Ol' Ironsides is a strut-braced high-wing aircraft with conventional landing gear arrangement. The wooden fuselage is made of Sitka Spruce. Fiberglass composite skins were formed in 4 x 8 sheets using two layers of cloth with resin over a waxed Masonite table. The landing gear legs, fuel tank, wink tips, wheel pants, and cowling were also formed out of fibre-glass. Scott integrated elements of the Bowers Fly Baby and Champion J-1 Jupiter construction with the Wittman Tailwind airfoil and general layout into the design.^[2]

Construction of the aircraft was started in the mid-1960s starting with a model rather than a drawing. Ol' Ironsides first flew on 22 November 1969 with a Continental C-85 engine sourced from a Cessna 140. In 1985 the prototype aircraft was restored and re-engined with a Continental O-200 and Sterba wooden propeller.^[3]

Data from Sport Aviation

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 17 ft (5.2 m)
• Wingspan: 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
• Wing area: 79.2 sq ft (7.36 m²)
• Empty weight: 720 lb (327 kg)
• Gross weight: 1,125 lb (510 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 18 gal
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental C-85 4-cyl. horizontally opposed piston engine, 85 hp (63 kW)
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental O-200 4-cyl. horizontally opposed piston engine, 100 hp (75 kW)

Performance

• Cruise speed: 117 kn (135 mph, 217 km/h) , 145 mph (233 km/h) with O-200
• Stall speed: 48 kn (55 mph, 89 km/h)
• Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min (6.1 m/s)

Avionics
Terra Radio, Flybuddy Loran

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Wittman Tailwind
• Hanson Woodwind