Dear Aviation Enthusiasts,
I teach math in an inner city high school in Southern Illinois.
I've been studying airplane projects to build myself alone but also
have thought about forming a high school aviation club to build an
airplane. There is at least one one high school building the Zenith
701 and Aircraft Spruce donated a Stolp Starduster kit to another high
school. The airplanes that I have researched and would like to build
myself include the following: Wittman Tailwind and Buttercup, Long-EZ,
Cozy Mark IV, KR-2, Christavia, Sonex Vision, Bearhawk, Zenair Zodiac,
Zenair 601 and Zenair 701, Thorpe T-18 , BD-4, and the Falconar to
name a few. Many of these at some point I've convinced myself,
"that's the airplane for me" and just before ordering the plans.....I
change my mind. I've been studying homebuilt airplanes for a couple of
years now and there probably isn't a homebuilt design that I haven't
read about. I know the least about wooden airplanes but wouldn't
exclude this type of building material in my choice.
I've talked with the welding department at the high school and
the instructor said he'd help weld a 4130 fuselage as they have a tig
welder. Keep in mind though the idea that this is a group high school
project. I'm not sure which type of project that would afford an
opportunity for high school students (rather unskilled) to get
involved with, to contribute to by using their hands. For example
with a wooden wing, probably each student could make a rib for the
wings. With an aluminum airplane students also each could make an
aluminum rib, the type that are formed around a wooden template with a
mallet. It seems like mistakes on a rib wouldn't affect a huge
component and quality control could be managed. Ruin a rib, toss it
aside and try again. I'm not sure if a mistake in welding a 4130 tube
fuselage could be corrected easily. Basically you want students to
contribute with simple tasks where mistakes could be fixed without
costing too much. With an aluminum airplane students could drill
holes, deburr and rivet. I'm not sure how easily mistakes in aluminum
can be repaired, say someone who dents the skin when riveting. How do
you fix a mistake on an aluminum skin, say someone drills some holes
wrong? Can they be filled?
Composite construction involves dangerous chemicals which
wouldn't bother me as I used to be in the chemical and fume rich
electroplating business, but you don't want students breaking out in
rashes. However, on a composite airplane there might be opportunity
for students to perform the labor intensive sanding, sanding and
sanding. So the basic 2 questions are 1) Which type of airplane
building method would provide the most opportunity for unskilled high
school students to learn and contribute to .......aluminum, tube and
fabric, composite or wood. 2) Based on your choice in #1 which
specific airplane then would be the best candidate to build?
Our high school is known as the East St. Louis "Flyers" being
influenced by a close proximity to St. Louis made famous by Charles
Lindbergh and the "Spirit of St. Louis Airplane."


Thanks,
Andrew