David Paule retired after 30 years of structural analysis and is now building an RV-3B to keep from getting bored. The structural engineering included a mix of aircraft and spacecraft. He has been a private pilot since age 18 and currently owns and flies a Cessna 180.
Sage philosopher and aviation nut Uncle Ishmael explains how, for about the price of a 4-year-old Ford pickup truck, you can own a serviceable homebuilt aircraft. Youll probably have to forgo anything certified, and hone your scrounging skills, but when all is said and done, isn't getting up in the air flying better than sitting on the ground dreaming?
When it came to choosing a kit aircraft to build, columnist Amy Laboda and her husband opted for a metal design, in part because it would be resistant to destruction by lightning strike and also because fatigue is easier to detect in metal than it is in a composite plane. However, new nanotube technology, if integrated into composite construction material, could not only help identify wear problems, but also potentially heal them.