Which airplane for teenagers to build????

On Tue, 01 May 2007 15:37:05 -0500, Big John wrote:

Also a number of years ago (may still be there?),there was a program
in Seattle that used inner city youths under a A & E to build 49.9% of
your airplane. You bought the material and did 50.1% of work. Boeing
helped support the program and hired some of the individuals after
they learned some airplane skills I was told. Possible some of our
Seattle types might comment on this program and have a contact you
could contact for info on it and how they got around the liability?

Sounds like Opportunity Skyways...EAA Chapter 26 meets in their shop at Boeing
Field. However, I don't think they build flying airplanes anymore. They take a
school year to assemble a Zenair or RANS, then it gets disassembled and the next
year's class does it again.

Ron Wanttaja

Don't the rivet holes get a little oversized?

Jim




"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
...

Sounds like Opportunity Skyways...EAA Chapter 26 meets in their shop at
Boeing
Field. However, I don't think they build flying airplanes anymore. They
take a
school year to assemble a Zenair or RANS, then it gets disassembled and
the next
year's class does it again.

Ron Wanttaja

On Tue, 1 May 2007 22:40:41 -0700, "RST Engineering"
wrote:

"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
...

Sounds like Opportunity Skyways...EAA Chapter 26 meets in their shop at
Boeing
Field. However, I don't think they build flying airplanes anymore. They
take a
school year to assemble a Zenair or RANS, then it gets disassembled and
the next
year's class does it again.

Don't the rivet holes get a little oversized?

Probably. I suspect they buy replacements on occasion. They might even get
aluminum from Boeing Surplus for skins, or even have the kids build parts using
the old ones as patterns. They've got ~2 Zenith CH601-class and one CH-701, and
one RANS S-7 class. One of the 601s is promotional and not disassembled (it's
painted up like the Blue Angels, with "1/2" on the tail).

IIRC, the *first* airplane built by Opportunity Skyways did make one flight,
with our Chapter's Tech Counselor at the controls.

Ron Wanttaja

Andrew

FYI

Received the following e-mail from my SIL who was a home builder in
Seattle and very active at Arlington for many years. Hope this helps
you.

I looked on Google and didn't find the school project???? Possibly
someone on this group from Seattle can give info how to contact the
powers that be for this Seattle program who you can contact and get
their experience for your use?

Quote

You wrote:

Ask Robert. Wasn't there a program in Seattle that took inner city
youths and under a A & E had them build an airplane. You could buy the
material and do 50.1 % yourself and they would do the rest and you
ended up with a bird.
Believe Boeing had some interest and hired some of the people after
they had proven themselves building???

Robert says yes. The program itself was called "Project Schoolfly" or
something like that. Try Google.

You wrote:
A guy on a news group is talking about having some HS students build a
bird but last time I heard of that type of program the school wouldn't
let bird fly due to liability?

Also correct. The students don't get to fly. After building, they tear
it apart & the parts are used to build another plane the following
year.

Unquote
************************************************** **


On 24 Apr 2007 17:08:13 -0700, Andrew wrote:

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