4 ms·
Not sure it's fair to call a $120K - $140K† kit (not including the cost of having the engine and avionics professionally installed) "homemade", but still an imp
by anonoholic 7y ago
Not sure it's fair to call a $120K - $140K† kit (not including the cost of having the engine and avionics professionally installed) "homemade", but still an impressive flying achievement for the 17 year old pilots.
† https://www.airplanefactory.com/aircraft/sling-4-kit/ https://www.airplanefactory.com/aircraft/sling-4-kit/
- not_a_cop75 7y agoI'm glad he's able to fly a plane but at this point it really feels like we're cheering on the mid upper class for their accomplishments. I want to see some kid from the slums build a real plane from spare junk yard parts. That would be much more impressive to me.
- newyankee 7y agothere was a story like that from India somewhere, but can't find it now
- stronglikedan 7y ago> but at this point it really feels like we're cheering on the mid upper class for their accomplishments. We are, and there's nothing wrong with that.
- ohaideredevs 7y agoThere is - the kid's parents having money is not his/her accomplishment.
- thaumasiotes 7y agoAnd we aren't cheering them for buying the kit. Assembling it successfully is significant.
- stronglikedan 7y agoMoney doesn't build a plane.
- taneq 7y agoIf I could buy my kid an aeroplane I'd feel pretty damn accomplished tyvm.
- burfog 7y agoI was still really impressed by the 12,000km (7,455 mile) trip... until I saw they made 6 stops. Getting that distance in a little plane would be impressive. Somebody even went around the world, so it can be done. One ends up flying a wing-shaped carbon-fiber fuel tank.
- stagger87 7y agoBuild time is approximately 1300 hours. Even if it is a kit, that is really impressive.
- taneq 7y agoI had the same thought, but if the team of 20 all pitched in equally that's only $7k each. Still not pocket money but it's much more attainable that way. If they got a grant then it could have been even less.