Kenyan Aircraft Design

looks heavy! i love how they are interviewing him while the plane is just sitting there running in the background
 
800 Kg... I'm thinking the only way this thing will fly is off a cliff - and it'll be a short flight. A Kenyan quisinart more likely...
 
Depends on the HP he's got at hand. Still, people like this are truly what it's all about. I know it's commonplace here, but this guy is in the middle of Africa! The EAA should fly his six to Oshkosh along with his creation for the show.
 
I love it. That's awesome. That is the spirit of aviation and ingenuity. He's a dreamer. You don't see that anymore. Anywhere. Cheers to him.

I have my doubts as to the airworthiness of his design, but that's what test flights are for. Of course, one needs to survive the test flight......

Still, that guy has a lot of moxie.
 
Good luck to him!

At least he's doing something besides just wishing he could fly.

I like the idea of bringing him to Oshskosh.
 
I am betting the first flight will end up on Youtube...... With less then steller results.

800kg = 1760 lbs.

wingspan looks like maybe 30 feet long

nosewheel is going to be an "issue"

I hope there is a redrive under that cowling because if not that Toyota turning 4000 rpm will quickly destroy a 76" diameter prop.

This will be interesting to see for sure.

I commend him on his ambition though .:cheerswine::cheerswine::cheerswine:

Ben.
 
I like it. I want to see him (try to) fly it. Should prove rather amusing.
 
steingar said:
Depends on the HP he's got at hand. Still, people like this are truly what it's all about. I know it's commonplace here, but this guy is in the middle of Africa! The EAA should fly his six to Oshkosh along with his creation for the show.
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flyersfan31 said:
I love it. That's awesome. That is the spirit of aviation and ingenuity. He's a dreamer. You don't see that anymore. Anywhere. Cheers to him.

I have my doubts as to the airworthiness of his design, but that's what test flights are for. Of course, one needs to survive the test flight......

Still, that guy has a lot of moxie.
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pretty much what I was thinking. Be interesting to see the high speed taxi tests.
 
steingar said:
Depends on the HP he's got at hand. Still, people like this are truly what it's all about. I know it's commonplace here, but this guy is in the middle of Africa! The EAA should fly his six to Oshkosh along with his creation for the show.
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That's a superb idea... if he lives that long. Better yet, some missionary pilot group should drop in there and just teach him how to fly!
 
Henning said:
I like it. I want to see him (try to) fly it. Should prove rather amusing.
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Not me. That thing has the potential to get going fast enough to kill the pilot, and I'd rather not see a guy buy it in a homebuilt. A pathetic, pathetic homebuilt.
The best outcome for this potential pilot would be that the plane fails to get into, or heaven forbid out of, ground effect... because that would almost certainly mean a fatal accident.
It is nice to see the inspiring effects of aviation in action, though.
 
I admire his passion and ingenuity, and it does basically resemble an airplane... but it just looks shoddily done, not merely simplified or made cheaply.
There's just so much obvious stuff that's wrong- I don't even want to think about what cannot be seen in this clip. :eek:
 
rottydaddy said:
I admire his passion and ingenuity, and it does basically resemble an airplane... but it just looks shoddily done, not merely simplified or made cheaply.
There's just so much obvious stuff that's wrong- I don't even want to think about what cannot be seen in this clip. :eek:
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I agree. It's like a stupid version of MacGyver was set loose on a 1930's dustbowl farm and told to make an airplane. Charlie foxtrot disaster waiting to happen.
I shudder to think of that guy trying to take this story to its natural, horrific conclusion.
 
Innovative, though. I've never seen a Johnson bar throttle.
 
Telemakhos said:
Not me. That thing has the potential to get going fast enough to kill the pilot, and I'd rather not see a guy buy it in a homebuilt. A pathetic, pathetic homebuilt.
The best outcome for this potential pilot would be that the plane fails to get into, or heaven forbid out of, ground effect... because that would almost certainly mean a fatal accident.
It is nice to see the inspiring effects of aviation in action, though.
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See, I'm game for it, give me some binoculars and a good video cam. Who knows, it may hold even. I've seen worse equipment operate. The real cool thing is he's probably going to teach himself to fly in it. The first landing, especially with the backwards nosewheel caster should be interesting. As long as he's strapped in and the welds hold, he'll probably survive.
 
