æz ɐ tʃˈaɪld hiː ʃˈoʊd ɐn ˈɪntɹɛst ɪn mᵻkˈænɪks ænd wʊd ˈɔfən mˈɑːdəl ˈɛɹkɹæft, jˈuːzɪŋ ðə lˈoʊkəl kɐθˈiːdɹəl æz ɐ lˈɑːntʃɪŋ pˈæd fɔːɹ hɪz smˈɔːl fˈɪkstwˈɪŋ ˈɛɹkɹæft ɹˈɛplɪkəz.
As a child he showed an interest in mechanics and would often model aircraft, using the local cathedral as a launching pad for his small fixed-wing aircraft replicas.