VietNamNet Bridge – A farmer manufactured two aircraft; an engineer - wounded soldier, tried to create a flying machine; a young engineer spent 10 years to generate a mini aircraft. None of them has succeeded, but they, like many other Vietnamese people, still try to turn the dream of flying realistic.

The story about Vietnamese people trying to manufacture aircraft has, once again, become a hot topic when engineer Nguyen Bui Hien, 58, in Binh Duong province in late March invited civil aviation and air force officers to examine his product.

Though his product has been considered just a “flying machine” which still has many technical problems, Hien has shown his determination to follow through with his dream of flying.

The passion to make a product that can fly comes from the hobby of playing with model aircraft of the wounded soldier, who is also a mechanical engineer. He spent three years reading documents on Internet, joining science forums and managed to create machines that can fly and turn his garage into an aircraft manufacturing workshop.

After that a self-modified ultra-light helicopter came out, which comprises of an engine worth 60 million dong, and other materials being the spare parts available at his garage.

“As for me, this is not only a flying machine, but an aircraft. In recent days, when surfing on Internet, I tried to look for relating documents that help me create an automatic pilot system,” Hien said.

“It’s called the autopilot system, but it’s just a driving support system to enable me to strengthen the control over my aircraft,” he added.

“I will fly again,” Hien said.

The same words were also uttered by Pham Xuan Quoc in HCM City when he was asked about the mini helicopter he spent 10 years to manufacture.

Quoc intends to have the helicopter tested in his garden in district 9 and ask for the support of relevant agencies. The small helicopter has only one frame, the gas engine is placed behind the driver's seat. It has rotors spinning on an axis, a front seat, a tripod system below and a rear-wheel drive behind.

According to Quoc, this is a sports-style mini helicopter with one man on the board, fuselage made of inox and some other parts of aluminum alloy. A92 petrol would be suitable for the helicopter.

After watching a feed mixer working, Quoc decided to generate a sport helicopter. He started his work in 2011, while the product came out in September 2010, which took him 10 years to fulfill the work. At that time, the young engineer asked local media to convey a letter to the President, asking to give favorable conditions for test flights.

“I never give up the dream of flying. The helicopter has been completed and I am now ready to get into the helicopter to fly,” Quoc said.

In fact, the dream of flying has been cherished not only by Vietnamese engineers, but by Vietnamese farmers as well. Tran Quoc Hai, 46, a farmer in Suoi Day commune of Tan Chau district in Tay Ninh province, began manufacturing aircraft in 1999.

Seven years later, the helicopter manufactured by Hai and Le Van Danh, a friend of his, was introduced in 2004. However, Hai’s helicopter was not allowed to fly.

In late 2006, Hai created the second helicopter with many more advantages. The new engine consumed 60 liters of petrol in every 8 hours and had the flight speed of 150 kilometers per hour. However, the helicopter was concluded by competent agencies in 2007 that it does not have necessary technical conditions and cannot take off.

Quoc said that individuals have been trying their ways to manufacture aircraft, and if they join forces, they would be able to generate a “made in Vietnam aircraft.”

Source: VnExpress