:thumb_up:thumb_down:thumb_up:The Wallaby Kit Challenge
What does a handful of people, a truck load of aircraft pieces and the Easter long weekend all have in common? Hmmmmm not sure?
Well if you guessed a weekend of NATFLY fun, you’d be right!
Ok, it started out with a few pilots chatting away on the recreation flying forum run by Ian Baker. The topic of discussion was about the new Temora venue for NATFLY and how NATFLY could enhance its reputation as Australia’s leading Light Aircraft fly in and what new ideas could emerge to bolster this new venue.
Then someone mentioned the idea about demonstrating the skills of some aircraft construction, and how good this would be to those attending NATFLY.
Now we’ve probably all been to a fly in where someone demonstrated how to rivet a rudder or elaborated on the skills of tuning your propeller, but how good would it be if a whole aircraft could be built? But that’s impossible isn’t it?
At the time I didn’t mention it to the others on the forum but I knew of a kit that was sitting in a shed that just might fit this bill! Not only that, I knew the bloke who owned it and if he couldn’t oblige, I’d make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
The next day I rang Caz from Fly Synthesis, “Hey Caz, do you still have that Wallaby kit in your shed”? “Ummmm yes why do you ask Neil”? “Well I need to borrow it for a few days”!
Now Caz is a pretty easy going bloke so it wasn’t too hard to convince him this was a good idea, besides he sold me a plane a few years back and we’ve been mates ever since.
A few more phone calls and here we are, our plan is for Fly Synthesis to supply all the bits we need and the rotax 503 engine from our friends at Bert Floods and that should be it!
Oh yes did I mention we need builders? Well, we are looking for volunteer builders - preferably with some building experience - to see if the Wallaby can be built over the 4-day weekend.
We already have the Temora Aviation Restoration Hangar at Temora dedicated to this inaugural challenge and all the tools will be supplied by Fly Synthesis for this job. So far we have 4 dedicated builders but we would like to involve as many as people as practical so that the experience can be shared and enjoyed of course.
Our plan is to have between 4-5 people working on the kit at any one time with a shift change after 4 hours or when ever someone wants to have a break.
Commencement of the construction is to start on Thursday morning and with a bit of luck completion by Easter Sunday.
Now Fly Synthesis Italy say the Wallaby can be built in 180 hours plus the extra time for Instruments and engine fit out. But we think we can do it better, well at least that’s the challenge, after all isn’t the Wallaby an Aussie!
The Hangar will open each day and viewing by the public encouraged.
I wish to acknowledge the support of Fly Synthesis Australia, Bert Flood Imports, Ian Baker from the forum, Boyd May for Technical advice, Carol Richards from RA-Aus for helping to organize the Museum restoration hangar at Temora and Steve Bell for offering his Technical and airworthy knowledge throughout the weekend.
If you’re interested in participating in the construction of this kit please contact Caz from Fly Synthesis on admin@flysynthesis.com.au or you can call myself Neil Bradley on 0419 202 665 to express your interest.