Newindpress

Udupi, Apr 24: For Rathnakar Naik, a scheduled tribe youth, educaed only up to PU-level, designing indigenous and model aircraft is a passion.

He has successfully designed several noted aircraft models, including Rafter Aerobatic Helicopters.

Rathnakar has spent more than Rs 3.5 lakh on his hobby and wants to make a career out of it.

He has already demonstrated these miniature metal birds to students and youth in different parts of the state, at as many as 60 airshows.

He now wants to meet President A P J Abdul Kalam to share his dreams.

He feels that Kalam’s words ‘The dream is not what you see in sleep. It is the thing which does not let you sleep’, go exactly right with him.

He says, ‘‘I dream of job in the aircraft assembling section of HAL, Bangalore, where I can sit on the rotors (of helicopters) and work in its installation. But prior to going in front of the HAL officials, I want to prove my mettle’’.

Rathnakar is presently working on designing model of American-V2 which features Vertical Short Take-Off and Landing (VSTOL).

‘‘It (American- V2) takes off like a helicopter and speeds up like an aeroplane. I also want to design a model of RC Jet engine, which sounds like a real aircraft.

This may cost me around Rs 1,75,000. But I will be the first Indian to design such a model’’, he adds.