Indian inventor dies in homemade helicopter accident
An Indian inventor who dropped out of school to build his own helicopter from scratch was killed while testing his homemade flying machine.
Shaikh Ismail, 29, a welder turned inventor from Fulsawangi village in the Yavatmal district of the western state of Maharashtra, was famous in his village for his inventions and scientific aspirations.
The inventor taught himself the basics of aeronautical engineering using YouTube and over two years built a single-seater helicopter using a car engine and scrap metal.
A video of the accident showed Ismail’s miniature white helicopter preparing to take off in the middle of a field when the rear rotor blade broke off, hitting the inventor.
Police said Ismail died after the rotor blade caused a deep gash on his neck. An investigation into the incident has been opened.
“He was rushed to the nearby hospital but had succumbed to his injuries. His friends said that the helicopter had lifted two or three feet above the ground but soon the blade tore off and struck him,” Vilas Chauhan, a local police officer, told The National.
