Rearwin Cloudster
Rearwin Aircraft & Engines · United States · first flew 1939 · light aircraft
The Rearwin Cloudster was a two- or three-seat civil utility aircraft built by the Rearwin Aircraft & Engines Company of Kansas City, Missouri, from 1939.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.55 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Strut-braced high-wing monoplane of conventional design
- Enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating and a fixed taildragger undercarriage
- Ken-Royce radial engine under a NACA cowling hinged along the top (from late 1941)
A conventional high-wing taildragger with an enclosed cabin and a radial engine of 90 to 120 hp.
Specifications
- The Rearwin Cloudster has a length of 6.55 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.41 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 216 km/h (134 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Rearwin began developing it in 1938 as a side-by-side-seat aircraft using as much existing tooling as possible. The prototype took six months to build and was first called the Rearwin Coupe.
Variants
The 90 hp prototype, the Model 8090, was not developed. The Model 8125 used a 120 hp Ken-Royce 7F engine, the Model 8135 added a third, sideways-facing seat, and the Model 8135T was an instrument trainer seating two in tandem.
Where you'll see it
About 125 were built between 1939 and 1942. Pan American Airways bought five of the 8135T trainer after its founder Juan Trippe approached the company in 1941, and another 20 went to other operators.
Related aircraft
- Rearwin Sportster
- Rearwin Speedster
- Aeronca Super Chief
- Akaflieg Berlin B8
- Ambrosini SAI.10 Grifone
- Arado Ar 199
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