Light Airplane Association Members To Build An Aircraft In Seven Days At LAA Rally

At EAA AirVenture 2014, a Zenith CH750 was built with the help of numerous volunteers during the week of the event. That airplane continues to be known as the ‘One Week Wonder,’ and now a similar event will take place in the UK with the building of a Sling 4 aircraft. According to Light Airplane Association (LAA) website, volunteers and representatives of the kit manufacturer, the Airplane Factory, are set to build an aircraft from a kit in seven days, before and during the LAA Rally at Sywell in Northamptonshire being held on September 2nd through the 4th.

The challenge, never set before in the UK, will see around a dozen volunteers embark on the build in the week before the event, with the aircraft being constructed in one of the marquees forming part of the Rally, which also marks the 70th Anniversary of Britain’s leading sport aviation association. It is hoped that the aircraft, which will be the first Sling to fly in the UK, will make its maiden flight on the final day of the show.

“We wanted to set a challenge that would help us mark the 70th anniversary of the organization in style” said LAA Chief Executive Steve Slater. “We were delighted to discover that Mike Dawson and the Sling team were likeminded, and the project grew from there”.

The Sling 4 aircraft is produced as a kit by the Airplane Factory at Eikenhof, near Johannesburg, South Africa and features riveted aluminum construction, with the kit’s pre-drilled panels aiding simple and rapid completion. The four-seat aircraft is powered by a turbocharged Rotax 914 engine and has a cruising speed of 138 mph.

Visitors to the Rally will be invited to drop in to view the build and also to try their hand at riveting some panels and helping with the final assembly. “It adds a new dimension to a ‘hands-on’ visitor experience” jokes Steve, “but it really proves a key LAA tenet, that anyone can build and fly their own personal aircraft.”

With a history extending over 70 years, the UK Light Aircraft Association promotes safe and economical operation of sports and recreational aircraft. Representing the aviation interests of over 7,000 recreational pilots, amateur builders, and enthusiast members, the LAA oversees the operation of more than 2,500 light aircraft and the construction or rebuilding of another 1,600 projects, while providing sector-leading consultation and advocacy in aviation-related regulatory matters both in UK and Europe.

(Image by Sling from file)

FMI: www.laa.uk.com