Local farmer Shu Mansheng sets up a propeller on the motorcycle engine of his self-designed and made flying device before the first test flight in front of his house in Dashu village, on the outskirts of Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei province. (Jason Lee / Reuters)

Mansheng (in red) tests the engines of his flying device ahead of his first test flight. The round steel flying device, which cost more than 20,000 yuan, was the fifth model made by Shu, a junior middle school graduate. It measures up to 5.5 meters in diameter, and is powered by eight motorcycle engines. (Jason Lee / Reuters)

Mansheng sucks fuel out from a tank with his mouth as he tries to refuel his flying device, which uses Coke bottles as fuel tanks. in the cabin before his first test flight in front of his house in Dashu village, on the outskirts of Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei province. (Jason Lee / Reuters)

The device failed a recent test flight. (Jason Lee / Reuters)