Hong Kong sees its first locally constructed aircraft circling the skies in a team effort between St. Paul’s Convent School and Cathay Pacific
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PUBLISHED : Sunday, 15 November, 2015, 1:10pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 15 November, 2015, 1:35pm
Pilot Hank Cheng Chor-hang spent roughly 12 minutes flying over Hong Kong in the first locally constructed aircraft. Image: Edward LK Wong
Hong Kong’s first ever homebuilt aircraft successfully took off at the airport this morning.
The two-seater propeller aircraft soared 900 metres into the cloudy skies at around 7:30 am, making two rounds in the air before descending 15 minutes later.
The HK$1.5 million plane, named B-KOO “Inspiration”, is the first aircraft constructed, registered and certified in Hong Kong.
Pilot Hank Cheng Chor-hang lands the first Hong-Kong made Rv8 B-KOO at Hong Kong International Airport. Image: Edward LK Wong
“The ‘Inspiration’ project has been a labour of love for a big group of people over the past seven years and I would like to thank everyone who helped to make my childhood dream become a reality,” said Cathay Pacific captain Hank Cheng Chor-hang who piloted its maiden flight.
Cheng bought the kit from Van’s Aircraft Inc, an American aircraft manufacturer, and built it from scratch along with 10 other team members and hundreds of secondary school students from St. Paul’s Convent School over the years.
Pilot Hank Cheng Chor-hang and engineer Gary Tat pose picture after took off the frist Rv8 “B-KOO” at Hong Kong International Airport. Image: Edward LK Wong
Pilot Hank Cheng Chor-hang takes off in the maiden flight of the Rv8 "B-KOO at Hong Kong International Airport. Image: Edward LK Wong
The team, consisting of engineers and technicians also from Cathay, was also in charge of all pre-flight testing and documenting its risk assessments, making sure it adhered to all operational standards.
Cheng had to train in the United States to fly the propeller plane, a completely different proposition to the Boeing 777 he usually pilots for Cathay.
The amateur-built aircraft, an RV-8, is 6.46 metres long with a wingspan of 7.38 metres, and has a top speed of 360km/h.
There are currently more than 9,000 similar RV models certified around the world.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1878993/and-away-hong-kongs-first-homebuilt-aircraft-has