1770 lbs, a prop spinning way too fast, really really sketchy looking control surfaces, and no understanding of how to fly an airplane. If that thing makes it off the ground - he's toast.

Just looking at the ailerons and the tail make me shudder. I wonder if he has any understanding of CG, load, or structure. I would want to be standing way the hell back when this flight takes place.
 
Henning said:
See, I'm game for it, give me some binoculars and a good video cam. Who knows, it may hold even. I've seen worse equipment operate.
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Haha. I guess you're right. Grab a couple of beers and a seat far enough away... like Hemingway wrote of amateur bullfights (that often ended in disaster): "If you could stay awake for the nocturnals you saw them funny."
Death in the Afternoon: Great, great book.
 
Henning said:
I like it. I want to see him (try to) fly it. Should prove rather amusing.
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Didn't someone say that about Wilbur and Orville's toys?


That thing looks far safer than some of the contraptions I built as a kid...a couple of which got me off the ground for a moment.

Good for him. Not many people have a purpose, motivation and determination to do anything like that anymore.
 
fgcason said:
Didn't someone say that about Wilbur and Orville's toys?


That thing looks far safer than some of the contraptions I built as a kid...a couple of which got me off the ground for a moment.

Good for him. Not many people have a purpose, motivation and determination to do anything like that anymore.
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I don't even think the Wright brothers would climb into that thing.
 
Ahh, beaurocracy raises it's ugly head. From the site listed by the OP:


Tonight, however we tell you why the aircraft may not be tested at all. In a statement to our newsroom, the civil aviation authority says that the law requires that all home built air craft are inspected, issued with a registration mark, and certified to be airworthy. In addition, the pilot must hold a valid license to fly the aircraft.
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The Wrights climbed into (or onto, depending on how you think abut these things) much flimsier contraptions. If there were more people like Gabriel Nderitu, the world would be a better place.
 
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steingar said:
Ahh, beaurocracy raises it's ugly head. From the site listed by the OP:

The Wrights climbed into (or onto, depending on how you think abut these things) much flimsier contraptions. If there were more people like Gabriel Nderitu, the world would be a better place.
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I disagree. It's because we've already had so many people with vision like Mr. Nderitu that the world is now, currently, a better place complete with a Civil Aviation Administration with the common sense to say "no."
The big difference is that the Wrights were pioneers; Mr. Nderitu is attempting to reinvent the wheel in a dangerous way. What we need are more pioneers.
Finally, not all dreamers and visionaries have dreams and visions that can or should be pursued.
That having been said, maybe he can strip out 1500 lbs. and fly it as an ultralight.
 
Looks like a typical Cessna to me.
 
steingar said:
The Wrights climbed into (or onto, depending on how you think abut these things) much flimsier contraptions.
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That's pretty debatable. Based on a lot of what I saw in that airplane I'm not sure it'd be survivable if it did get off the ground. It also looks way nose heavy and appears to be lacking in elevator. The Wright's airplane was survivable.

steingar said:
If there were more people like Gabriel Nderitu, the world would be a better place.
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He is half-ass-constructing something that isn't innovative in any way. He could easily acquire plans on the internet to build something more functional and safe. I wouldn't call him a genius.

Take a look at the building construction and other "civil engineering" details of these poor unregulated countries. It's terrifying that people go into what some of these places consider to be structures.

When the right way is known and the knowledge is easily available and you choose to completely ignore it while knowing nothing about the subject then you're a dumbass, not an innovator. Now if you *know* the proper details and think there's a better way then that's a completely different thing (Rutan for example)
 
Jesse has it right. I do commend the fact that the guy wants to make an aircraft that's cheap and accessible. However there are much better ways to go about it.

