The first thing on John Anastos’ Christmas list as a kid was always a remote control airplane, but his parents never felt he was quite old enough to have one. Last winter, though, having lunch at the Union Drive Community Center with fellow senior in aerospace engineering Nathan See, a bold idea struck him.

“Why don’t we design and build our own aircraft?” Anastos asked his friend.

When the question was posed to See, it began an excited conversation. By the time classes were over for the day, the duo had decided they wanted to pursue designing and building an airplane.

Eight months later, the idea was a full-blown project called AirISU. With 135 members, Anastos is the project director and See is the associate director. The design of the plane has been completed and sent to Calmar Research Corporation in Cato, N.Y., a company donating resources to determine if the plane will fly.

Structural components of the lightweight, two-seat sport plane are currently being designed, and AirISU will be moving into the ISU hangar at the Ames airport in October, where the construction phase will begin.

See said they are doing something that has never been done by students at any other university — building and designing a plane from scratch. He said several schools have built planes from model kits and some have designed them, but none have ever built and designed their own plane.

AirISU estimates the plane will cost between $200,000 and $300,000 to build, but they are confident they will be able to raise enough money to complete the project.

Boeing has donated $20,000, as well as sent people to Ames to help with their design reviews. See said they are currently finalizing sponsorship details with several other companies.

Tom Shih, chairman of the aerospace engineering department, said he likes the project and the attitude of the students.

“I was impressed with their enthusiasm,” Shih said. “They had a dream, and I wanted to make it happen.”

Shih also said the project fits in well with the goals of the department.

“Our department has just created an open undergraduate research laboratory, which is aimed at getting students involved in practical projects,” he said.

“It is more than just engineering. They are doing all kinds of things to enhance their overall education.”

After the plane has been built, AirISU plans to show it off at the annual EAA Air Venture air show in Oshkosh, Wis., which attracts approximately 700,000 to 800,000 people each year.

“Our hope is that it becomes a recursive project whereas every two to three years an airplane is being built and designed,” See said.

“It will really get our name out — not only for the university, but for our department. We could really get kids coming in from high school just thinking, ‘I could go to Iowa State to build an airplane.’”

Ganesh Rajagopalan, adviser for AirISU and professor of aerospace engineering, shares the same enthusiasm. He said when See and Anastos approached him about being their adviser, he told them he would be more than happy to do it.

“If these people can do this, it will be an excellent thing for the department,” Rajagopalan said.

It will also be an excellent thing for Anastos, who may finally be getting the plane he’s been asking for since he was six.