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Are we grumpy?
Several things are driving the pace of our progress. One is the fact that we really only build for 4 hours every week. It seems as though we're doing a lot in that time as we have many people working on many different parts and projects but we don't have a lot of long, sustained building periods. Our work is in 2 hour segments.
The next limiter is that we have inexperienced people doing the work. This is by design as our whole project is designed to teach skills to kids that don't have them yet. It's working, but speed isn't one of the goals, just a result.
Lastly, our limited budget has driven us to choose several methods of solving problems that require us to create our own solutions rather than purchasing an off-the-shelf system. The bubble doors are a case in point. Available for $455 plus shipping they seemed desirable but pricey. The mentors and students engineered a fixture and created our own doors for less total cost which also gave us the satisfaction of solving a problem and learning several new skills.
The engine mount is another example. Our reliance on a donated engine required a specific engine mount. We were given the choice of looking for a manufactured mount or making our own. We chose to design and construct our own, saving money and teaching ourselves and the students quite a bit in the process.
While our ultimate goal remains to take to the skies in aircraft that students have created, we are sending students out into the world with skills that they will have for a lifetime. We feel pretty good about that.
