The Chapter has a build area in the Essex Skypark Community Hangar. The build area has a large 4'x16' flat building table as well as various building tools such as an industrial grade drill press, 46 inch shear/break, bands saws, sanders and a well stocked of hand tool bin.
We currently have the following build projects in progress:
- Affordaplane (Aplane): The Chapter has already team built an Aplane which has been relocated to Shoestring Airport (0P2), PA and awaits covering of the control surfaces before the first flight. Another member of our Chapter was impressed with the build project and final product and decided to build his own Aplane. The Aplane is a plans scratch build airplane that can be built as an ultralight or a light sport aircraft.
- The Chapter was recently donated a Sonex Fuselage Kit. The previous owner completed about 85% of the fuselage. One of our members decided to purchase the kit and has contacted Sonex and is waiting for a set of plans with the newly assigned serial number to show up before beginning to purchase a wing kit, engine (a Rotax 912ULS is planned) and instrument panel development.
- The Chapter was donated a salvaged RV12 cockpit. A volunteer team has stripped the engine and instrument panel from the salvaged fuselage and returned those items to the donor. Over the past few months the surface damage of the fuselage has been repaired and primer applied waiting for final paint to be applied. The fuselage will then be converted into a flight simulator to supplement the other flight simulators currently being used in the STEM flight simulation program.
- A commercial Peddle Airplane kit and plans were purchased. The kit has been used as a template to fabricate four peddle planes (2 P51 Mustangs, 1 Vintage Biplane and 1 F4U Corsair). The peddle planes will be used at the various community outreach programs that are held at the Essex Skypark during the year.
