A motorbike repairman based in Hanoi has fascinated many people by building a small helicopter on his own.

The designer of the helicopter is named Nguyen Van Thang, from Long Bien District. His helicopter is 2.6 metres high and 6.8 metres long, weighing around 185kg. Its 38KW engine was taken from a old car and altered to fit the helicopter. According to Thang, the propellers diametre is 5.6 metres and can reach speeds of 700 rotations per minute.

Almost every part of the helicopter was hand-made and assembled, such as the shell and propellers. He said it took him three months and nearly VND200 million (USD9,600) to complete.

When he first brought it out to the field for testing, it was able to fly 50cm above the ground.

"I know that it's dangerous and may pose a danger to the neighbours if flown without expert supervision. To me, it is already a success because was my passion. When I heard about people making things, as a mechanic, I felt inspired and wanted to try to do somethings to test my ability," Thang said.