Miss Cosmic Wind Midget Racer
HISTORY
- A new class of aircraft, the midget racer, was seen for the first time at the 1947 National Air Races in Cleveland. Sponsored by Goodyear, the first midget class race had a purse of $25,000, a considerable sum for the time.
- Tony Levier, the famed Lockheed test pilot, designed an airplane to race in this class. Levier, Herman "Fish" Salmon, and a few other Lockheed employees built three of these Cosmic Wind airplanes on their own time: Race #3, Lil’ Toni; Race #4, Minnow; and Race #5, Ballerina. The three airplanes were identical in size and shape, with different color schemes. A fourth aircraft, called Mr. Robinson and also carrying Race #4, was later constructed from spare parts.
- Salmon, in Minnow, and LeVier, in Lil’ Toni, finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 1947 race. Salmon, again in Minnow, took first place in the 1948 race. By 1949, however, the Cosmic Wind aircraft had been overtaken by newer designs.
- Minnow was modified by Herman "Fish" Salmon in 1949. The fuselage was lengthened, and the fuselage behind the cockpit was covered with fabric. The wing was raised from its initial low wing position to a mid-wing position. The aircraft was rebuilt again later, with a new wing of shorter span and constant chord. It was owned and raced by Bob Downey. The new aircraft carried Race #6, and went by the name Miss Cosmic Wind and, later, Little Miss Reno.
- Miss Cosmic Wind was flown to a 4th place finish in the Reno National Air Races in 1964. She was flown through 1967, and then again in 1972, as Miss Cosmic Wind. She was retired after the 1972 races.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Status: Static Display |
| Manufacturer: Van Nuys Consortium |
| Year: 1949 |
| Model: Miss Cosmic Wind |
Registration Number: N36C
|
| Serial Number: |
| Crew: 1 |
| Max T/O Weight: 849 |
| Span: 16 ft. 2 in. |
| Length: 20 ft. 0 in. |
| Height: 4 ft. 5 in. |
| Maximum Speed: 185 |
| Cruise Speed: 160 |
Rate of Climb: 1500 ft/min
|
| Power Plant: 1 × Continental C-85 flat-4 air-cooled engine, 85 hp. |
| Range: 318 mi |
| Service Ceiling: N/A |
| Armament: N/A |
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