The 100-Year Chanute Glider Replica, An Adventure in Education

Over 100 years ago, a group of aeronautical experimenters led by Octave Chanute flew a series of glider designs along the Southern shore of Lake Michigan. An authentic replica of their most successful biplane design was engineered, constructed, tested and safely flown by the author. The avocational project was a multi-disciplinary educational adventure in the context of recreating a part of early aviation history. This paper discusses early history, engineering and construction, flight test results, and educational aspects of the replica project.