Search - Building Rutan Composites: Build Your Own Aircraft on DVD

Back to The Future

I. Alexander | Edinburgh, Scotland | 03/05/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Informative, useful, and I suspect inadvertently, hugely entertaining.



Burt Rutan, looking a little like Mike Nesmith of The Monkees fame, complete with cows lick, explains and demonstrates moldless composite layup techniques with elan, enthusiasm and authority as does Mike Melvill, despite dressing like a Blue Peter presenter (venerable UK children's TV show). Mike's crisp South African vowels constrast with Burt's rather more laid back drawl.



It becomes clear through the course of the video, just how skilled they both are, as well as how well they work together as a team.



Admittedly though, presenting to camera directly does not appear to be Burt's strong suit, in the introduction to the video and the roundup at the end, he has a hunted look in his eye as he reads the prescripted inspirational blurb. Frankly, it wasn't needed, the very real enthusiasm for the subject shone through as soon as both men got their hands dirty.



The viewer will be left informed and enthused, despite production values akin to an eigthies amateur porn video.



This, to my knowledge at least, is still some of the best source material for any composite homebuilder, despite being around thirty years old."