Student Impresses Locals With Man-Made Helicopter
Student Impresses Locals With Man-Made Helicopter
University of Kabianga student Allan Kipng’eno is pursuing his goal of building a fully functional aircraft.The young inventor made an impression on the people of Belgut, Kericho County, on Sunday, March 10, by exhibiting a nearly finished helicopter that he had constructed entirely from scratch.
Kipng’eno is in the process of finishing touches on the handcrafted airplane so that he can declare it ready. Kenyans and locals who seen the inventor in action in a widely shared video applauded him.
We got in touch with the young man on Monday, March 11, and he gave us some insight into his motivation for starting the project and his love of aviation in general.
Kipng’eno disclosed in the interview that although he was pursuing a degree in agriculture and education, he had a strong love for the aviation sector.He continued by saying that as soon as he graduated from high school in 2019, he started the initial steps towards constructing an aircraft. Ever since, he’s been trying to make sure the plane actually takes off.
“I left high school in 2018 and began working on the design. I later joined campus but did not have the funds to pursue my aviation dream,” he stated.
Kipng’eno explained that he was looking for a sponsor to help actualise his dream and build a functioning helicopter.He added that even without the external funding, he was committed to making his dream come true. He explained and further revealed this was his seventh attempt at building a helicopter.
The student noted that he uses scrap metal and other materials which are available to him. He, however, complained that the lack of a better engine has derailed his progress.
According to Kipng’eno, the engine type installed on the helicopter prevents it from taking off at the moment. Notwithstanding the hurdles, Kipng’eno has won over a lot of Kenyans who applauded him for conquering his challenges and his unwavering will to achieve his goals. Kenyans also demanded that Kipng’eno be sponsored by the local government and other pertinent organizations in order to guarantee the full functionality of his design and to serve as a mentor to encourage other Kenyans. Notably, there have been other Kenyans who have tried to build a plane besides Kipng’eno. In 2022, Geoffery Otieno from Siaya County likewise used scrap metal to construct a chopper. When he was younger, Otieno became interested in building planes, but he lacked the resources to fulfil his ambition.
