Italy has returned the first aircraft ever built in Ethiopia, more than eight decades after it was taken by Italy. The red two-seater plane, named “Tsehay” in honor of Emperor Haile Selassie’s princess daughter, was officially handed over in a ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Rome.
Constructed in 1935 during Emperor Selassie’s reign, the aircraft was a joint project involving German pilot Herr Ludwig Weber and Ethiopian engineers. It has been on display at the Italian Aviation Museum in Rome until now.
The aircraft, featuring a more powerful engine and essential components like a compass and pilot controls, has been relocated to the newly constructed Adwa Victory Memorial museum in Addis Ababa.
The handover occurred during Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s recent visit to Italy for the Italy-Africa Summit. “Tsehay” was designed as a dual-controlled aircraft with a seven-cylinder Walter Vinus engine and a horsepower of 115. Its maiden flight took place in December 1935, piloted by Weber on a 50-kilometer journey from Addis Ababa.