Condor Shoestring
Mercury Air · United States · first flew 1949 · light aircraft
The Condor K-10 Shoestring, originally the Ast Special and the Mercury Air Shoestring, was a Formula One air racing aircraft built by Carl and Vincent Ast.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.38 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Mid-wing cantilever monoplane with a long high-aspect-ratio tapered wing
- Spatted mainwheels
- Fixed tailwheel undercarriage
Look for a highly streamlined mid-wing monoplane with spatted mainwheels and a longer, higher-aspect-ratio tapered wing than other Formula One racers.
Specifications
- The Condor Shoestring has a length of 5.38 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 5.79 m (19 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 386 km/h (240 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was built to compete in the 1949 Cleveland National Air Races. The original aircraft was extensively rebuilt in 1965 and 1974.
Variants
The K-10 Shoestring was the 1949 original. A second aircraft, Yellow Jacket, first flew on 15 July 1970, and Condor Aero made plans available to homebuilders.
Where you'll see it
By the time of its later rebuilds, the original aircraft had won fourteen first places, three second places and four third places. It has an 85 hp Continental C85 engine.
Related aircraft
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