Concept

AirPlane1

Dion Laurent

Dion Laurent blends art & science in his latest and most ambitious project, AirPlane1, a sculpted, full-scale wooden Cessna airplane with
its rear fuselage fashioned as a terrarium bio-regenerative life support
system - a plant gas exchange system that can support the crew in the cockpit, and through a tether hose, supply additional
oxygen to the orbiting EarthMan2 and interactive participants of the
public. AirPlane1 is a wind, solar and plant powered Electric Vehicle.

The main features of AirPlane1:

1. Full scale, 26 foot long wooden Cessna airplane with a metal sub-frame
and 32 foot wingspan.
2. A 13 foot air-supply terrarium in the entire tail section of the
fuselage, visible through lexan windows.
3. A solar and wind powered 12 volt electrical system for lights,
circulating fans, water pump for plants, with a 36 volt electric motor
drive system. The propeller is a wind generator blade attached to a
generator that produces electrical power for the 12 volt system.
4. Vintage front landing gear, front cowl parts, wheel cowls and cockpit
seat.
5. Fully mobile with an Electric Vehicle Motor and aviation cable steering
system.
6. Fully functional rear wing flaps and stabilizer.
7. Hinged folding front wings with an electric winch control so that the
AirPlane1 can maneuver in narrow spaces. The wings are all removable and
may be reattached in minutes.
8. AirPlane1 is a solar powered EV (Electric Vehicle) sculpture, not designed to fly.

AirPlane one is a wood and metal sculptural work, a home-built electric vehicle based on a 1956 Cessna 170. The front landing gear and broken windshield are from a 1960 Cessna 172. I began drawings and studies of the 1956 Cessna at the Smithville Airport in January, 2009. I started the woodwork in the living room of my old school house studio in Central Texas, and then assembled it and continued with the metal subframe and drive system in my pole barn. In May 2010 it was completed in Houston at Ken Crimmins warehouse at the Silo. Louis Perrin, a great artist, and mentor for 20 years had flown in from France and was working on his Green and Blue car in the same space. AirPlane 1's first and second test drives were just days prior to the Art Car Parade, a few laps around a few blocks. For powering the tail wheel drive electric vehicle motor, I installed 2 banks of 36 volt series of gel batteries on a dual battery switch connected to the solenoid and controller. During the parade, I periodically switched battery banks, throttled minimally at starts, consistently on uphill slopes, and only fully throttle on the inclines of the underpasses at Waugh and Montrose Blvd.. AirPlane 1 successfully completed the 2.5 mile drive of the 23rd Annual Houston Art Car Parade, May 8, 2010 with an enthusiastic and fanciful live audience of over 250,000 people.

I dedicate this flight and experience to the memory of Tom Mitchell Jones, a dearly missed and often thought of great soul of a man.

Thank you!

AirPlane 1 is the most complicated and challenging work I've yet completed. I would like to thank some dear friends for their support, assistance, and patience during this project: Steve and Jennifer Neuhaus, , Ken and Belinda Crimmins, The Jose Garcia, Noah and Mary Edmondson, Bob and Lisa Schatz, Steve and Sylvia Hagwood, Adrian Franks, Elise Chittick, Becky Sargent, Allen David Christian , T.J. Johnson, Jim and Jessica Ciosek, Butch James, Ricky , Don and Jan Jenkins, Taylor and Joya Cutshall, Chris and Shelly deZevallos, Ed and Pam deZevallos, Louis and Nadine Perrin, my brother, Troy, my mother, Merle Holland, and of course, the sweet Lisa Lindsey. Thanks to all of you.

AirPlane1 is the World's First AirPlane, The First AirPlane created specifically to Produce Fresh Air.

AirPlane1 is a full-scale, fully functional wind, solar and plant powered electric vehicle airplane sculpture. Really!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile

AirPlane1 is a fully functional sculptural, performance, and installation project.

AirPlane1 will make it's maiden flight on May 8, 2010 in the at the 23rd Annual Houston Art Car Parade.