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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.

A joint venture called Aviation Partners Boeing successfully integrated winglets into the Next-Generation 737–800 by retaining performance improvements with minimal weight penalty on the existing 737 wing design. Program challenges included developing both retrofit and production configurations using a common winglet design, causing minimal impact on all customers, and causing minimal disruption to the 737 production process. Winglet benefits along with improved performance include reduced engine wear and enhanced visual appeal.