HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-02-13, Page 7It has to be right
John Storey places a clamp as Allan Storey watches Mark
Machan temporarily fasten part of the fuselage frame. The
whole operation is watched intently by Jack Seal, who is
providing the Venturers with the benefit of his experience,
and John Battye, hidden in the background. (David Blaney photo)
I•••111
Arv'emis MAPLE SYRUP CO 0 K HOOK
CH EESEMAK1NG
NA At) 1::t\.s'
MAPLE SYRUP
COOKBOOK
100 recipes for
breakfast, lunch and
dinner, everything
from Maple French
Toast to Maple
Pecan Pie. $16.95
BETTER BEER &
KM TO BREW IT
Curious about how to
make your own
beer? This book
helps you understand
the process, outlines
equipment needed
and provides recipes
for everything from
pale ale to stout.
$13.50
DEER PROOFING
YOUR YARD &
GARDEN
Tips on how to
recognize deer
damage, understand
deer behavior, select
plants deer don't like
and create deterrents.
$19.95
17,00AWAV/Wfiet
6.4o t•-•
131RUFEEDERS
SHVI 'YRS kBArtis
BIRDFEEDERS,
SHELTERS & BATHS
From works of art to
simple projects using
materials around the
house, this book
provides instructions
and ideas for everyone
from craftsmen to
children. $22.95
HOME SAUSAGE
MAKING
From information on
necessary equipment
to tips to recipes to
instructions on curing,
this book provides tips
on everything from
meat to poultry
sausages. $22.95
CHEESEMAKING
MADE EASY
Here's an intriguing, tasty
hobby. Instructions on the
safe way to make your
own cheese, equipment,
tips and 60 recipes for
everything from cheddar to
mozzarella. $22.95
PICKLES & REIISHES
150 RECIPES
PICKLES AND
RELISHES
150 recipes from apples
to zucchini with tips on
the principles of pickling
through choosing the
best ingredients to
storing, including freezer
pickles. $14.95
CIDER: MAKING, USING
& ENJOYING SWEET &
HARD CIDER
Steps for pressing,
processing and storing
cider as well as
fermenting hard cider.
Recommendations for
best varieties to use.
$22.95
too odd The Citizen f ee ,0.0.46 sweat
404 Queen St., Blyth 523-4792
541 Turnberry St., Brussels 887-9114
IVES
INSURANCE BROKERS LTD.
Visit us at:
WWWIVESINSURANCE.COM
"All Classes of Insurance"
DOUG GOUGH, Broker
184 Dinsley St. W., Blyth
Tel.: (519) 523-9655
Fax: (519) 523-9793
Start the spring season off right
with brand name clothing
from Tommy Hilfinger,
Guess, Osh Kosh
202 Josephine St.
Wingham, Ont.
357-3500 13R/411) t4PJAE cUTI-tit4G
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2002. PAGE 7.
Blyth Venturers build ultra-light airplane
By David Blaney
Citizen staff
It is not unusual for boys involved
in Scouts and Venturers to build
models. Some troops may even build
boats.
The 1st Blyth Venturers have gone
one step further and are building a
plane - an ultra-light ISON
THE EDITOR,
Blyth achieved the highest award
in Communities in Bloom,
nationally, 2001, for population
under 1,000 as the most beautiful
village in Canada. This is the highest
national achievement. We now have
invited Wingham to compete with us
for the Canadian Classic for 2002.
The Canadian Classic is a
competition where a national
champion can invite a community
which has never competed to join
them. Judges will arrive in
respective communities probably at
the end of July, to evaluate each
community. Marks are combined
and then you compete against other
municipalities across Canada in the
same categories.
For anyone not knowing what
Communities in Bloom is, it is a
miniMax 1100R, to be exact.
All this winter the boys, aged 13 to
17, have been meeting in the
workshop of their leader Mike Scott.
There, with the help of Jack Seal,
they are building their plane from
scratch.
For Seal this is the second
miniMax project. His original effort
had an enclosed cockpit. This time
non-profit organization aiming to
foster civic pride, acknowledge and
beautify communities in Canada.
The categories consist of tidiness,
effort, environmental awareness,
community involvement, heritage,
urban forestry, landscaped areas,
floral displays and turf and ground
areas.
Elayne Rintoul, Wingham, has
accepted the challenge as
chairperson of Wingham's
Communities in Bloom Committee.
Please get involved, it can only
better your community.
The motto is People, Plants and
Pride ... growing together.
Sincerely,
Bev Elliott, Chairperson
Blyth Blossoms Nationally in
2002.
around he suggested an open design
because he feels it is more
appropriate for the craft.
The miniMax has a wingspan of
25 feet and an overall length of 15
feet, 6 inches. It cruises at 55 mph.
When empty the plane weighs
only 237 pounds. Seal says that it is
capable of lifting more than that
much weight again, in the form of
pilot and fuel.
The plane is not very big but
building it from the ground up is a
long and exacting job. The framing
for the fuselage is drawn to scale on
the workbench and every piece must
be measured and checked several
times.
The wooden frame is cut from
Sitka spruce which was donated for
the project. A donation they were
lucky to get according to Scott, as
the material is expensive. The
internal bulkheads are made from
1/8th inch, aircraft grade plywood
another costly item at over $100 for
each 4x4 sheet.
The Venturers are also carving
their own propeller.. They have
devised and built a machine which is
eowing them to use a router to
exactly copy an existing propeller.
When the rough carving is done,
sanding will turn, what started as
three laminated maple boards, into a
finished prop.
The aircraft's skin is a
combination of 'door skins' and
Dacron fabric. The light wooden
'skins' help prevent damage to the
fabric in areas of heavy use. The
Dacron is glued to the frame and
then literally ironed so that it will
shrink tightly to the craft.
One piece of the plane that the
troop decided not to build was the
engine. It is possible to do it, but
according to Scott it would require a
lot more in the way of machining
equipment than the troop has access
too.
The problem is easy to understand
when you realize the engine to he
used is actually half a Volkswagon
engine.
The project has served to do more
than hone the boys' construction
skills according to Scott. "We have
had some informal ground schools,"
he said, "They have learned about
aerodynamics' and other things."
They have also had a chance to
tour places like Sky Harbour
Refinishing in Goderich. There they
were able to see a WW II Mustang
fighter being refurbished to its
original condition.
The Venturers hope to see their
creation in the air this summer.
Letter to the editor