The aircraft was built to compete in the Eaton Design Contest held in conjunction with the 8th US National Gliding Championships.

The rules required drawings and stress analysis data to be presented with the completed aircraft.

[1] The winners of the contest and the cash prizes won were:[1] The SGU was the first all-metal glider built.

It was an unusual design with a high-mounted strut-braced wing and a tube-style boom ending in a cruciform tail.

[1] O'Meara declined the loan of the 1-6, hoping to secure a higher performing aircraft instead, in more keeping with his status as a competitive pilot and so the 1-6 did not fly in the Nationals.