EAA KidVenture to Feature a New Project

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006 – March 2, 2006 – EAA KidVenture is known for its hands-on projects and this year will be no exception. Each year there is a new project for children to build that they can take home at the end of the day. In 2005, participants carved a foot-long, wooden propeller. In 2006, it is time to move to the wings. Or at least a miniature airplane wing. According to KidVenture Chairman Dan Majka, each project takes an hour to prepare. Volunteers will get 300 small aircraft wings ready so you can practice riveting skills. The first step of this two-part project is learning how to rivet by connecting two small aluminum rectangles with seven rivets. Once completed, you can jump into riveting your own wing. This is the same project used in the EAA SportAir Workshops where they teach riveting, with a few modifications. One hundred and twenty-eight rivets will be put into each wing – quite a task, and a great souvenir! The new activity is supported by Avery Tools of Fort Worth, Texas. Because of the amount of time needed to create the mini wing, Dan suggests arriving at KidVenture early. The KidVenture pavilion opens at 9 a.m. and closes at the start of the afternoon air show (about 3:30 p.m.) On Sunday the air show begins at 2 p.m. There will be six rivet stations, one for training and five for wing building. EAA Chapter members who have built metal airplanes will provide instruction and assistance as they work. One great part about the hands-on projects is that by the end of the day you often have the names of the world’s top air show performers and other aviation legends signed on them! Last year one ambitious youngster collected the autographs of EAA Founder and Chairman Paul Poberezny and the SpaceShipOne team of Burt Rutan, Mike Melvill, and Brian Binney. There will also be many traditional KidVenture events taking place. For example, the kite-flying event will be expanded this year with some examples of design and the rubber-powered airplanes will also be ready and waiting for assembly. Three hundred dedicated EAA volunteers keep KidVenture ruining smoothly. Along with the new "build-a-metal-wing" project, look for these and other activities under and around the big, white tent behind EAA AirVenture Museum's Eagle Hangar: "Fly" R/C (radio-controlled) flight simulators, plus take in daily electric-powered R/C flight demos in the south grass field. Control line flying. More than 2,000 people tried their hands at control-line flying last year. In 2006, the control-line area will also include a daily air show by adult control-line pilots performing competition level stunts for the crowd. The popular kite building and flying activity returns. Last year, nearly 1000 wooden propellers were carved, and then used to collect autographs from aviation legends. Hartzell Propeller will again sponsors this program. At the KidVenture Hero Stage, you can get up close and personal with aviation superstars, collect autographs, and have their photos taken with them. The FAA's popular, guided pre-flight inspection of the EAA Young Eagles RV-6A returns Aviation artist's booth. About 2,000 rockets will be built during the week. Learn how to work with tools at the Women's A&P booth Fly the Piper J-3 “Cub” link trainer NASA, part of whose mission is to educate, returns to KidVenture in 2006. EAA's all-jet fleet of pedal planes returns for toddlers Climb into one of six real airplane cockpits, from the C-47 to homebuilt aircraft. KidVenture is opens daily, Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m., and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.

You say you’ve never riveted before? You can learn how at this year’s EAA KidVenture Kites of all shapes and sizes will decorate the sky around the KidVenture tent One of the many hands-on activities at KidVenture is making rubber-powered airplanes. Don’t Miss the Fun! EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006 and EAA KidVenture July 24 – July 30, 2006 \Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh, Wis. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006

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