Nesmith Cougar
Homebuilt (Bob Nesmith design) · United States · first flew 1957 · light aircraft
The Nesmith Cougar is a light aircraft developed in the United States in the 1950s and marketed for homebuilding. It is a conventional high-wing, strut-braced monoplane.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Strut-braced high wing on a small fabric-covered fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Strut-braced high wing on a small fabric-covered fuselage
- Pilot and one passenger sit side by side
- Fixed tailwheel undercarriage, with a tricycle undercarriage on some later aircraft
Look for a strut-braced high wing, a fabric-covered welded-steel-tube fuselage and a side-by-side two-seat cabin. The wings are of wood and the undercarriage is normally a fixed tailwheel type.
Specifications
- The Nesmith Cougar has a length of 5.77 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.25 m (21 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 314 km/h (195 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The design was by Robert Nesmith, who aimed to market a low-cost aircraft for homebuilders. A modified Cougar won an Experimental Aircraft Association design competition in 1963, after which that organisation took over selling plans.
Variants
Variants include the original M1 Cougar with a 108 hp Lycoming and the Cougar Comet with a 125 hp Lycoming O-290D. The Chigger and Landoll's Skydoll were built with folding wings.
Where you'll see it
It was sold to amateur builders, and Nesmith also used the aircraft in a project to encourage troubled teenagers to work together toward a goal. Rights to the design were eventually bought by Acro Sport.
Related aircraft
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