Samarth Kirloskar, 16, did Pune proud when he won the first prize in the aeromodelling competition held at Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur’s annual tech-fest, Techkriti, on January 30.
Sixteen-year-old Punekar, Samarth Kirloskar, did the city proud when he won the first prize in the aeromodelling competition held at Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur’s (IIT-K) annual tech-fest, Techkriti, on January 30.
Passionate about aeromodelling, Samarth pursues it as a hobby, getting sheer joy by involving himself in designing, building and
flying model aircraft, based on principles of aviation.
Samarth, who competed with over 25 teams in the aeromodelling competition, said, “I was the youngest participant, facing designers and engineers from the field of aerospace from IIT-K and other prestigious colleges. Though they were senior to me in age and qualification, I secured the first place, with IIT-K teams securing the second and third positions.”
An arts student from Fergusson College, Samarth has always been passionate about aviation. “I got into aeromodelling because my father, who is also a keen aeromodeller, showed me how to handle a model aircraft. Soon I started accompanying him to aeromodelling competitions,” he said. Samarth’s father, Sudhir Kirloskar, runs an engineering solution company in Pune and his elder brother is pursuing an aeronautical & space engineering programme in the US.
“Earlier I had won two competitions, but this has been my biggest achievement so far. It was a great experience to be at IIT-K, which runs one of the best training programmes in aeronautical and space engineering,” said Samarth.
At a recently-held aeromodelling competition at the College of Engineering, Pune’s (CoEP) technical festival, Samarth won the first prize leaving behind 35 teams of senior students.
The aircraft model that Samarth designed for Techkriti was made using biofoam, a locally available material, equipped with an electric motor and a remote control. The aircraft models were
supposed to be based on individual designs.
“I have built many aircraft models and I know how these planes fly. One has to apply basic principles of a real aircraft and design a smaller version,” said Samarth.
He said that the highlights of the competition were being able to do specific aerobatic manoeuvres such as loops, stall turns, bunts, besides more precise moves such as the Cuban Eight. This was followed by dropping off payloads within a target area and flying zigzag around poles on the ground. The participants were also required to perform a pin-point landing within a box on the ground.
Samarth now plans to spend his prize money in buying a new aircraft, giving a further push to his hobby. He plans to complete his higher studies in product & industrial design.
He and his father are a part of a group of 15 aeromodelling enthusiasts, who are working professionals in the age group of 16 to 60. The group gets together to fly their remote-controlled model aircraft in Baner.
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