Derek Kesek wants to build the first airplane made of hemp

Canadian entrepreneur and nature lover Derek Kesek has a dream He wants to create an aircraft model built at 75% from hemp..

After founding an organic restaurant in 2002, this environmental activist and pro hemp, embarked on a crazy project in 2012: to create a hemp-based airplane. He gathered a team around him, created the plans for his plane based on a classic model, toured local newspapers and media to talk about his project, and took the time to test the strength and durability of the plane's future material. Hemp fiber proved to be as strong, if not stronger, than fiberglass. And with no environmental footprint.

His fundraising campaign kicks off today for one month via the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.com. To complete his project, Derek needs 500,000$ CA.

His company, HempEarth, is based on hemp for its eco-responsibility and durability in all its forms. Hemp fiber was widely used in textiles before the advent of nylon, but also in the marine and construction industries, and is still used in the food and cosmetics industries.

According to Derek Kesek, an airplane made from hemp would cost three times less than a conventional airplane, and would be at least as durable as the materials used in a basic airplane.

Its engines will run on a biofuel made from hemp in Costa Rica, and if all goes according to plan, the 12-metre wingspan aircraft should exceed 300km/h. In the early 1930s, Henri Ford created a similar car, already running on biofuel. Unfortunately, Ford's project was not selected, and oil was preferred.

If the entrepreneur succeeds in his first flight, he will open up a new industrial avenue that was abandoned at the beginning of the 20th century.^ème century. Its aim: to diversify and promote hemp as a clean, solid, biodegradable and inexpensive material. There are already surfboards made from hemp, and before long, we may be seeing hemp houses. Hemp is a highly insulating plant. Once completed, the first flight will take off from North Carolina, at Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers made the first controlled, motorized flight. That said, his project is already two years behind schedule, so let's hope it doesn't take much longer.

In France, hemp is little used despite its many applications. It is used, for example, to create special papers, cat litter in the form of consolidated powder or straw to feed animals and insulate homes.