Homemade jet

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By Phillip Torrone
Posted 2006/04/19 @ 10:09 am
Category Art & Design, Energy

Australia’s Bayside Bulletin has a story about a fellow who built his own jet – “MT Cotton’s John Gross has flown into the history books in his homemade jet plane. After seven years building the three-quarter-scale Grumann Panther in his backyard shed, John took to the skies this month at the Kingaroy Aerodrome. It is Australia’s first home-build jet and the first light jet plane built by an individual in the world. “ [via] – Link.

Hopefully we can get a hold of him and cook up a how to for MAKE.

BY Phillip Torrone

Editor at large - Make magazine. Creative director - Adafruit Industries, contributing editor - Popular Science. Previously: Founded - Hack-a-Day, how-to editor - Engadget, Director of product development - Fallon Worldwide, Technology Director - Braincraft.

In the Maker Shed

7 Responses to Homemade jet

Kneeslider on April 19th, 2006 at 4:07 am said:

The first in the world? What about the BD5-J, the small jet built from Jim Bede’s plans years ago? It’s the little jet used in an early James Bond (Roger Moore?) movie shown flying through an airplane hanger. There was also an early jet built by a fellow, somewhere around Seattle if I remember correctly, the engine was mounted above the fuselage and the plane had the long wing configuration that looked something like a mini U2.

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- Derek Beath on March 1st, 2013 at 1:44 pm said:
  
  With no aeronautical training whatsoever, using a sketch pad, pencil, ruler and Kmart calculator, no outside advice or assistance with a support team, he designed and built this plane by himself, including blowing the canopy etc, etc, and modifying the GET58 engine, fantastic effort for an electrician by trade.
  
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JoeyBob on April 19th, 2006 at 2:27 pm said:

I am with Kneeslider, the BD5-J was around years ago.
My brother saw the thing at an airshow, and got to check out the plane in person.
He is a pilot and A&P mechanic, and was impressed at how tiny the thing was/is.

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A.W. on April 20th, 2006 at 7:42 am said:

Ah, thankfully someone else has remembered the BD5-J. Looks like Bede is back in business under the name BedeCorp for those interested in making their own.

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A.W. on April 20th, 2006 at 7:47 am said:

Ah, thankfully someone else has remembered the BD5-J. Looks like Bede is back in business under the name BedeCorp for those interested in making their own.

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Dan_Kok on April 20th, 2006 at 2:30 pm said:

There’s also the Jet Cri Cri:
http://www.amtjets.com/gallery_real_plain.html
though I thnk the BD5-J predates that.

First? No. Third, at best.

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Petestrash on April 23rd, 2006 at 7:39 am said:

It’s certainly not the first home built jet to fly.

But it may the first designed and built by someone without any aeronutical qualifications, A true homebuilder.

Anyway there’s more info here for those interested.
http://www.saaa.com/chapter/fifteen/current_month/Newsletter.htm

Peter

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