EAA Aviation Center, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, will once again become the site of a unique aircraft-building project during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2027, when attendees will have seven days to help turn a Zenith CH 750 Super Cruzer kit into a completed airplane. The One Week Wonder project will begin on Monday, July 26, the opening day of AirVenture 2027, with a target completion date of Sunday, Aug. 1. The finished aircraft will be built for the Aspiring Aviators Aero Club of Winter Haven, Florida, which plans to fly the airplane after the event. The project gives AirVenture attendees a chance to take part in the construction process rather than simply watch from the sidelines. Visitors will be able to help with tasks including airframe riveting, with their participation recorded permanently in the aircraft’s builders’ log. Attendees will also have an opportunity to help choose the airplane’s paint scheme.
“The One Week Wonder’s goal is to showcase the relative ease of building a kit aircraft – seeing is believing,” said Charlie Becker, EAA’s director of chapters and Communities & Homebuilt Community Manager. “AirVenture attendees can participate in the activity and discover more about such concepts as weight-and-balance, propeller installation, and fuel flow tests. It also highlights EAA’s popular programs and support for aircraft builders.” The aircraft will arrive at AirVenture as a typical Zenith kit before construction gets underway. Once assembled, it will undergo inspection and a ground run during the event before being handed over to Aspiring Aviators for use by its flying club. For the Florida-based club, the project is intended to continue well beyond the week-long build. The completed aircraft will be used as an educational resource, giving students the opportunity to learn about aircraft operations, maintenance, and flight.
“This will give students the opportunity to experience aviation in a way that very few young people have,” said Brian Hughes, President of Aspiring Aviators. “More than simply building an aircraft, this project represents the power of hands-on learning, mentorship, teamwork, and the aviation community coming together to inspire the next generation. After the build is complete, the aircraft will continue its mission as an educational tool, providing students with ongoing opportunities to learn about aircraft operations, maintenance, and flight.” The aircraft selected for the project is the Zenith CH 750 Super Cruzer, a three-place design that was unveiled at AirVenture 2026. According to Zenith Aircraft, the model is designed around current FAA rules and offers greater speed, size, and capability than earlier versions while also being quicker to build. The Super Cruzer has a design gross weight of 1,900 pounds and an 800-pound useful load, with greater cross-country capability than previous models.
“Aviation technology has changed enormously through the years, but the spirit of individual initiative has not,” said Sebastien Heintz, president of Zenith Aircraft. “It’s been said that building an airplane is worth a college degree. The young people involved with us in the project will have an amazing educational experience in the best tradition of EAA. In addition, being center stage at Oshkosh shows everyone how achievable building an airplane can be.”
The 2027 project will be the fourth One Week Wonder aircraft built at AirVenture in the past 15 years. Previous projects were completed in 2014, 2018, and 2022. With construction taking place throughout the week, the project is designed to give AirVenture visitors a close look at what goes into building a homebuilt aircraft, while allowing them to play a direct role in getting an airplane from a kit to a flying machine. For more information and to support the EAA, click on this link: www.eaa.org/eaa.
