Posted on 11/26/2015 1:01:20 PM PST by Citizen Zed
On November 28, the fearless Ethiopian will make a flying debut and marry his fiance Seble Bekele the moment he lands. This will be his second attempt after he first taxied to a runway 40 kilometers but a broken propeller ruined his chance of flying.
However, Asmelash Zeferu is all set with a new engine that doubles his power to 78 horsepower and has even sought professional advice for flying.
Flying has always been a dream for Zeferu, since childhood he wanted to become a pilot but he had to meet with disappointment when he got to know he did not meet the air school height requirements. He was just a centimeter short.
But Zeferu did not take the setback too hard, instead he decided to build his own aircraft and fly in it. It took him ten years of hard labour to achieve it, with aviation manuals and YouTube tutorials being his teachers.
Zeferu modeled his plane on one used by trainee pilots in the US in the 1920s and 30s. There were some parts of the plane which were bought second hand and some salvaged, but he could not find a cheap Ford engine.
But completing all the finished task, he is also set to be among a pioneering group of amateur enthusiasts from the continent. He has even taken advice from fellow flight enthusiasts and made modifications.
Zeferu will return to the same airfield and attempt to fly in his newly modified machine. For him the main concern is about landing safely and plans to take off at 90 mph and 10 meters height.
The aviation geek hopes a flight school accepts him after his attempt turns a success. Zeferu dreams of becoming an aerospace engineer at NASA.
(Excerpt) Read more at indiatoday.intoday.in ...
I know. My mom’s husband has one of each type of plane and recently went on BP meds. He can only fly one of them right now.
The dream of flight is filled with trial and error.
The thing he built still looks safer than much of the stuff flown in WW1.
I applaud this guy for following his dream.
Exactly the kind of guy that should be HERE:
Experimental Aircraft Association
http://www.eaa.org/eaa
John Denver's aircraft didn't crash because of faulty materials.
Why did the property come off in the video? The rotating mass of the prop wants to go one constant speed. A reciprocating engine speeds up and slows down as it goes through the combustion cycle. Only a strengthened crank end can sustain the stress. If the rest of his construction is as well engineered he will certainly die. If he can avoid groundlooping, The plane will fly, high enough to kill him when the ground rises up to smite him.
Prop, not property
Don’t see a prop. That tail wheel is looking quite robust.
I admire the guy’s tenacity, but he has never piloted a plane before, and he is going to try and fly his own homemade airplane without, I’m assuming, an expert inspecting his craft. What could go wrong?
Same here, I hope he achieves his dreams and lives a long and happy life with his bride.
Reminds me of Sid Caesar and Edie Adams in Mad Mad Mad Mad World when they rented the old bi-plane to get a jump on the other treasure seekers.
God bless you, I do too.
Now, this guy is a real dreamer... unlike people rushing over the border to get free benefits.
I really wish this guy would try unpowered flight first... then something more akin to the Wright Brothers... then if he survives that...
Wings mostly look like dope and fabric
He took off nearly empty of fuel, thought 1 of the two was full IIRC...
One of two tanks was full. The one connected to the fuel pump was empty. He did not have time to switch tanks before he crashed. The empty tank had just a enough fuel to impart a dangerous dose of kinetic energy, but not enough to maintain flight or achieve altitude. The full tank had more than enough fuel to burn him to a cinder. BTW, he had just bought the plane and it was his first day flying it. RIP.
Available.
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