With the help of a $15,000 grant, a discount propeller and $40,000 of his own money, a Granger High teacher hopes dreams really can take flight.

Scott Lewis' students are going to build an airplane.

And he's not talking about a hand-held model.

Lewis wants his students to construct a Velocity aircraft, one that could soar at 200 mph and carry four adults plus luggage at 12,000 feet, according to the plane manufacturer's Web site, www.velocityaircraft.com.

Already, 45 students — including one from Hunter High — are on board, and Lewis says there's room for more.

"It's going to be the greatest thing on planet Earth," Lewis said.

Local high school students often build houses — some for charities, others for sale as part of the classes they take.

But an airplane is unique, said Paul Stark, chairman of aviation technologies at Salt Lake Community College.

That's the point, said Lewis, an auto machinist who teaches biology and other sciences at Granger.

Lewis says not enough students are taking applied technology courses, which teach them skills they'll need in tomorrow's workplace. So he wants to lure them into those classes by piquing their interest.

He hopes building a plane will do the trick.

Lewis is hooked on the idea — so much that he says he marched down to his credit union and took out $40,000 for the project.

While there, he learned about the 100 Percent for Kids Utah Credit Union Education Foundation, which since December 2002 has given local schools more than $3 million in grants for books, equipment and programs.

Lewis applied for and won a grant for $15,000 — one of the foundation's heftier gifts to date.

"It's terrific," foundation director Paula Julander said of the project. "I can't wait to see them do this."

The project is to include much of the school.

Math students will create a scale model for the plane, to be named "Excalibur" in the spirit of the Granger Lancers, Lewis said.

Auto shop students will paint Excalibur and design its interior. Art and graphics students will compete for design rights. Business students could advertise and attempt to sell the aircraft, and the proceeds would fund another project, Lewis said. Even the band will help ring in Excalibur's first flight, hopefully in May.

Now Lewis is working on logistics.

First, materials.

They come in a kit.

Lewis is zeroing in on one that's 75 percent done so his students can complete it this school year.

The school is waiting for Granite District's approval of a for-credit course in which students would learn the engineering, science and construction end of the task. If approved, the class would be a three-year pilot — no pun intended, said Granger principal Parley Jacobs, the new district director of career and technical education. If not, instruction would come after school.

Lewis also is working with SLCC aviation technologies to provide construction space, perhaps for an hour and a half after school, twice a week.

"We're working the details out now," Stark said. "The concept, we're very interested in. We think . . . it will be a good bridge from the high schools into the field of aviation."

Lewis also is aggressively pursuing sponsors for the project, which could cost $60,000 or more.

"We're still hoping someone says, 'We'll jump in and help you out,' " Lewis said. "And if they don't, it will still get done. Nothing's going to stop it."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com