tiggerinmk

Just saw this program last night on Discovery Wings.

It just goes to show how much like R/C planes full size homebuilt planes are.

Last night's program dealt with attaching the horizontal stabilizer to the fuselage.

The entire stabilizer on the plane is movable and is attached via a torque rod through the fuselage. An aliminium pushrod connects from the torque rod to the control yoke in the cockpit. As the torque rod is not connected to the centre of the stabilizer, a balance arm is used with weights to ensure that the whole stabilizer balances at neutral.

The trim tabs are controlled by a servo which is operated by a rocker switch in the cockpit with an LED display to show the servo position.

I'm going to try to remember to watch the progress on this, can't wait to see how many rubber bands they'll need to hold the wings on!

exocet-RCU

My Feedback: (1)

I've become addicted to that show. Too bad I have neither the money nor the space to build one. I wish they put that out on video(this is the second time around for the show, by the way). Then I could see it anytime. It is truly amazing how similar the building process is to what we do in R/C. Glassing wings, hooking up controls, installing motors - very similar indeed. Only difference is if you crash this one, you're probably going to be in it at the time. Better not make any building mistakes!

Tim

Dennismate

It is available on a 2 video boxed set, I have a copy, but being a UK show it is in the PAL format not NTSC. The video concentrates on the construction of the plane and the flying lessons are deleted, however it's worth every penny IMHO.

Stuart

beardking

My Feedback: (4)

Just so you guys know, they have another show on the same channel called "A Chopper is Born" (creative bunch, aren't they). It has the same guy building a helicoptor from a kit that is manufactured here in the US. They play the two back to back here in my area. Unfortunately, they play them at about 11:00 at night on Sunday, so I have a tendency to miss at least one of them since I have to be at work on Monday mornings.

Vulturetec

Just FYI the presenter of the program (Mark Evans) does a lot of TV work. Before "A Plane Is Born" they built a Cobra Kit Car in "A Car is Born". After "A Plane Is Born" they rebuilt a Jaguar Series-1 E-Type roadster in "A Car is Reborn" -- then built the Rotorway Exec 162 helicopter in "A Chopper is Born", all were pretty fun programs to watch, they even had R/C choppers once or twice in the helicopter series

Perminator-RCU

He must be insane, that brit. I wonder what he is going to build next. A submarine, maybe?

stick

My Feedback: (14)

They could call that one " A Leak is Born".
I what the show also. If I could convince my wife it was just a big model I wonder if she would let me have one?

Dennismate

Not that insane, after all he managed to get a TV production company to sponsor the project, he even got a private pilots license into the deal. Imagine that, building your own plane and learning to fly at someone else's expense and getting paid for it, I can't believe it gets much better than that.

robert

www.aplaneisborn.com

He has built a car, a racing car, a plane, a heli, restored a car and more in the 'is born' series.
I have the video box set for the plane is born here, excellent!
The plane is a Europa.

LMProd

If you are interested in full size kit planes and building. Then check out the EAA organization. www.eaa.org

They have some tapes and shows on building an RV4 .

There was an article about two brothers that built a Pitts. They purchased the wing and built it over a summer. Then the tail and so forth until they had a plane.

I have been working on developing a few shows about aviation. It's interesting that a Plane is Born holds viewers interest. His personality does keep the show moving.

FormerCA.

My Feedback: (8)

I would say that that plane represents the "higher" end of kitbuilt aircraft. $40K plus and thats sans avionics and paint!

My wife gives me that "look" every time she comes in while i'm watching discovery wings

If you guys REALLY want to check out the kitbuilts-go to sun & fun in lakeland FL. (also home to the U.S. istributor of Europa). They'll even let you fly them if you dont mind waiting in LINE!