I acquired the project in 1992 when my wife found out about it while we were getting an electric building permit in MA.  The guy at the permit office was interested in old cars, so are we and later bought a 1929 Model A  pickup, one of our next projects,  In the course of the discussion this gentleman related that he knew  an Alan Lavender that had this airplane that he had been building and wanted to sell it.  He started  it while in college and now had teenage children and interests had turned to boating.  We looked at it, went off to Sun N Fun where  I met Steve Whitman and spent much of the week in Ray Stitts fabric covering workshop.  We came home and made a deal on the project that included steel tube fuselage , 0235 engine with log and 387 Hrs TT, partly completed wings and a bunch of  miscellaneous hardware and materials.  I had worked about 35 years for GE  Aircraft Engines and with cutbacks and their wanting me to go back overseas, I opted for an early retirement.

 All I got done before our  sudden move to retirement was to sandblast the tubing and prime it.  We had purchased our lot a Lake Norman about one year earlier with an expectation to retire in 5 years at age 60.  We were now looking a getting a house and hangar  designed and built.  All I got done in the 6 months before beginning to build the house was to cover the fuselage.  The project really sat idle for about 2 years.  The wings needed a lot of work and this is a plans built project and thus very time consuming but from a cost standpoint, outside of man hours, can be done much more reasonably.  

I tore off the wing tips, what had been done, to incorporate the W10 design that provides for better slow speed handling.  I made a tapered rod tail wheel to replace a Scott and welded up a dual stick arrangement.  The wing tips and stick assy. cost me some weight.  The airplane weighs 812 empty.  The only major problem I had was one of landing gear alignment.  When the engine mount and gear leg pockets were welded up by the previous builder, it resulted in a severe toe out condition , mostly on the right side.  I didn't get serious about check this out until shortly before being ready for inspection so made a tough job even tougher.  I had good results and it tracks very nicely.  The other problem was just dedicating enough time to the project.  I have a 182 to fly so in that I like to build things in addition to airplanes , restored a 1942 B model Farmal, and travel, the Tailwind didn't get that high of a priority.

 This was my second homebuilt.  In the late 70 to early 80's I built a Rotorway Scorpion Too helicopter from plans, not a kit.  I learned a good deal about machine work with all the parts I made.  I had about 40 hours on it when by pilot error I had a rollover  accident following loss of tail rotor authority in a transition from descent into a hover for landing.   I learned to fly tail wheel, 1956 in a '46 J3  I bought right after high school for $700.  I had about 50 hours on it and still a student when we got married and moved to CA and put it up for sale.  I had very little tail wheel time after that and all of it some 35 years ago.  Van Lawless gave me 6 hours of dual in Dick Stephens RV6,  3 flights and Steve Yancy gave me a couple hours in the Tailwind that he has at Huntersville.  With that I went flying and have at this writing 5 hours on 4 flights.  The only problem I have encountered is a heavy left wing condition.  I did some tweaking on the right wing, reduced wing incidence at the rear spar attach point, that seemed to get about 1/2 of the problem.  Following flight # 4, I increased the incidence on the left wing.  Next flight will tell.  The engine is rated a 115 but with the Ed Sterba prop I have, I am not able to get the RPM up.  I have 2250 static, same on climb and at 7,000 ft full throttle I could only get 2500.  The engine is rated at 2800.  The prop is 68 dia and 64 pitch.  The airplane will go though and the climb is right at 1000 FPM at 90 mph.  I am getting  150 mph at 2400. Have been flying approaches at 80, probably do better at 75.  On flight #4 it was clear and calm so I went to 7K to check max engine rpm and some best glide speeds.  I did a timed descent from 7K to 5600 in 2 minutes at 80 mph  for 700 FPM.  All of the numbers are about the same as my 182, just half the gas bill.   Initially I wasn't too interested in the project,  a Tailwind isn't the best looking plane around but hard to beat from an efficiency and affordability standpoint.

Jim Clements, the Tailwind Guru since Steve was killed has built 7 of them over the years, he can build one in a year and work a job and  has people standing in line to purchase his airplane when he moves on to another.  First flight was Jan 22 with the help on Ron Brown and Ralph Erb who flew chase for me.  Several of the Lake Norman neighbors helped when I needed extra hands, especially when we glued on the top wing skins.  Thanks to all and I am trying to find Alan Lavender to tell him his airplane has finally flown.

June 5th, completed flight #31 today and attained the 40 hour mark.  Flew flight #32 later in the day to evaluate warmer conditions with max gross weight.  My plan us to get another 15 to 20 hours, do an annual and head to Oshkosh and join the Tailwind group that  was written up in Sport Aviation in May.  The Tailwind design is 50 years old this year and my airplane was started 37 years ago by a then, college student in PA.  He got out of the project when he had teenagers at home and they had become interested in boats.

As many are already aware, the Tailwind design is 50 years old this year and a special recognition of the Tailwind was included in the Oshksoh  agenda this year. With a fresh oil change and conditional inspection I flew my Tailwind to Baraboo/Dells Wis. on 7-23.  I had good weather and did the trip in 5 and one half hours flying time in three legs.  
Twenty five Tailwinds showed up , ( about 4 are based at Baraboo) where Jim Clement resides, hangar).  He has become the Tailwind expert since Steve Wittman was killed. He has built 8 and # 9 was welded up when we arrived.  

Two aircraft come in from CA, 2 from TX and 3 from Canada.  Two guys came from CA in a 180 HP and cruised at 17K on oxygen for most of the trip. During  a flyby at Baraboo a passenger getting a ride said he saw  240 MPH  level, flat out. This is one of the airplanes that Jim Clement had built.  He is however convinced that the 0320 of 150HP is the best choice and yields cruising speeds of 170 -180 MPH.

On Monday morning, Jim Clement lead the pack as 22 of us flew in trail to Oshkosh.  We were parked in a space near the arch in front of the tower by 8:30 a.m. Three other Tailwinds joined us there. Three aircraft that had come to Baraboo didn't come to Oshkosh.  
I was surprised at the number of drive-ins at Baraboo and people that came by the line at Oshkosh that are currently building.

The highlight of the trip was being able to represent the Tailwind by joining two others in a flyby.  The replica of Buttercup lead and I flew number two followed by a tri-gear version, another Jim Clement design. When I got on the ground I realized that I had missed taking in the view of Oshkosh.  I was, flying the airplane!

Since beginning to fly off the time I have logged flights by flight number.  As it turned out I flew Flight # 50 on this very special day.  At the Homebuilder Dinner Ronnie Brown, John Wigney and I sat across the table from Ray Stits and his wife.  He was there in part with Chapter One from Flabob (CA) who were also celebrating their 50th year.  I used to fly out of Flabob in 1963 while working on my private.  In 1992 I attended his fabric workshop at Sun N Fun and used this process on my airplane.

The weather was good, even for camping in a tent.  I spent 4 nights at Baraboo and 8 at Oshkosh. I was prepared to leave on Saturday but after engine start I got a "No GPS " signal on my GPS.  The booth for Control Vision was closed Saturday for religious day so I was stuck and didn't get out until Tuesday morning. I overnighted with our son near Cincinnati and got home Wednesday.

In 1986 I trailered a plans built, not kit, Scorpion Too helicopter to Oshkosh and flew it in the Rotor Craft area but this was the first time I have ever flown anything into Oshkosh.  What a neat experience it was!..