German hobbyist builds flying A-380 model

A German hobbyist has taken model plane building to new heights by building a flying model of an A-380 passenger aircraft.

 

Peter Michel posted on YouTube a video of his flying model A-380, which he fashioned out of styrofoam and lightweight balsa wood in eight months.

 

The eight-minute video, posted last Oct. 5, has gained close to 3 million views as of Nov. 28, and gained the awe of Singapore Airlines.

 

 

"Footage of the miniature plane taking off, flying and landing has garnered more than 2 million views on YouTube. We found it so awesome that we simply had to share it," Singapore Airlines said on its Facebook page where it shared the video on Wednesday, after noting the model aircraft bore its name.

 

Singapore Airlines noted Michel took eight months, 5,000 working hours, "and a whole lot of styrofoam and lightweight balsa wood" to "complete his labor of love."

 

A separate article on CNET said the 16-foot-long model uses four small turbine engines, and wowed a crowd at a recent model airplane show in Switzerland.

 

"This plane has definitely resonated with aviation fans. As of this writing, the YouTube video showing its flight has been viewed more than 2.7 million times," it added.

 

CNET said the plane is "15.8 feet long, has a wingspan of 17.4 feet, weighs 156.1 pounds, and has a 2.6-gallon fuel tank that burns through 0.3 gallons a minute." — TJD, GMA News