Two years ago Rick Hull took a step that changed his life. Rick had always wanted to fly, he joined the Sydney Recreational Flying Club and took out a student pilot licence.

That step plunged him into a project that to outsiders would seem lunacy. Rick is building his own WWI fighter plane.

The confident father of two, a plumber from Annandale, seems a mild, unassuming bloke. There is no mad glint in his eye, simply a wry smile as he explained his project.

"I became interested in the Nieuport after talking to Joe and Darryl at the Oaks," said Rick. Joe Newham is the club president and an instructor. Darryl and Joe had built a Nieuport together, and had a set of plans.

"Circa is the company selling plans in Canada. You can get a kit for $11,000 US. I thought I could build it cheaper. I probably didn't in the end," said Rick.

Rick was interested in the Nieuport because he could buy the parts, mostly locally, as he needed them. This meant he could aviod a large up front cost.

Originally designed by Graham Lee, the seven eighth's scale reproduction WWI fighter aircraft has the initial look of a distopian dream. On closer inspection, it is simply a an aircraft that has been peeled back to its essentials.

The metal tubing for the fuselage is 6061-T6 aircraft grade alloy, supplied by British International, who bought up Hawker Pacific's old stock. All joins are riveted and gusseted, with only two welds in the plane so far.