Teamwork
EAA staff builds an airplane
BY DANA HEIMOS, EAA 834980
NOVEMBER 28, 2010, saw the realization of an eight-year dream at
Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh as a new airplane, N208GD,
taxied out to Runway 22 and took to the sky for the first time. The
AeroVee-powered Sonex is the result of an idea hatched in 2002
that several staff members working at EAA should come together to
build an airplane.
Members of the Oshkosh Aircraft Builders Club Ltd. ranged from
men and women who had absolutely no homebuilding experience to
a couple of seasoned builders. Work was shared by many hands, and
during the long, often interrupted construction period, the group
experienced many of the same challenges as other builders do with
their projects.
“We started this project as a way for staff to get some building
experience regardless of what kind of work they did for EAA,” said
Charlie Becker, EAA director of member
programs, who was with the project from
start to finish. “We had administrative
assistants, IT staff, graphic artists, and
even a research analyst involved for part of
the construction.”
The club obtained the plans and
materials on its own, with each member
chipping in money and tools. However, EAA
did offer the use of some facilities. The
project began in the former restoration shop
inside the EAA AirVenture Museum and
later moved to the Air Academy workshop,
then to one of the hangars at Pioneer
Airport, making steady progress along the
way. The tail section was completed, then
the wings, followed by the fuselage. Final
work was completed at a hangar belonging
to Sonex Aircraft.
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