China's DIY Aviators Take Flight

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."

What the west has missed

[Anonymous Coward]

When W was busy claiming that the west would move to an economy of IP, rather than actual manufacturing, he missed that the 2 work hand in hand. Basically, you need to be able to see how things are done to do the derivative work. Basically, America MUST bring back manufacturing to be able to grow again. America is becoming more and more like Russia; a has-been. Both because they have moved to depending on few incomes.

In the mean time, good luck to these ppl. Hopefully, one day, they will be free to actually enjoy their labor.

Re:What the west has missed

[vrmlguy]

Mod parent up! I've resisted the idea, but between this and China overtaking the U.S. as the world's biggest market for automobiles [google.com], I'm about convinced that America is not only in decline but is well down the slope. OTOH, it's still way better than Russia (I've been there) which is only barely surviving thanks to its vast resources being able to overcome frightening inefficiencies.

Re:What the west has missed

[smellsofbikes]

Dude. Nobody is missing anything. W and the other people who run businesses -- on all ends of the political spectrum -- know very well that outsourcing manufacturing is a bad idea for the country as a whole, but it's a good idea for *them* personally because it increases their profit margin. So they do it. Everyone ELSE knows very well that outsourcing manufacturing is a bad idea for the country as a whole and for them personally, but they can't do anything about it because they're not running companies, and if they did, they'd be outcompeted by the companies that outsource manufacturing.

I agree with your conclusion, that we're becoming a has-been, but I think your premises are entirely too charitable.

Cessnas

[zogger]

I have the privilege of being able to inspect a lot of cessnas (couple dozen or so) from fully complete up to date and functional to a hangar fulla parts, and every stage in between, including one crashed one where the bonehead decided to fly his groceries with him instead of buying them where he was going, and didn't estimate his weight correctly and didn't make it. He lived through it, but the plane is chunky style now spread out and he needed a lot of re-constructive surgery from what I hear. (old airport where I live, besides being a big farm, I maintain the grounds and fences and do the mowing, etc)

There has GOT to be a better way to build affordable airplanes. What that might be I don't know, but this old traditional way needs some serious rethinking. Those things are *ridiculous*, and absolutely no wonder why they are expensive and need a lot of reliability insurance, etc. They are made of one zillion tiny pieces of aluminum held together with 100 zillion rivets. Even the ones in good shape aren't capable of keeping their own doors shut if they aren't keylocked, I have to go around and reclose them all the time. I can't see how they keep from getting recalled, rube goldberg doesn't come close to what they are. It's no wonder they need massive inspections and certifications and insurance, etc. and cost so much.

I have no idea on the quality of other brands and makes, but if one were given to me I'd sell it pronto and look around some more.

Re:More than just China and aircraft

[countertrolling]

People will trade information on technologies, how-to information, plans, and parts to make sophisticated products in their home or workshop.

Yeah well, don't be so optimistic. You can bet there are certain groups [sfgate.com] who will always be out to nip that kind of thing at the bud.

Re:More than just China and aircraft

[HornWumpus]

Making things is more complicated then you give it credit.

Very much in general:

Before you machine a part you often start with a rough casting or billet.

After you machine a part you might heat treat and/or electroplate it, depending.

After that you might do a final grind or EDM (Electric Discharge Machining), depending.

Heat treatment, beyond the torch and quench, will never be anything other then hazardous and industrial. I wouldn't set up an arsenic salt bath at home, even if it were easy.

The same is true for electroplating, although I've seen that some intrepid individuals are playing/working at that.

Re:More than just China and aircraft

[EriktheGreen]

Again, It's true that some things cannot/will not be made at home, always.

You're wrong about heat treating, by the way. Plenty of folks out there have set up their own small foundries, and are casting aluminum and iron. Plenty of other folks (like me) have computer controlled kilns for case hardening.

I think if some complex process is a stumbling block to making a desired item, the designer will try to work around it... redesign a part so it doesn't need the complex process, or substitute a process that can be performed simply. If you post on certain engineering or DIY boards online with a challenge like "design a toaster that can be built with hand tools" you'll get 20-30 people giving it a shot.

I'm not saying that grandma is going to have a forging press in her living room. I'm saying that there will probably be a couple of people living in her town that build things, and then a couple more, until down the line the "best" stuff won't come from big factories, but from small shops. eg. look at the high end bicycle world... all the top of the line stuff is from tiny makers who specialize in a small list of items.

Re:More than just China and aircraft

[EriktheGreen]

True, but don't forget one of the more famous sayings of the internet age: "Information wants to be free." There's no better way to publicize the practice of at-home manufacturing than by having some large corporation whine about it :)