Project Schoolflight Update

Volume 7, March 15, 2000

 Getting closer !!

Here we are in our third year of this amazing project. What have we accomplished? We have a fuselage on the gear, an empanage mounted, controls installed, and wings well under way. The astounding thing about this project is that almost every part and piece of it has been fabricated by 12 to 15 year old Junior High School students. We have purchased an engine mount, two nose gear pieces, fiberglass wingtips, and wheel/brake units. That's it. Everything else, every body panel, spar, flange, rib, and fitting has gone from raw aluminum to flying machine in the school shop.

Students set practice rivets in preparation for wing assembly

To date:

With 2 1/2 years of effort behind us, sometimes we wonder if we will ever get off the ground. We're at the '90% done and 90% to go' stage. People will come into the shop and say, "It looks the same??" without realizing how much effort goes into the fitting of each subassembly to the airframe. We resist the urge to hurry, pointing to the banner above the back bench: The laws of aerodynamics are unforgiving and the ground is hard.

So far we have a fuselage that is almost ready to sit in, controls that are being connected, brakes ready to install, wings being skinned, and the last parts are being fabricated.

What remains to be done?

  • Connect stick/rudder
  • Skin starboard wing
  • Install rudder pedals and brakes
  • Construct slats and flaperons
  • Construct cowling and windscreen
  • Fit struts
  • Install engine and instruments
  • Paint
  • Test
  • Fly

A student grinds the cowling to fit under the tutelage of Mr. Eskridge

Changing the organization . . .

The most intriguing thing to happen is the change of ownership and sponsorship of the aircraft. Until now, Mr. Steed has purchased all of the raw materials with the understanding that the finished airplane would be his when it was completed. This arrangement was necessary as the school district did not want to own any part of it to avoid, as much as possible, liability problems. We realized, though, that if we wanted to form partnerships with industry, schools, and some individuals, we needed to change the program to a publicly owned and directed one.

In November we formed a Washington State non-profit corporation. We have applied for I.R.S. recognition of our non-profit status under section 501(c)3 and been notified of approval. Mr. Steed will donate his interest in the aircraft to the corporation and we will begin the next phase of the project. Our new corporation is called Flight Line Northwest.

The fascinating part of a community owned project is that we have been able to approach and establish relationships with members of the aviation industry. We are making a mock-up of our cockpit and will travel south to Scapoose, Oregon where several of our students will participate in the design and fabrication of seats at Oregon Aero. The students will see the industrial process first hand and Oregon Aero will develop templates for the CH-701 which they will use later. It is a partnership which benefits both parties. We have also been offered an aircraft parachute by BRS, Inc. When installed it would allow the gentle descent of the aircraft should anything untoward happen. We hope that contacts such as this will introduce students to the industrial and aviation sectors, and perhaps spark interests which will lead to vocations later in life.

Students constuct cabin mock-up in preparation for seat fabrication at Oregon Aero

What happens now ??

Our next efforts will be in several phases.

  • First, we will finish our CH-701, test, and fly it.
  • Second, we will begin a Zenithair CH-601. We have the plans and license to build it and several parts are already fabricated.
  • Third, we plan to fly the 701 to Oshkosh during the summer of 2001. We intend to fly to and touch down in 48 states on the way, and document every leg of the trip on the web as it happens.
  • Finally, we have grand plans patterned after a program in Montery, California. We would like to construct a community aviation center. With a hangar to house our flying aircraft, a shop to construct others, a classroom, and an office, the center would prepare secondary students for jobs in local industry and aviation, or simply lifetimes of competence and self-sufficiency.
    If you have made it this far and would like to contact us, please send an email to Mr. Steed or Mr. Smith. We would love to hear from you.

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