Brian’s story

I have Parkinson’s, which among other challenges, gradually reduces manual dexterity in hands and fingers. I attend regular Conductive Education sessions led by Megan Baker House Conductors. These include specific exercises to improve manual dexterity.

Since retiring, my main hobby has been volunteering in the Education Group at the Jet Age Museum. I also enjoy model aircraft building and flying, which does need good dexterity. We aim to teach the students science of flight, by means of model plane construction and playing with flying toys. The students are typically junior school age, 7 to 11.

I recently came across a flying toy from the 1880’s designed by Alphonse Penaud, called the Helicoptѐre. This flying toy is important because one was given to the Wright Brothers, by their father, and is said to have inspired them to go ahead and develop powered and controlled full size aeroplane flight. 

My challenge will be to use my manual dexterity to make a prototype Helicoptѐre flying toy and demonstrate it climbing from the floor to the ceiling of my garage, under its own power.

Hopefully the lasting benefit will be for the school students to make their own helicoptѐre flying toys, copying this prototype. They will use these to learn about helicopter flight, while having fun testing them in the Museum.

Please sponsor me to complete this challenge, and so help enable Megan Baker House to continue their great work!