- The clip shows a man flying in a self-made aircraft, which has a rotating fan at the rear
- A fact-check reveals the video is not from India, and the person seen flying the aircraft is not Avanish Kumar
- The footage is actually from Manikganj, Bangladesh, and features Julhas Molla
A video claiming that a teenager from Bihar built a working aircraft using scrap in seven days is going viral on social media. The clip shows a man flying in a self-made aircraft, which has a rotating fan at the rear, lifting off the ground in a rural setting.
Posts on platforms like X, Instagram, and Facebook identify the man as 17-year-old Avanish Kumar from Muzaffarpur. The viral story claims he built the aircraft without any formal training, using only Rs 7,000 and basic tools.
Users widely praised the claim, calling the teen a "future scientist" and celebrating his supposed innovation.
This claim is entirely false.
A detailed fact-check reveals the video is not from India, and the person seen flying the aircraft is not Avanish Kumar. The footage is actually from Manikganj, Bangladesh, and features Julhas Molla, a 28-year-old self-taught electronic mechanic.
The video, dated March 4, 2025, documents Mr Molla's successful flight of an ultralight aircraft that he designed and built over a year. His achievement was reported by several credible Bangladeshi news outlets.
Who is Julhas Molla?
Julhas Molla is from Shaitgar Teota village in Shibalaya upazila, Manikganj district, Bangladesh. A college dropout due to financial difficulties, he has been working as an electrician in Dhaka. Despite lacking formal training in aeronautics or engineering, Mr Molla has spent the last four years learning aircraft mechanics through YouTube and hands-on experimentation with remote-controlled planes.
"After my SSC, I had to start working as an electrical mechanic in Dhaka. About four years ago, I developed an interest in making an aeroplane using small remote controls. Later, I dreamt of building an ultralight aircraft, but my initial attempts were unsuccessful," he told The Daily Star.
The handmade aircraft weighs over 100 kg and runs on a 7-horsepower water pump engine that uses petrol or octane. Built with limited funds, the plane is made from aluminium, stainless steel, and iron. It has a wingspan of 32 feet and is 18 feet long.
During its test flight, the aircraft reached a height of 50 feet. It takes off at around 45 kmph and can fly at speeds up to 70 kmph. It consumes one litre of fuel for every 25 to 30 km.
Julhas Molla didn't build his aircraft overnight, and he didn't make it for commercial use. In 2024, his first attempt lifted about 10 to 12 feet off the ground but it wasn't safe enough. So, he dismantled it and spent a year redesigning and rebuilding it.
In early 2025, his new version flew successfully. Thousands of people, including government officials and aviation enthusiasts, watched the test flight. He made it clear that the flight was only experimental, and he kept the altitude below 50 feet on purpose for safety.
"I didn't try to fly it higher than 50 feet because this was just an experimental flight. But if I get the support, I believe I can improve the design and make it even more functional," he said.
