The popular industrial Nnewi town in Anambra State again recorded a remarkable innovative lift on October 2 when 28-year-old Ibelo Chinemerem, a native of Akokwa town in Imo State surprised everyone in the community with his locally built-aircraft that flew a surprisingly far distance into the sky for about seven minutes before landing smoothly.
The scene was the DCC field located around the ever-busy Okpu-na-Egwu roundabout near the Eastern Mass Transit commercial bus park.
Chinemerem, a secondary school graduate of Secondary Technical School, Akokwa, says he started his attempt to build an aircraft in 2014 while he was in school which left in 2016, and due to lack of funds to proceed to a university education, he decided to relocate to Nnewi in 2016.
He says he built his first aircraft in 2014, but, it did not fly because of the inappropriate materials he used in it.
“I built that one with zink, so it did not fly at all,” he says.
He, adds that he recorded first breakthrough at Nnewi in 2020 when he succeeded in building an aircraft that attempted to take off but immediately “crashed” thereafter.
He says he did not relent as he successfully built another one in 2021 that he flew for about two minutes, and landed safely. He says the name of the aircraft was “Cessla”.
Chinemerem who resides at Uru-Umudim Nnewi disclosed that he started building his latest “Viper Tube aircraft” about a month ago.
He listed materials he used in building Viper Tube thus; “I used DC motor, propeller, gears, fuel, foam, landing gear and battery, the capacity is 2200mah, it can last six to seven minutes in the air.
“I started building when I was 10 years old. I have never entered an aeroplane till now, even to enter an airport I haven’t. I am only see it (aeroplane) on television and when it is flying.”
Chinemerem says he is currently a casual worker from where he earns a living. He says he renders services at building construction sites, including carrying blocks and cement for builders who pay him for the services.
He says if given adequate training and necessary equipment he can build an aeroplane that can fly around the world.