Do-It-Yourself Airplane

Back to the drawing board: Chinese man builds his own aeroplane...using a motorbike and plywood

    Zhang Xuelin spent 11 months building the aircraft, spending only £200
    The farmer said it is his 'dream' to fly and has studied planes since he was 12
    The aircraft's first attempted takeoff failed but he has vowed to try again

 Pride and joy: Zhang Xuelin has studied aircraft since he dropped out of school as a 12-year-old

Cobbled together from just an old motorbike, plywood and some pieces of plastic, Chinese farmer Zhang Xuelin was convinced that he could take his aircraft into the skies.

But as an expectant crowd gathered to watch him set off on his maiden flight, Mr Xuelin's aircraft - perhaps unsurprisingly - threw a wobbler.

He emerged from the plane after the botched attempt with badly-scratched legs. But Zhang's confidence had not been dented by the experience.

The aspiring aviator told onlookers: 'How could I forget to adjust the throttle in the air? And the tail is way too big, which made the plane impossible to balance and made the nose go down. But I will fix it next time.'

Having dreamt of flying a plane since he dropped out of school as a 12-year-old child, Mr Xuelin decided to act on his dream, constructing the aircraft over the past 11 months.

After hours of toil, Mr Xuelin finally finished the vehicle earlier this month. It measures 3.4 metres and weights over 230 kilograms.

The aircraft could be considered a low-cost investment for the farmer - after he spent only 2,000 yuan (£200) on its construction.

A crowd of locals gathered around the aircraft in Jinan, Shandong province, for its first attempted takeoff.

Using a main road as a runway, they gave Mr Xuelin a push as he sought to gain momentum.

After two hours of trying, the enthusiast was forced to give up. His determination to soar into the skies though is as strong as ever.

He said: 'It's my dream, better than playing cards.'

Mr Xuelin can take inspiration from another amateur aviator from Hunan province who flew a hand-crafted aircraft in 2008 after spending six years building it.

Game over: After spending two hours trying to leave the ground in Jinan, Shandong province, Mr Xuelin clambered out of the vehicle with badly scratched legs and admitted defeat