It’s time to plan your Wisconsin trip: Oshkosh 2018 is coming

 

There’s nothing else quite like it. The annual EAA AirVenture event is an air show/aircraft exhibition/trade show/learning opportunity/history lesson/concert venue/giant campout/Wisconsin bratfest (I could go on), held at Wittman Field in Oshkosh, WI, US. As always, the event’s organizer, the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Assn.), will offer hundreds of events and activities, from July 23-29.

Multiple military aircraft will be on display, including examples from the Air Force Reserve’s fleet of air-to-air refueling craft. Also expected are a B-1B bomber, a C-5M, a C-17, an E/A-18G, an F/A-18F, and others yet to be announced.  Historical warbirds are always a part of the event. And, innovative composites-intensive aircraft will be present, including two flying cars, from Terrafugia and Samson Sky, and Workhorse Group Inc.’s Surefly manned Multi-copter. The Multi-copter will fly on July 24, in conjunction with AirVenture’s Innovations Day activities throughout the grounds. Other composites craft, from home-built kits to jets, including Cirrus’ Vision and Honda’s HondaJet, will be front and center.

As in past years, composites industry expert and CW contributor Russ Emanis will spearhead a composites fabrication demonstration during the show. Emanis says, “Every year for the past seven years I’ve tried to give back by putting on Forums and Composites demos for builders interested in composites. The attendance has grown each year. I allow as much time as needed to address any and all questions fielded by the attendees.” This year he will be demonstrating several composite processes, while fabricating and infusing an all-new amphibious aircraft float, top and bottom: “Many aspects of this float are in patent-pending status now, and what makes it different and unique is quite ingenious,” says Emanis. “Come and see the demo, starting Monday July 23!” He adds that he and his volunteer team will be demonstrating composite tube building with bladder processing, wet lay-up and bagging, small parts using infusion, and a wide range of laminates, on a glass table. A session on mold making, called Tooling 101, will also be demonstrated by a representative from Scott Bader.

Each year, Emanis is supported by industry-leading composites companies. Sponsors for the 2018 event include Innegra Technologies, Oxeon, German Advanced Composites, ITW, Composite Polymer Design/Endurance Technologies, Firestone (Nashville, TN, US), Scott Bader, Saint-Gobain Adfors, and Composite Envisions LLC (Wausau, WI, US). The location for this infusion demonstration is the Replica Fighter Association building. Here’s a link to the event on the EAA AirVenture web site: https://www.eaa.org/airventure/event/Composites?id=10E6BA8BDA83497B8A40269A03B48431.  Hope you can attend.