KOCHI: While TATA Motors came up with a low-cost Tata Nano car for the ‘aam aadmi’, a team of mechanical engineering students from Sree Narayana Gurkulam College, Muvattupuzha, has gone a step further. The students here have a developed a technology with a vision to provide a helicopter in every household. The team comprising five students have come up with a ‘gyrocopter’ which can be used of travelling as well as for agriculture purposes.Gyrocopters are small helicopters that are cost-efficient and can take off from any place. Gyrocopters get lift from freely turning rotor wings or rotor blades, which derives its thrust from an engine-driven propeller. “At present, no body is manufacturing gyrocopters in the country. Those which we have is imported from other countries. However, importing it increases the cost. Therefore, we decided to make gyrocopters which can make transportation easier. This flying machine can easily accommodate two persons. The whole machine can be made at a cost of `1 lakh,” said Muhammed Shefeeq.“Initially, we made it as part of our project, but once we realised its potential, we decided to make it for the people. The concept was drawn with the assistance of our professor. Later, we built the entire structure in our workshop. The structure was very carefully made as it is important that equal weight should be distributed to every part to maintain the balance. The engine was taken from an old Bajaj Chetak. The 2-stroke 150 cc petrol engine can be used for flying the machine,” Nibin Sreedhar, another team member said.Each member of the team had contributed in funding the first machine. “We had to spend `25000 each for the gyrocopters. We now require an engine that can generate 35 bhp power, for which we are looking for a 2-stroke 300 cc engine. Now, the funds have become a major problem. If funds are made available, we can easily make a gyrocopter within few months,” Muhammad said.
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