shanzhai | diy helicopter ::
Monday, April 13th, 2009:: Chen Zhao Rong (陈昭荣) dreamed of flying. Despite not being able to read English and with only a primary school education, Chen scoured through foreign-language flight Web sites, checking out pictures and schematics, before finally starting to build his very own helicopter.
Chen made and welded all the body parts himself, checking his design against photo’s on the Internet as he progressed with his work plan. After the body was built, he bought a secondhand engine and mounted it.
With a total cost amounting to less than RMB 70,000, and a little over 2 years of development, Chen finally achieved his dreams and made a flying helicopter.
He now had a flying machine, but he still needed to learn how to properly fly it.
For the first few months, every time he started up the engine, the whole village would come watch. It took him another 6 months before he was confident enough to take flight.
His first successful flight took him 1 meter off the ground.
Soon enough, he was flying 6 meters above the ground and then eventually above his 5 story building – he was afraid to go higher.
It took him another few months to be comfortable turning and landing his aircraft with ease.
Unfortunately, in May 2008, while flying to another village, he lost power at a speed close to 70 km/s and crashed his helicopter in a nearby field. Although fearing the engine would explode, he survived the crash and managed to walk home in one piece.
His wife was not so happy though, and left him for a week, threatening to leave him for good unless he stopped flying.
News about Chen’s exploits also reached the local police who subsequently made him sign a document stating that he wouldn’t fly again.
In the end, he sold his helicopter parts to a friend for RMB 20,000.
He still hasn’t given up on his dream though, and his fame lives on in the Internet, where thousands of people watch in awe at the video of his flight. Flying dangerously close to power lines, buildings, and somehow landing in one piece. // XD
[Xiao Du (小杜) is a guest contributor on 56minus1]
