The operations have now been moved over to the airfield, and everyone have been burning the midnight oil to finalize the last bits of assembly. Though we were hoping to do the first test flights today already, the last phase of assembly and double-checking everything in the engine and avionics has pushed our test flight

The nose cowl has been painted. The team fitted the canopy last night, which works beautifully. The instruments are also all in, and we are preparing to move the aircraft to the airfield.

The team worked till late last night to fit the new canopy properly.

Our route had to be changed en-route to Oshkosh. See The Route Page for more details. Our departure date has now also been brought forward a day to the 14th of July 2009.

It has been a very busy few days for us. All the newly spray-painted sections of the aircraft arrived back, the static wing load test was completed without any hitch, and the airplane for the trip around the world is being assembled very quickly now.

Our first yellow spray-painted sections for the aircraft being used to fly around the world, arrived back today!

The apparently endless weeks of detailed drawing and design work are nearing their end and construction proper on Sling 002, the “Production Prototype” Sling which Mike and James are planning to fly around the world, has started in earnest. The wings, standard save for the insertion of additional 83 and 87 litre fuel tanks in

Everyone at The Airplane Factory and friends, are working like mad for the 15th July “Around the World” take-off. Rear fuselage now looks like an aircraft.

The modified wings with modified long range fuel tanks on Sling 002 are almost complete.

Test flying of the development prototype Sling is essentially complete, the design of the production prototype having been settled. The development prototype Sling has flown 41 exemplary hours, undergoing various modifications along the way. Mike, James, William, Steve, Johan and all others involved in The Sling’s development are absolutely delighted with the way she flies,