5 September 2016
Yes, it is possible to build an aircraft in seven days! The Sling 4 kitplane being constructed at the annual rally of the Light Aircraft Association (LAA) over the weekend took to the sky above Sywell Aerodrome just after 5pm on the final day.
A team of volunteers and staff from South African company The Airplane Factory which makes the Sling kits started putting the aircraft together on the Monday before the rally weekend.
The combined LAA and The Airplane Factory team who put the Sling kitplane together in seven days – and flew it on the final day of the LAA Rally.
The 7-Day Build has been done before in the US but this is the first time it’s been attempted in the UK. The feat celebrates both the launch of The Airplane Factory into the UK and the 70th anniversary of the Light Aircraft Association.
The maiden flight was, in fact, delayed because of weather (which affected the whole rally weekend). However, despite the wind and rain, more than 4,000 pilots and aviation enthusiasts attended the event, with around 500 aircraft flying in.
The Airplane Factory is launching two models into the UK market, the two-seat Sling 2 and four-seat Sling 4. They are similar all-metal aircraft with the main differences being wing size, engine and some fuselage arrangements.
