I was doing research the other day on avionics for a term paper that I am working on for my college mechanical engineering class. We all have to write a paper, as well as complete a mechanical project of our choice. Everyone in the class seems to be building a car engine for their final project and I wanted to do something different that would stand out.

I briefly looked into writing about fasteners and their versatility and importance to the mechanics industry, but wasn’t sure what I could do with them as my final physical project. This is when I decided that I would rebuild an aircraft electrical system, rather than a car engine.

I got as many books on the subject as I could find and wrote, in my opinion, a very good essay on avionics. I figured that this would be the hardest part, as I have always been good with my hands and have been building and rebuilding things with my grandfather for as long as I can remember.

What I hadn’t counted on was how hard it was to find aircraft parts. It wasn’t as though I could just go to the auto wreckers like my fellow classmates. I ended up ordering some of the parts I needed on the Internet. As soon as I get them, I will be able to go ahead with the rebuild. I am sure my grade will soar as high as the aircraft that once contained my non-working system.