Chinese flying saucer builder enters legal twilight zone after building UFO-inspired drone
- Aviation authorities step in after drone maker’s sci fi-inspired creation makes its maiden flight
A Chinese drone enthusiast who built his own flying saucer has been brought back to Earth with a bump because the authorities warned him he did not have the proper permission to fly it.
Shu Mansheng spent around two months and 150,000 yuan (US$21,800) building the aircraft, which was powered by four gas turbojet engines, the Wuhan Evening Post reported last week.
He told the newspaper the 80kg (175lb) aircraft could carry a human pilot but he decided it would be safer to use remote controls for its test flight on December 2 when it hovered eight metres above the ground for well over a minute.
It was not the first time the appliance repair shop owner from Wuhan, Hubei province, has built and flown his own aircraft, but this particular design was inspired by his love of sci-fi and UFO movies.
The local aviation authorities were not amused, however, and warned Shu that he had not registered the flying saucer with the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
Under Chinese law, all aircraft need a licence to fly and the authorities need to be told in advance when and where flights will take place.
