Just Plane Fun!
By Sheldon Yoder

Aviation just runs in the family. For Dr. Dominic Halsmer, Chair of the Engineering and Physics Department, aeronautics is one of his passions, and he has plans to bring that passion to life at ORU.

Halsmer practically grew up on an airport in Lafayette, Ind. Every year his father, an aviator, would take the family up to a major air show in Oshkosh, Wis., put on by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Halsmer soloed in high school, but other responsibilities pushed obtaining his pilot's license to the backburner. Aviation never left Halsmer's blood, however.

He acquired his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (A&AE) from Purdue University. After obtaining his master's (A&AE) from Purdue, he went on to UCLA to obtain his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering.

Halsmer gained experience in the aerospace industry at Hughes Aircraft Company working on satellite attitude dynamics and controls for seven years. Since 1992 he has been teaching at ORU, and has been the Chair of the Engineering and Physics Department for the past three years.

Halsmer's love of airplanes has spurred him into proposing an airplane-building project for the Engineering and Physics Department. The project was made possible by the donation of a $40,000 airplane kit, called the CompAir 6, by Aerocomp, Inc. in December 2001. A six-seater with a 300 horsepower engine, it features cruising speeds of between 150 and 200 mph.

"One of the reasons we want to do this is because it provides us with a hands on case study of aircraft design using modern materials. The airplane is almost exclusively made from composite materials. Composites are modern, lightweight, strong materials that have been used in aircraft design only in the last few decades. These are state of the art aircraft structures that we will build and test and analyze," Halsmer said.

"And, I've always wanted to build an airplane. So, even though it's hours and hours of long work, I think I will enjoy it. And there are many students and faculty members that are excited about building a plane here at ORU," he added.

While the thought of building an airplane is exciting, Halsmer understands there are several hurdles to overcome before the project becomes reality. Although the kit was donated at no cost to the University, funds are still needed to purchase the engine and some remaining items. "I'm hoping that we can have a shared ownership between the investors and the builders after it's built," Halsmer said.

Currently, the airplane is being built in an enlarged garage next to the executive parking garage. There is enough space to complete the fuselage and wings. When it comes time to put the wings on the plane, the assembly will move to an airport. If all goes as planned, the final assembly can be done in the last few weeks of the project.

The plane builders will largely be faculty and to a more limited degree, students of the Engineering Department. "The Comp Air 6 is going to take about 2000 hours of work, and I think we can finish it in two to three years. Furthermore, it is required that there be inspections and careful records kept throughout the building process. So I want students to have a hand in building it, but any work done by the students will be carefully supervised so that the investors will know that they have a product that has been built right. But it is to be a project for the entire Engineering and Physics Department," Halsmer explained.

The actual building of the plane will require some muscle work and plenty of attention to detail. "It's a lot of elbow grease: sanding, epoxying, measuring and carefully laying pieces. A lot of nuts-and-bolts work. It's going to require a lot of hours. It will be a challenge, definitely," Halsmer said.

Along with the actual building of the plane, the Engineering Department will conduct analysis of how it was designed. This ties into the department's goal of expanding aeronautical study at ORU in the future.

"Next semester I'm teaching a course on aircraft design. It will be the first time this course is taught at the University. We're going to use this aircraft as an initial case study. The students will analyze the plane and once we get smart in this area, the next step will be designing our own aircraft. But first we're going to learn what is state of the art right now," Halsmer explained.

Halsmer believes this will be beneficial for both the Engineering Department and the University as a whole.

"The number one goal is to benefit the Engineering and Physics Department by producing even better qualified engineers-engineers who have more confidence because they've worked on a project like this and gained the experience. I think it will increase enrollment in the department, drawing and attracting more students who can be positively affected by the University and the spiritual atmosphere here. From here, they will go out to other technical areas and bring the gospel to other engineers."

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