I've loved aviation for as long as I can remember, but I've been flying model airplanes since 2019 when I built my first scratch-built model. It was made out of cardboard bits and barbecue skewers with cheap electronics and a small brushless motor. Needless to say, it didn't look like much, but it flew.
Since then, I've made well over 200 models out of mostly the same materials, but I've learned many new skills along the way such as how to start, tune, and service nitro and gas engines, 3D printing, and how to combine all those things into a flying machine. I also love building unconventional concepts such as the Rogallo wing, and experimenting with different control methods like flaps, slats, flying tails, etc.
One of my favorite projects that I've worked on is the third out of three "Chainsaw Planes" I've made. It consisted of a 6-foot-long foam fuselage with a large foam board tail and large foam wings hot wired into an airfoil shape with a length of 8 feet. Powering all of this was a 28cc four-stroke STIHL weed-eater engine modified to take a 15-inch propeller. The plane flew great. It was relatively slow, docile, and easy to fly, and it sounded great too.
In the coming months, I'll be attending the University of Alabama in Huntsville majoring in aerospace engineering, all thanks to the love of aviation this hobby has instilled in me. With the generous support of the donors of the Charles H. Grant Scholarship, I'll have to worry less about finances, and more about designing and building airplanes.
