Mykola Shapovalov, 74, is an amateur aviator. He is building an airplane in the yard of his house in Chernihiv.
Mykola says he was born under the wing of an airplane. He built his first aircraft when he was 6 years old. Aviation always attracted him and he has always felt he has a gift for building aircrafts. He did not receive any special education, did not work in design bureaus, but he has always been connected to aviation: in Sudan, he taught local people how to build aircraft; now he works for a company that maintains private air vehicles.
A few years ago, he decided to realize his dream and started building an airplane based on his own miniature model. He says this is his third aircraft. He is going to call it “Mriia” in honor of his wife Mariia.
He does everything by himself: all the calculations, cutting, welding, riveting. He has learned manufacturing processes at all the stages, often using YouTube videos. He used an American prototype in his airplane model, but with its own features.
Mykola is very proud of his house, which he has built on his own for 30 years.
Here, in its basement, he hid together with his family and neighbors during the first days of the war.
Shortly after they were evacuated, rockets and mines hit the house, and the upper floors were completely burned out. The hangar was also hit by shrapnel, but the plane was not damaged.
Mykola loves Ukraine and does not want peace at any cost.
“Ukraine must be free, he says, and I can wait as long as needed, even for the rest of my life, to see this result.”
The war did not stop him from realizing his dream: he has already rebuilt his house and will soon finish the airplane. And as soon as he finishes, he will fly it to Pyriatyn to get a bird’s eye view of his ancestral estate.”
