The Airplane Saga, Part 2: Some Assembly Required

Chip was not immediately forthcoming with the lawnmower engine, but as I understood that such delicate equipment surgeries must not be rushed, I pressed on with my construction of the aircraft without hesitation or doubt.  As it happens, an airplane isn't as difficult to build as one might imagine.

I kept it simple.  The fuselage came together quite nicely, and in about half an hour.  It consisted of four long 1x10s, nailed together into a long hollow box.  I cut pieces to fit into the holes in the front and the back, and drilled a hole in the front piece so the drive shaft from the lawnmower engine could fit through.  That's where I would attach the propeller.

Across the top, near the middle, I nailed another 1x10 which became the wings.  My fixed-wing aircraft was nearly complete.  Last, I nailed a smaller board across the back end, and stepped back.  I pushed my giant, plastic, tape-wadded glasses higher up on my nose, brushed the sawdust out of my bowl-cut and stood proudly surveying my handiwork.

It looked vaguely like an airplane, and I was overjoyed with how well it had turned out.  Here's an artists conception, and by that I mean here's a picture I just made in MS Paint.

Having done it once and since hindsight is 20/20, I feel I can safely point out a few mistakes which, should I build it again, I might consider re-thinking.  I made no measurements whatsoever.  In almost contemptuous disregard for Boyle's law, I didn't even bother to bevel the edges of the wing.  I didn't take into account that the craft would need a fuel tank of some sort, and I didn't leave enough room for the lawnmower engine.  I didn't add a rear vertical stabilizer, or rudder of any kind.  Also it had no landing gear, and no seats.  That's about it for mistakes, actually.

Not too bad. 

The propeller was a little more challenging.  I shaped it easily enough, but the hole in the middle was round and kept slipping on the test drive-shaft I'd whipped up.  A round peg in a round hole.  I whittled several iterations, tried wedging in bits of tree bark, bike tire rubber, wood shavings and everything else I could find  before my dad came to my rescue and suggested I file a square hole and a square peg.  That solved everything.  My finished propeller was about eight inches across.  Plenty. 

So far Chips contributions had been fairly minimal, but I was convinced that in a day or two we'd be doing loops and barrel rolls around the property.  My folks asked me to take a camera up with me to get some pictures of the house, and I happily agreed.  They had no idea the depth of my conviction to actually follow through on the project and make the thing fly.  


Previous:  Part I
Next:  Part III