Flying a W-class tram with feathery wings into the MCG was one of the earliest and most enduring ideas for the Opening Ceremony. Organizers worked hard to keep the centrepiece of the Melbourne 2006 Opening Ceremony a secret.

Despite the lightweight materials used by Plumb Engineering to make the full-sized Flying Tram, such as a chassis made from aluminium tubing, the tram weighs in at a hefty two tonnes, with a wing-span of 18 metres. A steel frame supports its painted plywood case. Quite a feat to make fly!

When it came to the Ceremony, a hatch on the underside of the tram allowed the ‘citizens of Melbourne’ to secretly enter the tram from underneath then spill from its doors like passengers.