Father and Son build Votec 322
Small Garage serves as a Workshop
From Zeitlupe online Magazine
https://zeitlupe.ch/artikel/allein-schafft-man-ein-solches-projekt-nicht/
Eduard Fischer, 69 years old and his 37-year-old son Roman Fischer from Udligenswil in Lucerne have been building their own aircraft for six years. They utilized the family garage for most of the assembly, pushing it out on nice days when space to work effectively became an issue.
Interview: Fabian Rottmeier, Photos: Monique Wittwer
(Translated with Microsoft Edge)
Building an airplane sounds a bit crazy. How did you come up with this special idea?
Roman Fischer: We built our first planes for the Red Bull Flight Days, where daredevils plunge into the water from six meters with a halfway flying object.
Eduard Fischer: I have always helped with the construction. We took part in the competition three times, and our planes became more and more ambitious.
Roman: The third had a wingspan of 10 meters. We flew 42 meters with it, landed gently – and won. The first prize was a voucher with which I could obtain the certification as a private pilot.
This laid the foundation for the project.
Roman: Exactly, and now we wanted to build something that would last longer than one flight – hopefully. (laughs) Later, as an employee of Pilatus Flugzeugwerke, I completed my training as an aircraft technician while working. My whole life is focused on flying.
Eduard: When he said he was building a real plane, I assured him of my help. Provided that the box has two seats.
Are you fulfilling a long-cherished dream?
Roman: Absolutely. It all started in my childhood, when my father was often out and about with his model airplanes and took my brother and me with him. I've been fascinated by airplanes for as long as I can remember.
Eduard: I was a member of the Rigi model aircraft group. My self-built aircraft became more and more technically sophisticated.
What kind of aircraft are you building now?
Roman: We are building a sporty aircraft, a "Votec 322", with which I would like to take part in flying competitions one day. It is a composite aircraft that consists largely of carbon fibers. It was developed by Max Vogelsang, a respected Aargau designer. He taught us the necessary knowledge every Saturday in Wohlen for five years. We source the molds and materials from him, but we have to make almost everything ourselves – even the smallest individual parts.
Eduard: There is a lot to consider! When cutting, for example, even the fibers must be correctly aligned!
The construction has already taken six years. What eats up the most time?
Roman: Unforeseen Problems. We had to make some individual parts three times until everything was right. You pay your apprenticeship.
Eduard: Everything has to be perfectly filled and sanded – usually it takes several passes. My son is delicate. He was a perfectionist even as a child. He used to learn from me, today I learn from him.
How far is the road?
Roman: About 80 percent are done. 2020 would be a great date, but we don't put ourselves under pressure. It is important to us to have fun with it. Duration has never been relevant or central to us. The decisive factor was to find the right plane for us.
Eduard: What lies ahead of us now stinks a little to me. (laughs) This detailed work while sanding and painting! Sometimes you never finish!
What does this project mean for your father-son relationship?
Roman: I really appreciate our cooperation, because it is not a matter of course. It makes me proud and grateful to be able to experience this with my father. Thanks to him, I have internalized that nothing is impossible.
Eduard: We get along very well. I always had a lot of fun creating something with my two boys. I used to travel for days on business or come home late. I have enjoyed these last six years very much.
They both sacrifice a lot of free time. Roman, you have even taken three months off for this and will soon be a father. Do you need a good instinct at home for when you have to brake something?
Roman: Yes, definitely. Such a project always needs encouragement from all sides. You can't do something like this alone.
Eduard: My wife and Roman's fiancée have always supported us fully. And when I drive "z Berg" with my wife here and there, it's right for her too. Have you already told him about the "4 Fs"?
Novel: The notorious "4 Fs" for self-built cars are: Plane ready – woman gone. Of course, we hope that this does not happen! It's not always easy to keep the balance. It's easy to lose yourself in work.
What have been the best moments so far?
Roman: The milestones you reach together. For example, when an elementary part of the aircraft is completed. We toast it with champagne. When we first inserted the engine, it felt like the plane was receiving its heart.
Eduard: I'm really looking forward to the moment when the propeller turns for the first time!
Parts assembly from their home garage https://youtu.be/p195run4pc0?si=bYsYSA3j5aQ3ofzj
The MSW Votec 322 is a Swiss two-seat low-wing monoplane based on the Rihn DR-107 One Design and designed for amateur construction by MSW Aviation of Wohlen, Switzerland.
The first prototype, registered HB-YJY first flew on 6 April 2001. The Votec 322 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a steel-tube fuselage, wooden wings with a carbon fiber fuselage skin, and conventional landing gear with a steerable tailwheel. The aircraft is powered by a 330 hp (246 kW) Lycoming AEIO-540 flat-six piston engine driving a three-bladed tractor propeller. Later a four-bladed propeller was installed to reduce noise. The cockpit has room for two in tandem with a one-piece side-hinged canopy.
Visit MSW Aviation website: https://mswaviation.com/
