From the workshop to the clouds

Inspired by his uncle, René Reuter, development engineer for mechanics and mechatronics at ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, got into flying. But flying alone was not enough of an adventure for the 29-year-old.
His mission was to build his own airplane.

René Reuter's passion for flying was awakened at an early age. In first class to be precise, high up in the air in a Cessna 172. At the wheel was his uncle, who had invited him to come on a trip to Norderney. This adventure is etched in René Reuter‘s memory and so five years ago he decided to get his own pilot‘s license. Initially he chartered airplanes from a flying club in Osnabrück, Germany, but later on he and his uncle came up with an idea: how about building their own airplane?

Mechanical engineer through and through

René Reuter is at Osnabrück-Atterheide Airfield with SeaRey LSX, the amphibian aircraft he built himself.

No sooner said than done – after lots of research, the two mechanical engineers ordered a construction kit almost four years ago. It was to be an amphibious aircraft so that it could not only fly but also to take off and land on water. The two tinkerers harness the tools of the trade and theoretical background knowledge from their training and studies. “This is necessary for the project because you need mathematical proof to ensure that the load-bearing structure can take the loads. What is equally important, however, is the craftsmanship involved in the practical implementation of the construction project,” says René Reuter. After a few hundred hours of work and the odd challenge, the two of them stood proudly in front of their finished plane. The highlight was the first test flight they took together. A real weight was lifted off their shoulders when the on-board electrical system they had developed themselves worked “right first time”.

Off to workby plane

Before the aircraft can take off on a regular basis, the two of them need to complete the test phase they are currently undergoing with the German Federal Aviation Authority. This involves assessing stability, flight behavior and other parameters. If everything goes smoothly, René Reuter has big plans for the future such as flying his own plane from Osnabrück to Aalen, Elchingen and then commuting to work in Oberkochen. This would allow him to reduce his commute from six hours to 90 minutes.

Even though the first self-built aircraft is still in its test phase, René Reuter has already set himself the next challenge. This time, he wants to develop an airplane completely on his own. The development engineer is testing various new technologies and has already produced the first 3D printed molds as models. His big dream is to fly around the world in his own plane. He thinks it will take around five to ten years to build. But this does not deter the hobby airplane builder – on the contrary, “Tinkering and building is my passion. The bigger the problem or challenge, the better,” says René Reuter with a smile on his face. That is what he particularly enjoys about his job too. The 29-year-old regularly faces technical challenges there too and looks for solutions.

In-house development of a canard aircraft in fiber composite construction.

A person in protective clothing works in a workshop on laminating and sanding aircraft parts.

Laminating and sanding work on the main spar which is the load-bearing connection between the fuselage and the wings.

Pictured are differently shaped blue and red building structures.

Additive manufacturing is used for the mold construction of the fuselage.

Aircraft and lithography systems

René Reuter is working with a CAE tool at a computer workstation. — René Reuter works with computer-aided engineering (CAE) for design, analysis and production planning.

The development engineer joined ZEISS around two and a half years ago. At ZEISS SMT, he works in the field of mechanics for lithography systems. In his day-to-day work, he applies a lot of methodology from his studies, evaluates various concepts and carries out calculations.

“Basically, I do the same in aircraft construction. The difference between developing an airplane and a lithography system is not that great,” explains René Reuter. As the focus of his job is not so much on design work and more on project management and development, his hobby is the perfect complement. Because one thing is certain, René Reuter has a tinkerer‘s heart.

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