A Van's RV-12 aeroplane constructed by some of New Zealand's most junior engineers has completed its first flight.
The kit set aeroplane was built by dozens of Otago Polytechnic engineering students over three years.
It took its maiden flight earlier this week at the Otago Aero Club, where many students watched on anxiously.
"Oh a little nerve-wracking at first but happy to have it come back down and take back off again, it feels good," says Mitch Sim, a former student who did a lot of electrical engineering work on the aircraft.
The project was introduced in 2017 as an engaging and challenging means by which students could improve their skills.
Former student Adam Greer says it's a huge drawcard for the polytech.
"It's not often you build a plane," he says.
"It gives you confidence that you can take on big challenges, scary things like this."
It was the brainchild of Stuart Allan, an aircraft fanatic, pilot, and former engineering lecturer at the polytech.
But not long after its establishment, design engineer William Early had to take over.
"Soon after the kit arrived here, Stuart died and it was in the doldrums there for a little while and then it came over to me and so it was up to me to get the thing built and get students involved," Early says.
Early supervised construction, as a team of around 40 students brought Stuart Allan's dream to life.
His wife Janice and son Justin proudly watched on as the plane took flight.
"It was really emotional, having followed it through all these years, it's been a long time coming," says wife Janice Allan.
When asked what Stuart would have said if he saw the finished product, son Justin said he'd be "like a bloody kid in a candy shop sort of thing, he'd be loving it, he would've really wanted to be here".
But for those wondering, or a little concerned, the students weren't solely left to their own devices. The project was overseen by experts including a licensed aircraft engineer, the plane was also assessed by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Colin Chalmers from the Otago Aero Club was the pilot tasked to complete the first flight.
He says the aircraft is just as good as professionally made ones.
"It was awesome, it was just as we predicted, the local students have done very well making this aircraft, they've done a very good job of doing it," Chalmers says.
The two-seater has been sold to the Otago Aero Club, and will eventually be used to train pilots.
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