The Saga

It all started way back... Such a long, long time back. I was not yet a teenager when I decided that I wanted to build a plane. Equipped with a Swiss army knife (a prized possession at the time) and a sheet of plywood, I started to sculpt my creation. A neighbouring friend of mine, who was playing nearby, grew curious. He was always interested in weapons of all sorts, and my mighty blade clearly piqued his interest. He casually came over and asked me what I was doing. 

I enthusiastically shared my intentions with him. He thought deeply, and promptly suggested that I seriously rethink my piece of art. Clearly, I was doing it all wrong. I really needed to give the wings a more triangular shape. My plane would look so much more aerodynamic, he said. I will never forget the look on his face when I explained to him that no, I was not working on a wing quite yet. This rectangular sheet of plywood would soon become the left console panel and would host a myriad of buttons. Did I mean I was building a real aircraft? One I could sit in? Yes, yes, I did. Flabbergasted, he told me in no uncertain terms that I needed medical attention, before leaving me to my own devices. After that short but lively discussion, it did not take me long to stab myself with my prized Swiss army knife, run out of plywood, and subsequently favour shinier toys.

... Until one day, as a young adult, I finally had a little bit of money. I had amassed enough wealth to fly micro-lights. More importantly, I started building Mr Colomban's latest invention at the time. I bought the plans (#53) for an MC-30 Luciole, a more reasonable pile of plywood and a bench drill. I found new friends who shared my passion although, unsurprisingly, most around me still believed I was out of my mind. I started building nonetheless.