Asmelash Zerefu, an Ethiopian who built his own plane using second-hand parts and YouTube tutorials

Despite a promising future in the field of public health and civil engineering, Asmelash Zerefu decided 15 years ago to leave the academic world to pursue his passion for aviation. Rejected by the Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy because he did not meet the entry requirements (he was not of the required size), he decided to build his own plane, a dream he had since childhood.

He named his plane the K-570A. K representing the name of his mother (Kiros), 570 representing the number of days he needed to build my plane, and A is for “Airplane”. The K – 570A is a two – seater, powered by a second – hand Volkswagen Beetle engine, a 40 horsepower engine; 4 stroke, 4 cylinders. The aircraft can operate up to 3000rpm. Designed for low altitude flight. It cost 160,000 Birr Ethiopian (7650USD) and is the product of nearly half of the entire life of Zeferu. He had great difficulty constructing this plane, to the point where the people around him took him for a madman. Despite all this, he is ready to realize his dream.

Before the end of the year, he hopes to fly again, at least 10 meters above the ground. By doing this, he will become the first person in the history of African aviation to have built an aircraft capable of flying at such a height. It therefore continues to pursue its commitment to promoting science and technology in Africa.