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Update on this story:
The flight simulator will be at the Butterfly Festival on
Sunday only.
Young aviators will be given an introductory lesson in
aerodynamics and
airplane control systems at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival. On Sunday, May 2nd the Experimental Aircraft Association will have
their flight simulator at the the festival. The simulator will provide an
opportunity for future aviators to better understand what is going to happen
even before they take their first lesson. Rather than give the potential
pilots just a lecture about flying the Experimental Aircraft Association
decided to create an interactive flight simulator that would allow each
student to closely experience what real flying is like while safely on the
ground. The EAA also wanted to provide some fun for those younger than 8
years, which is the limit for young eagle pilots. Built in the summer of
2008 the flight simulator was initially a static model with working control
surfaces and a computer based Microsoft Flight Simulator program. It was a
big hit at the 2008 Mariposa Airport Open House. It also took first in
category at the Christmas Parade that year. Inspired by that success, the
team added pitch and roll motion that is coordinated with the control inputs
of the pilot. The motion of the airplane adds a lot to the excitement and it
was an even bigger hit at the 2009 open house and garnered the first place
overall trophy at last year's Christmas parade.
Although primarily intended to introduce children to the wonders of flight,
the small airplane the EAA built is large enough for a 6 foot 250 pound
adult to fit into, thanks to a sliding seat donated by Ponderosa Auto
Wrecking. It is built with a combination of store bought and surplus
hardware and materials the team scrounged and modified to do the job. Troy
Foster donated some of the nuts and bolts used in the construction. The
fuselage is wood and built by Greg Bean and Rob Binder. The wings were built
by Tim Wennberg who also made much of the motion system. Compressed air is
used to power air cylinders with switches and solenoid valves for controls.
A pendulum and three switches are used to hold the airplane level, no matter
what the weight of the pilot. Air pressure can be adjusted to change the
ride from mild to wild. The Mariposa flight simulator has become known
outside the county and for the second year we are taking it to Merced
Airport for their Young Eagles Day event in May.
At times during the construction process of the simulator, some things did
not go smoothly and it took more time than the creators thought it would.
Seeing the faces of the kids while they fly on an imaginary trip makes it
all worthwhile.
About the Crew
Greg bean is a master craftsman who worked at CKC Laboratories for much of
his career, building exotic test equipment for Electromagnetic Interference
testing. He is a perfectionist in everything he does, whether working in
wood, fiberglass, plastic or metal. Greg flies a classic Cessna 170 and has
plans to build a mostly wood airplane someday, powered by a model A Ford
engine.
Rob Binder is a retired Chemist who worked in the semiconductor industry in
the Bay Area. He is currently building a fiberglass and foam experimental
airplane called a Long Eze, designed by famous aviation innovator Burt
Rutan. When not playing bridge, he is very active in the Mariposa EAA and
the "save the terminal" effort. His attention to detail allowed the airport
budget to finally be unraveled for all to see.
Tim Wennberg is a Electromechanical Designer who spent much of his career
designing biotechnology instruments, motion and laser systems . He is one of
the inventors of PCR technology, which won the Nobel Prize for chemistry. He
flies an experimental aerobatic CAP10 airplane and runs the volunteer
program that operates the airport terminal.
For more information about the Mariposa
Butterfly Festival go to:
MariposaButterflyFestival.org
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