4
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What are some options for electronics (motor,battery,esc) for the Headwind "B" for a beginner. I would like to run li poly batteries. I tried running some setups on MOTOCALC but it didn't suggest any 280 motors. Is this correct does it fly better with something else?
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Jun 03, 2004, 02:10 AM
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#8 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posts: 1,653
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Run what the manufacture says, and the plane will fly like a dream. Motocalc is good in some ways, but you need to be able to interpret what it says, which can be difficult. Have you read my review of it yet? In it, I listed everything I used. If you plan on using Lipoly batts, it will most likely fly even better.(as hard as that is for me to believe).
Good Luck, -Sam |
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Jun 03, 2004, 12:44 PM
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#9 |
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one game away...
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Willoughby, Ohio
Posts: 3,841
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I run the Headwind B using 2s 1500mah lipo pack, eps300c gws power system. great flyer.
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Jun 03, 2004, 01:00 PM
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#10 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posts: 1,653
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Yep, mattalbr's setup sounds great as well, I have considered upgrading to to 300c, but for the kind of flying I would do with the Headwind, it wasn't really necessary. Plus, I like the long flightimes with the 280.(max Amp draw is around 3 Amps).
-Sam |
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Jun 22, 2004, 07:16 PM
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#11 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 34
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Quote:
Which EPS300C, gear ratio and prop did you use? Does anybody have any suggestions for a brushless motor? Thanks, Chris. |
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Jun 23, 2004, 09:33 AM
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#12 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posts: 1,653
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Hey Chris,
If you don't mind me popping in for Matt, I beleive he used a C ratio, which would allow for 9x7,10x8 props. A Brushless motor would be way overkill   , however if a Bl is what you would like, then I would suggest an MPJet 25/25. It is a drop in replacement for the stock 280, is relatively inexpensive(about $50 for motor & Gearbox), and will really power the Headwind around the sky. -Sam |
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Jun 23, 2004, 01:36 PM
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 34
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Sam,
Thanks for the information. I was just thinking about brushless motor to get a more efficient setup. Mostly I want longer flight times but a little more power is ok too. A external rotor motor looks like it would be more efficient becuase I won't have to use a gearbox to run a 1047 prop. It that true or I am wrong? Can anybody recommend a external rotor motor they have used? I have just started researching but the Nippy "Nippy Black" 0808/98 looks interesting. Also the Rotex 25/6/17 looks like a possible candiate. I am just learning so if I am wrong please tell me! Thanks, Chris. |
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Jun 23, 2004, 04:05 PM
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#14 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Minneapolis MN
Posts: 1,653
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Hey Chris,
Here is quick comparison between outrunners/standard Bl motors Outrunner Pros: More efficient, simple(no Gearbox to worry about) Cons: Limited to a certain range of props, can be difficult to mount Standard Pros: Versatile (can be used with any number of gear ratios, for different applications), can be mounted in many dif gearboxes to allow for ease of installation in specific application. Cons: Not as efficient as outrunners, depending on what kind is used, the Gearbox or parts thereof may need to be replaced In the end, either will work very well for your application. The nippy and rotex are both good motors, check out this link, for a wide range of Bl motors including some other outrunner options. http://www.hobby-lobby.com/brushless-motors.htm -Sam |
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Mar 26, 2006, 12:05 PM
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#15 |
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Our Goal:To Promote the Hobby
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: East Virginia
Posts: 16,868
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Old post, new interest.
Is the headwind B still hanging in there? Since you have had it now for quite some time, would you have done anything differently? Thanks, Frank |
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