Man 10 years of making planes from old stuff

On June 15, 2015, Asmelash Zeferu sat at the end of the flight during a test and once again tasted defeat.

The amateur pilot's dream of building an airplane

The dream of an amateur pilot's flight seemed to dissipate like propellers.

Many people arrived at the airport 40km north of the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to see him take off. Zeferu prepared everything to prove they suspected wrong but failed because the propeller crafted from crushed wood due to large friction and faults in the smoke exhaust system.

Zeferu, 35, said he wanted to become a pilot since school. Zeferu pursued that dream, but unfortunately when the time came, he was rejected. Leaving Alemaya University with a Bachelor of Public Health, he enrolled at Ethiopian Airlines Academy's Dire Dawa branch but did not pass because of lack of height.

Asmelash Zeferu is determined to build aircraft and become a pilot in the future.(Photo: Ethiopian Airport Enterprise).

"I decided to build my own plane because I couldn't become a pilot. Thanks to that, I could fly in the sky ," Zeferu said.

The first stage in this journey of realizing love lasted 10 years with aviation lessons and aircraft manufacturing processes through YouTube. Zeferu selected a model used by the American pilot training in the 1920s and 1930s.

To build, Zeferu used some old materials or bought them from Merkato market in Addis Ababa. 8.5m long wing parts made from Australian imported wood, hand-carved panel.

This design required Ford engines, but Zeferu could not buy it cheaply in Ethiopia but instead used a four-cylinder, 40-horsepower from a Volkswagen Beetle for about $ 380. The total cost increased to $ 7,600, but he completed it after a year and 7 months.

Before Zeferu, many amateur inventors in Africa pioneered this field. Gabriel Nderitu, a Kenyan IT engineer, studied how to assemble airplanes online and tried to take off 13 times but was not successful. Nigerian student Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi built a helicopter in 2007 with some old parts from the Boeing 747. He was luckier when the helicopter climbed 2.1 meters above the ground and won a maintenance scholarship. aircraft in the UK.

Never give up

Leaving aside the disappointment in June, Zeferu knew he was ready for the next flight with some new improvements, after hearing the advice of Rene Bubberman, President of the Dutch Experimental Aircraft Association (NVAV). .

"We give some advice to the propeller division and especially the flight test. His project deserves respect from everyone, it carries the spiritual breath of the pioneers. Zeferu's aircraft and enthusiasm will inspire people , " Bubberman said.

Zeferu introduced the aircraft during the June test. (Photo: Ethiopian Airport Enterprise).

On October 28, Zeferu will return to the airport and experiment with the Beetle engine again. Taking off at 144km / h, he plans to take the aircraft to a height of 10 m and does not need a parachute or protection.

Zeferu said landing is the most dangerous issue, when adjusting the plane to descend with the slow speed from 112km / h to 72km / h and controlling the distance between the front axle and the rear axle. In order to practice, Zeferu himself studied according to the flight instruction models on YouTube.

If successful landing, Zeferu will overcome the most persistent obstacle on the way to conquer himself. Despite his family's support, he said the big challenge for him was the people around him, who called him "crazy".

"On October 28, I am sure I will fly," Zeferu assured. However, touching the dream with a homemade airplane is only Zeferu's first step. He hopes to be admitted to a flying school in the future and become a pilot.

"My dream is to become NASA's aerospace engineer. And I will do it , " Zeferu said.