He saw his first aircraft when he left the rural highlands of Lesotho. Poleliso Lentsoe’s (22) fascination with ‘metal birds’ has seen him build his own model aircraft.
He arrived in Dundee last year and now herds cattle for Jabulane Mbamba of Sibongile.
“I saw aircraft landing and taking off from the airfield as the cattle were grazing nearby.
“This was the first time I had ever seen aeroplanes as I hail from a rural village in Lesotho,” Poleliso told the Courier.
The ‘noisy-bird-like-machines’ fascinated the young man and moved him to start designing and building his own aircraft. Using an old motor engine, discarded DVDs, wire and plastic containers, Poleliso fashioned two aircraft, which he recently brought into the Courier office to demonstrate.
An old remote device operates the models, which at this stage only run on their wheels. However, Poleliso’s next project is to design an aeroplane that flies.
Watch out model aircraft enthusiasts – Poleliso is about to take off.