Funny thing is that if he didn't attempt to get so much publicity, he could probably just go ahead and fly it (or at least attempt to) without anyone knowing for a time or two.
 
jesse said:
That's pretty debatable. Based on a lot of what I saw in that airplane I'm not sure it'd be survivable if it did get off the ground. It also looks way nose heavy and appears to be lacking in elevator. The Wright's airplane was survivable.


He is half-ass-constructing something that isn't innovative in any way. He could easily acquire plans on the internet to build something more functional and safe. I wouldn't call him a genius.
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I didn't call him a genius. Could you specify that site that has free airplane plans again? I seem to have misplaced it. And, being in the middle of Africa, no doubt the fellow had access to a fast internet connection and all sorts of aeronautical textbooks.

jesse said:
Take a look at the building construction and other "civil engineering" details of these poor unregulated countries. It's terrifying that people go into what some of these places consider to be structures.
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Have you ever actually travelled in the third world? A lot of these people don't have access to the kinds of resources that would allow them to have a choice what kind of structure to build.

jesse said:
When the right way is known and the knowledge is easily available and you choose to completely ignore it while knowing nothing about the subject then you're a dumbass, not an innovator. Now if you *know* the proper details and think there's a better way then that's a completely different thing (Rutan for example)
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Like I said, show me the free internet airplane plans (I'll assume whatever this guy is paid with doesn't make it on Paypal) and the aeronautical engineering library in the middle of Kenya.

I think it's cool as hell when people with the kinds of limited resources found in the third world try and fulfill their dreams anyway. Plenty of people with good ideas were called dumbasses by those who thought they knew better. Yeah, the guy could go splat. If so, he'll join a rather long list of airplane designers and pilots who did likewise pursuing their dreams of flight. Any of us could go splat despite no fault of our own. That won't stop me for a minute. I hope it doesn't stop him.
 
steingar said:
I didn't call him a genius. Could you specify that site that has free airplane plans again? I seem to have misplaced it. And, being in the middle of Africa, no doubt the fellow had access to a fast internet connection and all sorts of aeronautical textbooks.



Have you ever actually travelled in the third world? A lot of these people don't have access to the kinds of resources that would allow them to have a choice what kind of structure to build.



Like I said, show me the free internet airplane plans (I'll assume whatever this guy is paid with doesn't make it on Paypal) and the aeronautical engineering library in the middle of Kenya.

I think it's cool as hell when people with the kinds of limited resources found in the third world try and fulfill their dreams anyway. Plenty of people with good ideas were called dumbasses by those who thought they knew better. Yeah, the guy could go splat. If so, he'll join a rather long list of airplane designers and pilots who did likewise pursuing their dreams of flight. Any of us could go splat despite no fault of our own. That won't stop me for a minute. I hope it doesn't stop him.
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Plenty of websites out there with cheap plans for airplanes that will fly. The Afford-A-Plane plans cost $7 USD.

Some free ones here:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Copyright-free-aircraft-plans

I'm sure there are plenty of other sub $50 plans out there. That airplane he built wasn't free. He has money into it. Way more then a set of plans would have cost. He's not the poorest guy on the block. He hired 5 other people to help him build it.
 
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steingar said:
Yeah, and he's got a killer internet connection in his hut.
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Internet isn't impossible to find there. He stated he spent 6 months researching aircract on the internet. I found that information in less than 1 minute on Google. It would have taken a few more on the lowest dialup speeds out there.

I don't know why you think someone in that area can't get on the internet. They can. He did. Hell they e-mail me trying to give me $20 million every day.

He looked at the same internet as I did.

Did you even watch the interviews? He stated that he's not following an existing design, he is reinventing the wheel, and it's obvious he has no idea what the hell he's doing based on what he produced. For some reason he thinks he can produce something better then all the aero engineers of the world. Problem is he knows nothing about aero-engineering or piloting.
 
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jesse said:
For some reason he thinks he can produce something better then all the aero engineers of the world.
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Objection. Facts not in evidence.

You think he's a jackass. Fine. That's your opinion, and like something else, everyone has one.

