Africa’s homemade aircraft builders

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  Not plane sailing

  Kenyan Gabriel Nderitu Muturi spent an unsuccessful three years building a homemade two-seater aircraft running on a 40-litre Toyota engine.

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  Noble effort

  Somalians Mohamed Abdi Barkadle, Saed Abdi Jide and Abdi Farah Lidan tried to build a helicopter with the aim of using it to fight fires.

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  DIY dream

  Student Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi spent around a year building a 12-metre (39-ft) long helicopter out of spare parts. (Copyright: Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi)

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  Flight of fancy

  Abdullahi’s helicopter, powered by a second-hand Honda Civic car engine, actually flew. (Copyright: Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi)

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  Successful consequences

  It led to international recognition, a TED Global Fellowship and a scholarship to study aircraft maintenance in the UK. (Copyright: Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi)