AirPigz "Project VP" Might Be More Than Just A Dream

 About two weeks ago I started thinking really hard about trying to find an extremely affordable way to wrap my body in some sort of genuine flying machine that I could call my own.  I haven't owned an airplane in almost 15 years, mostly driven by the general lack of funds that seems to follow me around like a lost pup.

 And then... this last year has been extremely hard on me financially, but it's also seen my love for aviation and flying become a pretty big flame once again (that's why AirPigz exists).

 So, now I've taken on the great challenge of trying to get the polar opposites of "not much money" and "a burning desire to fly" to drop their petty differences and just try to get along for a change!  I love research, so this challenge was a ton of fun.  I looked at a lot of possible airplane ideas, but one really surprised me and seemed to stand out above all the others.  The Volksplane. Leaning this way was helped out by my thought that I might be able to borrow an airworthy VW engine from a friend who just happens to have one he isn't using right now.  It's sure nice to have friends like that!

 My newfound interest in the Volksplane seems kinda funny to me cuz I used to sorta look down on this over-simplified, wooden-box airplane. But I've matured a lot in the last 10 years, and I've learned to respect any airplane that can safely bring the smile that comes from slipping the surly bonds!

 I set out to refine some details on the basic VP to make it a little more attractive.  My research had already shown me that the structure is fabulously designed to be extremely easy and affordable to build.  I also figured that some simple changes could probably make it look really cute too.  The drawing above shows what I came up with.

 I moved the engine up a few inches and gave the front end a little more of a "Cub" look.  The windshield now reaches all the way up to the firewall. The main gear legs are bungee, again more "Cub" like.  The wing is slightly changed and includes full-span ailerons.  The turtle deck is very simple but adds a little more style and the tailwheel is modernized.    Probably one of the best parts is the official AirPigz paint scheme that I think brings a lot of life to the overall look.  I'll have a full 3-view of the design soon, but here you can see that 'AirPigz.com' is in big orange letters across the entire bottom of the wing. And, the cloud pattern will cover the top of the wing.

 Right now I have a dream of building this "Project VP" fast enough to actually have it at Oshkosh 09 (I know. I'm crazy).  I'd also do a video blog of the work progress to help encourage everyone to know that there are easy and affordable ways to get a real airplane in your hands to get your feet off the ground!  Please stay tuned, I may be asking for your help along the way : )