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Photos: Building a backyard airplane in Kenya

Eight years after Gabriel Nderitu started work on Project One, his first attempt to build a plane, Project 14 stands like a creation from a child’s Meccano set: painted purple, with yellow wooden wheels and a red wooden control panel and the kind of plastic switches used to turn on lights in houses.

Eight years after Gabriel Nderitu started work on Project One, his first attempt to build a plane, Project 14 stands like a creation from a child’s Meccano set: painted purple, with yellow wooden wheels and a red wooden control panel and the kind of plastic switches used to turn on lights in houses.

  (Robyn Dixon / Los Angeles Times)

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For eight years, Gabriel Nderitu has been trying to build his own plane in the backyard of his modest Nairobi home. He’s spent thousands of dollars and had 13 failures. Now he’s on Project 14. He knows it’ll fly. But if it doesn’t, he’s ready to keep going until he succeeds.

Backyard airplane

Gabriel Nderitu has a second plane in his tiny backyard, one that he hopes will take off after the purple one takes to the skies. His neighbors are fascinated by his projects, even though some are also skeptical about his efforts.

  (Robyn Dixon / Los Angeles Times)

Backyard airplane

The control panel of Project 14. There have been plenty of flight tests and 13 failures. But this one is going to fly. Gabriel Nderitu just knows it.

  (Robyn Dixon / Los Angeles Times)

Backyard airplane

Gabriel Nderitu, right, has pursued his dream despite failure after failure, some of which nearly made him weep. “The victim of every crash is always the propeller, and it’s very expensive,” he says.

  (Robyn Dixon / Los Angeles Times)

Backyard airplane

Gabriel Nderitu’s never-give-up attitude has inspired some, who hope, like he does, that the next test -- Project 14 -- will succeed.

  (Robyn Dixon / Los Angeles Times)

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