Chopper cheaper than car?

Pune: A helicopter costing less than a car? That's the dream of two young aero-modellers from Solapur who on Tuesday claimed to have designed a prototype of a single-seater helicopter.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, Pranjal Kulkarni, an avid aero-modeller who is currently doing his XIIth science as an external student in Pune and Imran Pathan, a commercial pilot licence student at a private aviation institute at Baramati, said the proto-type constructed from stainless steel and aluminium has been powered with a Yamaha RD (motorbike) 350cc twin cylinder, 37 horse-power engine.
"We are in the process of approaching the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) to allow us take a test flight," Kulkarni, who showed pictures of the prototype, said.
With a rotor span of 11-ft, the prototype measures 11-ft in length and 7-ft in height. It weighs 80 kg.
"The helicopter can be made available for about Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, Imran said adding that it could attract flying enthusiasts and agriculturists.
27/09/06 Times of India

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