I recently had the good fortune to visit the EAA ( experimental aircraft association ) museum in Oshkosh,Wisconsin USA. If you have not been and can ever find an excuse do try to go, it is superb.
It is about 2-3 hours drive from Chicago O'Hare airport and is built alongside the Oshkosh regional aiport which each year repalces O'Hare as the worls's busiest airport when it hosts 8,000 planes to the EAA show.
The Museum is 20 years old but looks brand new it is so well cared for. There are a vast range of experimental aircraft on show plus a big WW2 exhibit and a 1930's airport. Understandably there is a lot about Burt Rutan and a replica of the Voyager fuselage which makes one wonder how two people could live in it for 9 days let alone fly the thing.
The WW2 area includes some nice radial engine exhibits, complete and stripped down. What struck me was that all the Aeroquip oil/water lines and mil spec electrical connectors we play with today were all sitting there on the radial engines in 1944. BTW at the Wilow Run factory they could fit all four engines in 15 minutes!
The display storyboards are very good and one contains a nice story about Burt Rutan. At age 9 he wanted to build a plane model so his mum took him to the hobby store and showed him the kits . He said no , I don't want a model kit I want wood and things to make my own from scratch.
Full Version: OT but I was impressed
QUOTE (mariner @ Sep 13 2009, 11:04) 
The display storyboards are very good and one contains a nice story about Burt Rutan. At age 9 he wanted to build a plane model so his mum took him to the hobby store and showed him the kits . He said no , I don't want a model kit I want wood and things to make my own from scratch.
Oshkosh - sounds wonderful, I'd love to see it. Paul Morgan used to go regularly, once Ilmor Eng. was up on it's feet.
My main interest was scale aeromodelling, but I and others used to design and build, choosing aerfoil sections, deciding on dihedral and aspect ratio, choosing balsa...saving up for the new AM 15 engine! Happy days, but none of us ended up like Burt Rutan, not many do.
QUOTE (mariner @ Sep 13 2009, 18:04)
The display storyboards are very good and one contains a nice story about Burt Rutan. At age 9 he wanted to build a plane model so his mum took him to the hobby store and showed him the kits . He said no , I don't want a model kit I want wood and things to make my own from scratch.
In the same weekend when I was about 11 or 12 I made a 'hang glider' out of some light wood and lightweight sail material and I repaired a lawnmower for Dad's friend even 'hotting' it up a bit along the way.
Running as fast as I could I jumped off the end of our garage slab (about 2 meters high) with the glider and not even a hint of lift/flying but not only did the lawnmower run well the Guy was amazed at how much stronger it cut.
My future was set!
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