John Edgley's made original use of new materials and construction methods in the design of his EA9 Optimist glider. This material is Fibrelam, developed by Ciba-Geigy, and was initially used for commercial aircraft floors. John has demonstrated the suitability of this material as a replacement for wood in primary structures, which has facilitated the production of the EA-9 in kit form for home construction. The EA9 has been flown competitively by Derek Piggott.