DETROIT LAKES — In a hangar at the Detroit Lakes Airport, Dave Lund built his dream plane.
“There is an incredible amount of steel tubing in it,” he said. “It has strength, but is also light. Overall, the plane is unique because of the flying characteristics.”
The airplane resembles a small Piper and weighs in at about 1,000 pounds, it is lighter than the average modern-day Piper (1,500 pounds) and substantially less than the 8,000-pound jets. It has a top cruising speed of 110 mph, and can reach an altitude of 18,000 feet. “But, I haven’t gone over 1,800,” he said.
As the Long Lake resident fired up the propeller and brought the plane onto a grass runway, the airplane lifted into the air so quickly that it almost felt like a helicopter take-off. While most small airplanes, such as a Piper, begin leaving the ground at 50 mph, Lund’s plane is airborne at (or before) 30 mph.
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“I wanted to build an airplane that left the ground very fast, not in the sense of speed, but in a short distance,” he said, adding he also wanted it to take-off and land on rough surfaces.
Lund envisioned his aircraft, pinpointed the capabilities he wanted it to have, and then drew up a plan to build it.
“I like building as much as flying,” he said.
Each segment of the plane was constructed at Lund’s home shop. He then transported each section to a hanger that he rents at the Detroit Lakes Airport. There, the final assembly happened. The entire process took place over the course of six years.
He noted there a few factory-built parts in the plane, such as the tires, propeller and gauges.
When it was ready to take flight, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector checked the craft and gave Lund air clearance.
“Home-built planes have a lot of guidelines you have to follow,” Lund said. “I’ve built several planes from the ground up.”
Pictures from the flight can be found on an online gallery. (To view the next picture, click on the right arrow in the picture box.)
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Born into aviation
The 1985 Detroit Lakes High School graduate’s passion for aviation began in childhood. His father, Bob Lund, taught flying lessons at the airport for more than 50 years. He was one of his father’s many students. Lund’s brother also flies, as do four cousins.
“I also had three uncles, who are deceased, that were pilots,” he added. “And, my son-in-law is also a pilot and my daughter is learning to fly.”
Lund’s penchant for building airplanes started when he was young. He learned the art of welding at the age of 10 and put it to use. The first home-built plane he flew was an ultra-light at the age of 13.
He also attributed some of his plane-building skills to knowledge hat he learned on the job while working in the fiberglass trade for a family-owned business.
“My uncle had a fiberglass business that built snowmobile hoods, boats and such,” he said, adding when the company was moved to the Twin Cities to focus on building accessories for trucks, he went with.
However, Lund moved back to Detroit Lakes with his wife Brenda more than 20 years ago. They wanted to raise their children in the lakes community. Lund fondly spoke of his time in the Detroit Lakes School District and wanted his kids to have that experience, too.
Regardless of where life took Lund, he was always flying and building planes. He explained when he is in the air, looking below at the landscape that resembles a miniature model below, he finds inner-peace. Even his wife notices it.
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"If I'm having a bad day, she tells me I need to go flying," he said, acknowledging it is a cure to turn a frown upside down.
Lund shares his passion for building and flying planes with other members of the Experimental Aircraft Association, which has a chapter in Detroit Lakes.
“There are about 30 people in the chapter,” he said. “Some are pilots and other enthusiasts.”
The group hosts the annual Fly-in, Drive-In event during the Northwest Water Carnival. The profits from the event are gifted to Dollars for Scholars for students interested in any field that aviation offers.
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