FLASH NEWS: நிலவின் தென்துருவத்தில் இறங்கிய சீன விண்கலம்; பாறை மாதிரிகளுடன் 25-ந்தேதி பூமிக்கு திரும்பும் **** சீனாவிடம் இருந்து தைவானை சுதந்திரமாக பிரிந்து செல்ல ஒருபோதும் அனுமதிக்க மாட்டோம் என சீன ராணுவம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது ***** அமெரிக்க ஆயுதங்களால் ரஷிய இலக்குகளை தாக்கலாம்.. உக்ரைனுக்கு அனுமதி அளித்த பைடன் ***** அமெரிக்காவில் நடைபெற்ற 'ஸ்பெல்லிங் பீ' போட்டியில் இந்திய வம்சாவளி மாணவர் புருகத் சோமா சாம்பியன் பட்டம் வென்று அசத்தினார் ***** கலவர வழக்குகளில் இருந்து பாகிஸ்தான் முன்னாள் பிரதமர் இம்ரான்கான் விடுதலை ***** நாட்டில் வெப்ப தாக்கத்திற்கு 56 பேர் பலி; என்.சி.டி.சி. அறிக்கை ***** அசாம் மாநிலத்தில் பெய்த கனமழையால் பிரம்மபுத்திரா நதியில் நீர்மட்டம் உயர்ந்துள்ளது ***** நாடு முழுவதும் 3-ந்தேதி முதல் சுங்கச்சாவடி கட்டணம் உயர்வு ***** இங்கிலாந்தில் இருந்து 100 டன் தங்கத்தை இந்தியாவுக்கு கொண்டு வந்த ரிசர்வ் வங்கி ***** பள்ளியிலேயே மாணவ-மாணவிகளுக்கு வங்கி கணக்கு: பள்ளி கல்வித்துறை அறிவிப்பு ***** பிரக்ஞானந்தாவின் வெற்றி வியக்க வைக்கிறது.. கவுதம் அதானி வாழ்த்து ***** திருப்பதி கோவிலில் 65 வயதுக்கு மேற்பட்ட பக்தர்கள் 30 நிமிடத்தில் தரிசனம் செய்ய வசதி ***** சிக்கிமில் மீண்டும் ஆட்சியமைக்கும் எஸ்.கே.எம்? .. அருணாச்சலப் பிரதேசத்தில் பா.ஜ.க முன்னிலை ***** டெல்லியில் தலைவிரித்தாடும் தண்ணீர் பஞ்சம் *****

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Differently-abled gives wings to his dream, builds own aircraft

19.09.2015
His obsession with helicopters began as a toddler. When helicopters came to spray pesticides in rubber estates in the neighbourhood, in Idukki district of Kerala, the three-year-old Saji Thomas ran out in excitement. His mother followed him scolding. She feared the loud whirring would turn him hearing-impaired, not realising her child could hardly hear. 


But nothing could stop this hearing- and speech-impaired school dropout from giving wings to his dreams – building and flying an aircraft. At 45, Saji has already built two light-weight aircraft, first just a model and the second that can fly, and is looking to build the third one. He could be a prized possession for any of the world's leading aviation companies like Boeing or Airbus, where innovation and cost effectiveness is the mantra for manufacturing.

A potential poster boy for the Make-in-India campaign is but struggling to make his both ends meet. Ever since he built his first aircraft 11 years ago, in 2005, he is running from pillar to post, seeking a licence for his aircraft so that it can be test flown.

In 2014, Saji took his second aircraft (he calls it Saji-X-Air-S) in a truck to Manimuthar, a flying club in Tamil Nadu. He taxied it on the runway and took it off to a small height since he is not allowed fly above 20 ft. The flight took place under the guidance of a retired IAF wing commander, SKJ Nair.

"He brought his aircraft to the flying club, one evening. I have flown it to see its fitness. It is a perfect aircraft but we cannot fly it unless there is a registration. For a registration, it is mandatory that Saji needs to have the qualification and the aircraft parts have be purchased from authorised companies," says Nair.

Saji has in fact used a bike engine and other low-cost materials for first aircraft as he could not afford to buy expensive parts from authorised dealers. For the second aircraft built with a 65 HP hirth German engine, the aircraft weighs 265 kg and can fly up to a height of 10,000-13,000 feet. Industry experts said the aircraft can be used for sports aviation, recreation and training purposes. It has a speed of 140 km per hour. For an hour's flight, the plane needs 16 litres of petrol. It can fly non-stop for 2-2.5 hours.

The aircraft, built at a cost of Rs 14 lakh, is still at the hangar of the flying club. To buy a similar aircraft, one will have to shell out upwards of Rs 25 lakh.

"To fly, he needs to get a licence. He is trying to get the aircraft registered from the aviation regulator, DGCA," Saji's wife Maria told dna, with a half smile.

His next plan is to make a twin-engine aircraft which needs a short runway to take off. It would cost him around Rs 20 lakh.

That is a big dream for Saji. The man, who lives off a tiny rubber plantation and through odd jobs like electric wiring and repairing of TVs and fridges, can't think of spending such huge sums.

Son of an ex-military man, Saji dropped out of school when he was in studying in seventh standard. Helicopters were his initial attraction, and he made a toy helicopter with wood at the age of 14, with the help of his carpenter friend Dinesh. Once in a while when the helicopters landed at the rubber estate near his house, Saji used to sit with the pilots and watch them in admiration. His disabilities were never a deterrent. When he was grown up, they invited him to Juhu flying club in Mumbai where Saji spent a lot of time discovering and watching planes. He bought lot of aviation books in Mumbai and learnt by observing how the pilots and others maintained and flew aircraft.

Saji realised he was obsessed with planes and flying. With books he had bought and knowledge he gained, he built his first aircraft. Built at a cost of Rs 1.75 lakh, the single seater – weighing 200 kg – was powered with a 26.5 HP Yamaha engine. In 2005, he participated in the air show held in Ahmedabad, exhibiting his first aircraft. He won the Sristi Saman Award, then.

His aircraft created a flutter at the agriculture fair organised by the Gandhiji Study Centre at Thodupuzha in Kerala. The aircraft was later purchased by the Visveswaraya Institute of Engineering in Kottayam for Rs 1.5 lakh where aviation students use it as their study model.

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