BY:expressindia

The huge grey bird makes a sweeping flight through the cool morning sky. With favourable wind conditions, Prashant Pujari is only too pleased to make another delightful sortie with his model Sukhoi-30MKI.

His years of toil are testimony to the fact that this model plane is a one-of- its-kind aeromodel in the country. “It took me almost two years to design this aeromodel,” says Pujari, an interior designer by profession and member of member of the Pune Aeromodellers’ Association (PAA). And, thus was born a mini beauty, four feet long and three-and-a-half feet wide. With an engine capacity of five cc, the model Sukhoi-30MKI take offs at 60-70 kmph, cruises at 90 to 120 kmph and lands at 40-50 kmph. “It runs on a fuel comprising 80 per cent methanol and 20 per cent castor oil,” says Pujari. For someone into aeromodelling since the late 1980s, coming up with a mini Sukhoi-30MKI was more than challenging. “I used to make paper planes earlier and had sold paper models of the Sukhoi and the MiGs to the Indian Air Force,” says Pujari, who at one point of time, aspired to join the Indian Air Force. However, he never made it. “So, the best way I could fulfil my dream of flying was to model defense aircraft,” says Pujari.

Burning the midnight oil at his workshop in Model Colony, Pujari sat down to make his model Sukhoi-30MKI in early 2000. The imported balsa wood, which is feather light and durable, was cut to precision to get the exact shape of the fighter aircraft. “Replicating the exact design of the Sukhoi-30MKI was the biggest challenge. The aircraft’s centre of gravity was an important issue,” says Pujari, who had to make a slight alteration in order to let the model plane finally take off. “Actually, the Sukhoi-30MKI’s engines are located at its tale. But when I tried doing the same, the model plane failed to take off. So I had to place the engines and fuel tanks right at the nose of the aircraft,” he explains.

Once completed, the model plane became quite a talk among the PAA members who used to practice aermodelling at the Lohegaon Air Force Base seven years ago. But the 9/11 disaster in 2001, compelled the Lohegaon Air Force Base to close doors to outsiders for over six months. “We were not given entry into the Base then. So I went to Ram Tekdi near Fatimanagar and tried my model Sukhoi-30MKI there,” says Pujari. And, much to his pleasant surprise, the model panel successfully made its maiden flight there.

Till date, Pujari’s model Sukhoi-30MKI has made more than 220 sorties and has become a sight for sore eyes among aermodelling aficionados. Pujari has even been approached with tempting offers for sale. “Several people have expressed their interest in buying the model Sukhoi-30MKI. But I can’t part with it, you see, it’s extra special,” smiles Pujari, who spent a lilttle over Rs 10,000 to make that model. Today, it costs more that Rs 25,000.

He even talks about the connection between aeromodelling and full-fledged flying. “Aeromodelling is the first step towards making a career in the aviation industry. I often tell school children interested in making planes, to take aeromodelling very seriously,” says Pujari.

And he wants to achieve something more with his model Sukhoi-30MKI, which can perform the usual loops and barrels, and even supports dummy missiles attached to the underside of its wings. “But I want to try out the actual dogfight manouevres on this model. For that I’ll have to make some real complicated alteration to the model, for instance, the thrust vector nozzles that are located at the tail of the plane, which give it the right thrust and take off direction. I’m working to get that bit right,” he says, taking charge of his transmitter again. And in no time the model Sukhoi-30MKI takes off to the skies for yet another sortie.