If you are a software engineer interested in trying out woodworking, but don't want to invest in a lot of bulky and expensive machinery, I can heartily recommend balsa glider development as fun and small-scale evening hobby. I learned how to do this in pandemic lockdown, and it is a really relaxing but also intellectually demanding form of woodwork. Basically all you need to start are two large sheets of balsa wood (2mm and 10mm), a box-cutter type knife with a very sharp blade, a cutting mat, hot glue gun with glue, and a box of A3 size laminating sheets as used for laminating paper notices etc. Total cost less than GBP or USD 100, with ongoing costs being only the cost of new balsa sheets, glue sticks and spare blades for the knife. Then you need to learn a bit about aerodynamics, where the centre of gravity of a glide should be, optimal dimensions of wings to body, etc. Then you can start to design and test your own designs, starting with something easy, and graduating up to designs with 1 metre plus wingspans. Last summer I managed to get one of my designs to fly over 150 metres from the top of a 25metre hill. Best part is that if you have a hill nearby, you can spend a nice summer evening flying it until it breaks.