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China's DIY Aviators Take Flight

Posted by samzenpus on from the Icarus-lee dept.

ScuttleMonkey writes "China’s emerging aviator class is spreading its wings with a plethora of approaches, from the ramshackle to the sophisticated to the potentially revolutionary. They’re using everything imaginable, from old motorcycle engines to electric motors to even their own legs, like Mao Yiqing and his human-powered airplane. You could easily plot these adventurous innovators on a graph, with the X axis showing their skill and the Y axis their financial means."

5 of 113 comments (clear)

  1. Cessna manufacturing in China by yabos · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Cessna is now outsourcing manufacturing of the new SkyCatcher 162 to China. I wonder how long until a lot of the design is copied by the Chinese into the homebuilt market. We all know how they rapidly produce knockoff products of just about everything. Cessna is reportedly saving about $77,000 USD by manufacturing in China yet the SkyCatcher still costs >$100,000 USD to buy.

    1. Re:Cessna manufacturing in China by GooberToo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Cessna is reportedly saving about $77,000 USD by manufacturing in China yet the SkyCatcher still costs >$100,000 USD to buy.

      Half of every dollar spent on aviation in the US goes to cover liability. Also, Cessna, by far, has the largest markup of any of the light piston US manufacturers. From what I've read, the plane is targeting $111,000. If liability laws were brought into sane reason, that same aircraft could likely be had for something like $50,000. Yet one more reason to drown all the attorneys tomorrow. And if the FAA were revamped such that it more readily allowed free market competition, that price could likely be in the $30k range while at the same time making aviation safer for everyone; including commercial flights.

      If anyone has any doubt about the evils of attorneys, don't ever forget we all pay a premium price for all things aviation related and in exchange for doing so, we suffer a higher death and injury rate as a direct result. The sad thing is, this is the literal truth. If you doubt me, go learn the difference between the avionics allowed in experimentals versus certified aircraft and you'll understand both how much cheaper and better the experimental equipment generally is in almost every aspect.

  2. Some Chinese homemade aircraft videos by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STvpqWeZ158
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbwV-GWIZz8
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRo9UvzgJYM
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqa5nyk6hCk

  3. More than just China and aircraft by EriktheGreen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A huge trend in the near future (0-20 years) will be home and distributed engineering (inventing) and manufacturing. People will trade information on technologies, how-to information, plans, and parts to make sophisticated products in their home or workshop.

    This is not to say we're all going to get replicators or nanotech manufacturing like in "The Diamond Age" but the level of sophistication of home built products is going to go way, way up. From small appliances to tools to vehicles to weapons, it'll be possible to make a large number of items in places other than traditional factories, in small quantity and high quality.

    To see this sort of thing emerging, look at efforts like Reprap to make a self replicating 3d prototyping machine (which probably won't be 100% self replicating for a long time, but which is a great starting point for at-home applications of the technology) or home CNC machines like router tables and small CNC machine tools. You can buy a CNC milling machine capable of producing small parts eg. for firearms and small engines for less than $3000 with computer. Once these become widespread part libraries for them will be as available as clip-art. Want a new part for your bicycle? Download the pattern, place the raw material in the machine, and walk away.

    As quality items become harder to find in mass produced outlets, items made at home will take their place. Any item with a niche market will probably be made in these mini manufactoria... there won't be a profit any more in making small quantity items since there'll be tremendous competition from small manufacturers.

    No need to keep an inventory of obscure auto parts on hand (or to pay for storage space or sunk costs in the inventory). Just keep the pattern available and churn out parts as needed. Need a part you don't have a pattern for? Ask someone on the internet to measure their part and make a pattern from it, using the same CNC mill to automate the measurements.

    I like the trend myself... but can you imagine the fit the government will throw when it figures out it can no longer regulate eg. firearms because anyone with a CNC mill can turn one out in a day or two? I can see them at first trying to ban home manufacturing, trying to ban precursor items and materials, then trying to create an overarching government agency to police the whole thing.

    It'll be similar to recording companies figuring out they're no longer needed since anyone can distribute or purchase music on-line without their involvement.

    Likewise I can see large corporate manufacturers of some items begging for a government bail-out because no one wants to buy their mass produced crap any more. Why pay $100 for a cheap wal-mart bike when the CNC machine shop in the next town can produce one with 3x the quality for the same price? Why pay a computer store $35 for a plastic keyboard when you can get a solid brass one with better components made at home?

    Erik PS: For those of you that know what this means... we'll be able to evolve an STC pattern for common items :)

    1. Re:More than just China and aircraft by HeyLaughingBoy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The only people making firearms non-commercially in the USA are hobbyists. For everyone else, buying them at WalMart is easy enough.

      I have a benchtop milling machine and enjoy using it (would like to get a lathe soon). I understand where you're coming from, but just because the ability is there doesn't mean people will take advantage of it. Cheap manual mills and lathes have been available for a long time and the only ones buying them are retired machinists and hobbyists. The "average Joe" could care less. How many people even do woodwork as a hobby these days? And that stuff is readily available at Home Depot and much cheaper than precision metal tools.

      Make your own car parts? Sure if you have a DXF or other CAD file of the part... for free (you don't think the guy making the drawing for you wants to get paid? Dimensioning a part to tenths and then making a drawing takes time and experience)... and the correct alloy... and you can get it ground to the right finish... Not to mention that the stuff you can make at home tends not to be the stuff that breaks -- when was the last time you had to replace an axle stub? A seat bracket?

      It's a nice idea, but I'm not holding my breath.