I have been an Artist since the early 80's. Photography, drawing, painting, sculpture , you can see the stuff on the rest of the site www.jjgaudel.com . Before that, I had a french restaurant , remodelled houses, decorated interiors, had a decorative accessories shop, designed and built rather avant-garde custom furniture in the 70's. Before that, I was a mechanical engineer and an oil prospector. My last big sculpture project  "Dummies with Souls" was put on hold about four years ago to design an build a big DAC-ART house . That turned out to be almost more than I could chew, and when that finally got done, the sculpture did not seem so exciting to go back to. I had become interested in computers about at the same time I started to build the house, and did a lot of image processing in PHOTOSHOP, designed my own and other WEB SITES. Very interesting, but also very sedentary, I was getting out of shape...Well, time for a new chapter I guess, time to re-invent myself yet another time , time for a new challenge...

   Somehow, early aeroplanes became my center of interest and of research on the web. Actually, that thing with planes has roots back to childhood in the 50's, when my older cousin would take me to air shows, and show me the then new Jodel designs and the old biplanes , and marvel at the aerobatics. I loved it , even went up a couple of times, built some models, but that was just a dream. I became interested in girls, and forgot all about it..., for 50 years or so... I played with the idea all through this last bluesy winter. First, I looked into model airplanes, built one from a kit, then designed and built one from scratch. Too small, too easy... I consided a series of large mixed media sculptures of would be early prototypes... I still might do that, but the focus ended up on the real flying thing. I studied the kits and plans available , limiting myself to wood and fabric designs and mostly to biplanes. I seriously considered several of the RAGWING designs , sent out a lot of e-mail to builders, and did not get very good feedback at all . I then considered the MINIMAX , which is an excellent design. I looked as several beautifully built MINIMAXES and got great support and help from several area builders, and great feedback from my e-mails. I was at the time thinking of going the ultralight route, to stay away from licenses and inspections. I joined the EAA, and met some very friendly and helpful folks at the meetings, as well as builders. I was particularly impressed by a Fisher Tiger Moth being built right here in Birmingham, and started looking at the FISHER kits. None of them are ultralights though, so I also started flying lessons with a great instructor on an old 1942 Champ, and loved it . Decided to go for the Sports Pilot licence whenever it comes out, and to build an experimental . About at the same time, I found a Fisher Classic kit for sale , and started focussing on that particular model.

    I went to the 2004 Sun &Fun EAA fly-in in Florida to help me make the final decision,and even though I was a little dissapointed not to see any of the kits I liked there , I did learn a lot and got to see several of the engines I had considered. The JABIRU 2200 engine was the winner hands down . And that happens to be one of the recommended powerplants for the Classic. What a magnificent piece of machinery, or should I say jewelry... All precisely machined out of solid aluminium and steel ingots, and polished to perfection. So simple and yet so sophisticated...Whao! The original ultralight guesstimate has doubled in the process, but I will now be able to carry a passenger in old fashion barnstormer style...

   In the end though, the Jabiru was turning too fast to swing a big prop and give enough thrust to pull that biplane , so the final choice was the Verner .

      I don't want to just build something to fly in . This airplane is going to be a piece of sculpture too. Art is in the purpose more than in the object itself anyhow. When Duchamp showed a urinal at the surrealist exhibition in the 20's, or Surrano a crucifix in a jar of piss in the 90's, like it or not, it could be considered Art. But to me, Art also has to be beautiful, and well crafted, and have real meaning. I am not going to build the usual slick machine with the highest gloss possible paint job in the brightest colors. My love goes to those beat up and weathered, varnished wood , brass, steel wire, hammered aluminium and linen, leather trimmed contraptions built until WW1, like those that populate the Aerospace Museum in Paris . The early Nieuport , Deperdussin , Antoinette , Demoiselle , Bleriot , Sopwith , Halberschtadt , Bebe Nieuport , Lohner , Morane-Saulnier , Taube , Fokkers  have real character and charm in my book , and a soul of their own... They look homebuilt, and wellworn, with their clear doped natural linen covering. The light glows through them. I want my machine to have that kind of look, that kind of appeal, that kind of soul.

   Actually, the soul of the project was provided through no will of mine , but fits in beautifully. It turns out that the Fisher Classic I am taking over to finish was started by Tom Hall and his son Tommy in June 1991. This young man was sadly killed in a car accident on August 9, 1992 , after all the ribs and a lower wing were completed with impeccable workmanship. The father understandably did not want to carry on the project alone and sold the kit . Tom has since built himself an FP-404 though . I have asked Tom and his wife Barbara to let me finish the Classic in memory of their son, and to name it Spirit of Thomas for him. I am hoping that we will at least some day get together to fly the airplane , and may be even fly it to Oskosh together in 2005 for a dedication ceremony.

      Rachel and I drove up to Newport News, Virginia over the week-end to pick up the kit from Alan Hall. It was a long way, about 25 hours driving in two days. Looks like everything is there. All ribs , 1/2 ribs and spars are built, as well as one of the lower wings and the landing gear , there is a long box full of spruce lumber and aliminium tubes sticking out the back of the van, a flat box of plywood and sheet metal, an aluminium gas tank, a set of small drum brakes , a two piece fiberglass cowling , and fabric .

     I decided the upstairs workshop was just too cramped, and decided to put the plane together in the downstairs studio. I enlarged my work table to 4x11ft with plywood , and the long desk to 4x14ft , so I would be able to work on 2 things at the same time. Everything was trued and leveled as best I could. The full size 16ft blue prints could now be rolled out and carefully studied. I bought a bunch of clamps from Harbor freight, and restarted the 13 year old project.

    The following is my construction log. Please take note it is only that, and in no way a comprehensive manual of assembly. I do my best , but I may well make mistakes . The blueprints are somewhat short of precise instructions, and there is no assembly manual. Gene Hanson and Chuck at Fisher are always there to answer questions, but I still have to figure a lot of things out on my own. Some things are definitely customized, and I am giving the airplane a different look, sort of a WW1 version of the Classic...This is the way I did it. Hopefully, it will fly, but be warned: follow suit at your own risk .