We know nothing of that to which he has access. He searched the internet. Are web sites blocked? I don't know. Can he print? I don't know. The conditions looked pretty rudimentary to me - I'm surprised he has internet service at all.

He is attempting to build an aircraft, in a surprisingly public way. It looks like crap to us (actually, it vaguely resembles the CH701 to me - yet another ripoff of one of Heinzes designs!). None of has examined it in detail, other than through a rather lousy YouTube video.

As I said, the guy has moxie. He could be sending emails claiming to be the long lost heir to the Nigerian throne. He's building a plane instead. Why crap on the guy? He may try to fly it, crash and die. So it goes. At least he tried.
 
jesse said:
I don't even think the Wright brothers would climb into that thing.
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Do you think the Wright brothers first design out of the bicycle shop doors wasn't a complete all out death trap?

It's the guy's first attempt, so give him a chance. When or if it doesn't work, he'll try something different. When that doesn't work, he'll either go back to being a good little peasant worker and live out his meager life as a nobody or try something else. Unlike all his neighbors, at least he can say he tried. As far as we know, he could kill himself to smithereens in that thing tomorrow...or 15 years from now he could make Rutan look like a bungling incompetent idiot designer who doesn't know squat about aviation or aerodynamics. Occasionally a stupid little dirty rock on the ground that everyone snubs turns out to be the Cullinan Diamond.

The guy believes in himself enough to actually seriously try to do something that's out of the ordinary. :thumbsup::thumbsup: Too many cookie cutter people nowadays, not enough explorers and inventors...and even less are willing to step across that line of being perfectly safe.
 
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fgcason said:
Do you think the Wright brothers first design out of the bicycle shop doors wasn't a complete all out death trap?
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Uhhh, no. The Wrights were very methodical in their approach. They spent considerable time researching aerodynamics, developing and refining their theories, and testing their designs. When they put all the pieces together, they had a prototype that worked.

This fellow, bless his heart, seems to have an idea of what an airplane looks like, and maybe some basic aerodynamic knowledge, but it looks like he's missing quite a few concepts.

fgcason said:
It's the guy's first attempt, so give him a chance. ...

The guy believes in himself enough to actually seriously try to do something that's out of the ordinary. :thumbsup::thumbsup: ....
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I hope he succeeds, eventually, but I doubt that this design will even leave the ground. I do hope that someone will hook him up with some knowledgeable mentors. He's got determination and passion - all he needs is some more knowledge (and a good supply of aircraft-grade aluminum) and he should go far.
 
fgcason said:
Do you think the Wright brothers first design out of the bicycle shop doors wasn't a complete all out death trap?
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IMO comparing that project to the Wright Brothers efforts is ridiculous. I maintain my opinion that even the Wright Brothers wouldn't fly in that thing.
 
flyersfan31 said:
Objection. Facts not in evidence.

You think he's a jackass. Fine. That's your opinion, and like something else, everyone has one.

We know nothing of that to which he has access. He searched the internet. Are web sites blocked? I don't know. Can he print? I don't know. The conditions looked pretty rudimentary to me - I'm surprised he has internet service at all.

He is attempting to build an aircraft, in a surprisingly public way. It looks like crap to us (actually, it vaguely resembles the CH701 to me - yet another ripoff of one of Heinzes designs!). None of has examined it in detail, other than through a rather lousy YouTube video.

As I said, the guy has moxie. He could be sending emails claiming to be the long lost heir to the Nigerian throne. He's building a plane instead. Why crap on the guy? He may try to fly it, crash and die. So it goes. At least he tried.
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Well, the guy is a Kenyan "IT" guy that means he's either got internet access or he's a long distance runner carrying information from village to village. Considering his build, I find it more likely that he has internet access. So what does a Kenyan IT guy do? He may very well be sending emails for Dr. Mobutu of the Ministry of Finance.

I personally applaud anyone who is willing to conserve fresh water by removing themselves from the list those who need some.

As for engineering and construction, anyone with a fundamental understanding of structures can see 5 deficiencies that are glaringly obvious, though due to the excess weight of the materials will probably be ok if welded properly.
 
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