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Russian man, 88, dies after homemade helicopter falls apart on takeoff (edition.cnn.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by cm0002@lemmy.world to c/world@quokk.au

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An 88-year-old Russian man, who gained local fame for building his own aircraft, has died after attempting to take off in a homemade helicopter.

The man, a resident of the Omutninsky district of western Russia’s Kirov Region, attempted the flight in the self-built aircraft on Thursday, the Volga Region Transport Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release Friday.

However, the helicopter self-destructed during take-off, it added.

The aircraft failed to lift off and, instead, “during engine startup, while still on the ground and as the engine power was building, the main rotor blades detached. This caused injuries to the pilot, born in 1937,” the district emergency services told Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti on Friday.

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[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That looks like a gyrocopter, not a helicopter. Which is something a hobbyist could plausibly build by themselves.

[–] piccolo@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Likes look a bare minimum helicopter. https://tinkersource.com/helicopters/mini-1-ultralight-homebuilt-helicopter-plans/

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Guess you're right. That thing looks like a veritable death trap.