AfriGadget

A Homemade Helicopter from Somaliland

[Note: Somaliland is different than Somalia.]

These are the kinds of stories and projects that you just can’t make up. We’ve written about Nigerian Mubarak Abdullahi’s home made helicopter a couple years ago from old car parts. It appears that 3 Somaliland men built a helicopter too, using scrap metal and an old van engine.

Much like the Nigerian one, there is no video footage of this one flying. It’s not easy to build a machine that looks and acts like a helicopter, but it’s a lot easier than making one that flies. It does take a lot of drive, thinking and skill to build even these models, but I won’t be truly impressed until I see a video of one taking off and landing.

“The trio, Mohamed Abdi Barkadle, Saed Abdi Jide and Abdi Farah Lidan said the purpose of their helicopter was to be used to fight fire in the city and surrounding area. They receive no major sponsors, financial nor material support from any one including the government, it is a three men vision and ingenuity.”

Now, the question is… Could we get the three (and the helicopter) to Maker Faire Africa in Nairobi this August?

Tags: diy, hand made, helicopter, home made, homemade, old parts, somaliland

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14 comments for this post.

Comment from Maxamed
28 March 2010 - 5:24 am - :

Note: Somaliland is still like Somalia but Somalia is not like Somaliland

Also unless they get a better engine I don’t thinks its gonna fly. you need to rotate fast and you can have an engine die on you in mid air.

Comment from Char (PSI Tutor:Mentor)
29 March 2010 - 3:30 am - :

freak! some people are amazing~

I want a choppa!!!

Comment from Tim
29 March 2010 - 4:04 am - :

The headline should read “A Homemade Helicopter Model from Somaliland”

Comment from Frank
29 March 2010 - 4:50 am - :

Even though i did not see the chopper taking off. This is very encouraging. Somaliland had been peaceful and they even have mechanism in place and working institution like university and the port. This is unlike the Somalia Mogadishu where guns have achieved anything that gun can achieve on this universe. Unfortunately, the breakaway somaliland state is not recognized by the UN, making it very hard for them to have access to funding and other international well being that goes with a recognized state. I wish that UN will wake up one day from slumber and realize that recognizing Somaliland is a pillar to peace process for the whole Somalia. Keep up guys

Comment from AZHussein
29 March 2010 - 11:15 am - :

Folks,
This is great! I love to see it. Please don’t understimate the technical-know-how and the expertise of the Somaliland Engineers. You will hear some mericals down the road…. keep up the good work guys, I am proud of you.

Comment from jke
31 March 2010 - 9:42 am - :

Man, this just Makmendeyyy.

Apart from the motor and weight, the blades also seem to be too short + the vibrations… but else it’s a very fine approach. Given that it costs some money to come up with something like that, it’ll be interesting to see where they’ll take it to from this point.

Comment from Christian Siegert
4 April 2010 - 1:50 pm - :

You can tell this helicopter has never taken off because its tail rotor does not work. The moment the main motor is strong enough and pulls the helicopter’s body from the ground, the body will begin to spin uncontrollably in the opposite direction of the main rotor. You need the tail rotor to counteract that.

Comment from Altavoces que son garrafas y cocos con cremallera - periodismohumano
24 May 2010 - 3:48 pm - :

[...] de lo mucho que se consigue con poco – y de cuánto se podría conseguir con un poco más. Helicópteros hechos casi a mano, bicicletas modificadas para sacarle todo el partido, baterías de coche reutilizadas, talleres de [...]

Comment from Maker Faire Africa 2010: Nairobi, Kenya! « Rambling's of a Ghanaian Blogger
3 August 2010 - 1:45 pm - :

[...] AfriGadget ” A Homemade Helicopter from Somaliland (afrigadget.com) [...]

Comment from Jamming
4 September 2010 - 4:40 am - :

I been to Hargeisa (the capital of Somaliland un-recognised state) and seen those 3. They said it was not finished but were checking the blades. But I highly doubt that this is air worthy but nevertheless most home-made helicopters from the developed world are not air-worthy too so I have too clap to that!

Comment from .:: AMMO ::. » Blog Archive » Os assustadores aviões
16 October 2010 - 4:22 pm - :

[...] Afrigadget aqui, aqui e [...]

Comment from AfriGadget » Blog Archive » The Kahawa West Aircraft
1 November 2010 - 1:35 pm - :

[...] avid readers will certainly remember Mubarak Abdullahi’s home-made helicopter in Nigeria, the homemade helicopter in Somaliland as well as this odd story on someone who claims to having built a single seater aircraft way back [...]

Comment from Kochman
19 July 2011 - 5:15 am - :

What a nice idea, my admirations! I fullfilled a couple of years ago my own flying project, and I was also very happy! I designed a little airplaine for my free time. It was a great moment in my life.

Comment from Un helicóptero casero en Somalilandia « EspAfriGadget
1 August 2011 - 3:14 am - :

[...] Publicado por Erik Hersman en http://www.afrigadget.com/2010/03/28/a-homemade-helicopter-from-somaliland/ [...]