Students in last phase of flying own chopper

The helicopter project engineer at the African College of Commerce and Technology, Mr Andrew Taremwa Kamba (R) stands by the helicopter under construction at the college campus in Kabale Town on Wednesday.

PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA

What you need to know:

Mr Kamba says Shs8m has been spent on buying components such as aluminum sheet to make the body, buy the motorcycle engine and wiring, among others

Kabale.

Students at African College of Commerce and Technology (ACCT) in Kabale Town are in the final stages of flying a helicopter.

The helicopter is designed to use petrol.
The project engineer, Mr Andrew Taremwa Kamba, on Wednesday said he hatched the idea two years ago but the physical design of the helicopter started six months ago.

Mr Kamba says Shs8m has been spent on buying components such as aluminum sheet to make the body, buy the motorcycle engine and wiring, among others.

“Our project is real and last week, we tried flying our helicopter and it took off from the ground, going up about two metres in air but later came down after hitting the branches on the tree in the school compound, he says. “Now that we have established that it can fly, we shall concentrate on the stabilisers, controls and atmospheric shock absorbers, and then we fly officially our two-seater helicopter,” the graduate of computer science from Makerere University, adds.

Mr Kamba said he has been scouring text books and the Internet on aeronautical engineering to beef up his skills of innovation and technology.

Mr Adrian Ndemere, the executive director, ACCT, said the project is being done by students of IT and civil engineering during their free time.

The Numbers
Shs20m
The amount of money the whole project is estimated to cost. African College of Commerce and Technology is funding it.