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If you live in the Rhondda, chances are you've spotted Gerald Howells driving around the Valley with a space shuttle attached to the top of his car.

Strapped to the roof of his red Vauxhall Corsa, the rocket comes complete with propellers, stabiliser wings, blacked out windows and the word 'Shuttle' written across the front.

The spacecraft has been causing quite a stir on social media this week, with many people on local Facebook groups describing it as looking like a "submarine", an "alien spotter", a "campercan" and a "weather machine".

"I've seen this around a lot later and can't work out what it's purpose is," one user posted to the Rhondda Our-Valley Facebook group, while another wrote: "What the hell is it? Rocket Man!"

In a bid to answer some of these questions and to find out a bit more about the mysterious shuttle, we decided to track Gerald down.

But, what we discovered is that there's a lot more to the 71-year-old inventor than just the rocket on top of his car.

Watch as Gerald talks about his shuttle and shows us some of his other inventions:

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A self-taught inventor and jack of all trades, Gerald has worked everywhere - starting on the Valleys coal lorries, before becoming an electrician, a fireman, a gardener, a red-coat in Butlins, and even a paid actor - appearing in a number of Welsh programmes and fims.

But, as interesting as his past may be, it's Gerald's crazy contraptions and wacky inventions that have really captured people's attention.

Although Gerald says he's always been "mechanically minded" and interested in art, his love of gadgets and inventions really started after he fell ill and had to give up his career as an actor.

"I was really ill and I was in hospital for a year - so I had to give up the acting.

"That meant I had a lot of time on my hands and I just wanted something to do.

"It was boredom more than anything."

(Image: Mark Lewis)

Gerald has created everything from energy-creating wind turbines out of old bicycle parts to massive robots, boats, propeller-powered bicycles and vintage tandem bikes.

"I've got a wild imagination - always have since school," Gerald, from Treherbert, said.

"As soon as I have one idea, I have another idea - and I just jump from one to another.

"Everything I make works and has a purpose and I make everything out of waste - I don't really buy anything."

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The shuttle is one of Gerald's latest inventions, and the craft - which was created from old life boat rafts - was designed as a "sleeping box" - although, Gerald admits he hasn't actually had chance to sleep in it yet.

"If I'd been on a long run, I'd end up sleeping in the back of the car and waking up with a crick in my neck in the morning.

"So, I thought - hang on, why don't I make a sleeping box on top of the car? One where I can lie down and stretch out in it."

(Image: Mark Lewis)

Working from his "workshop" at the top of the Rhigos mountain - Gerald worked on the shuttle almost every day and night over the summer.

Sometimes, only getting around two to three hours sleep a night.

"I don't want to disturb any of the locals when I'm working, so my workshop is up on top of the Rhigos mountain," he said.

"It's nice and quiet and peaceful. It gives me time to think up there.

"Although, it can get quite windy - but I carry on working in all weather."

With no access to a computer, Gerald says he often stops and chats to the man who works on the ice cream van at the top of the mountain - who fills him in about what people have been saying about the shuttle online.

"I know people talk about me - but I don't care. I'm just happy doing what I'm doing," he said.

"Some people mock me and think it's clutter, others laugh and struggle to understand what's going on.

"But some people turn around and say - hang on, he's on to something by there, don't underestimate him.

"Some people take me seriously and they even end up helping me."

(Image: Mark Lewis)

Gerald's shuttle was built from an old lifeboat raft, which was given to him by a local builder after it was due to be thrown out from a local factory.

"Some of the local builders give me their old waste," he said.

"One day, the builder at this factory said: 'There's a part of a life raft over there, you can have it if you want it.

"So I cleaned it off and thought - I can do something with this."

Gerald - who's always been interested in aerodynamics and sci-fi films - says he chose the "Thunderbird" looking space shuttle shape purely for cosmetic reasons.

But he says there are certain features included on it, which do have a purpose, including the fin on top - which helps to make the car streamline and the stabilisers - which help balance it in the wind.

The shuttle also comes with propellers - which he hopes will eventually heat the sleeping box and a tent which will stretch out from the back and over a frame, giving it "plenty of space" and making it "quite comfortable".

Although Gerald says that there's "still had a lot of work left to be done" with it.

(Image: Mark Lewis)

As well as the shuttle, Gerald has also designed and created a number of other inventions - including a seven foot robot which sits in the middle of his living room.

Taking just 11 weeks to construct and made entirely from waste materials, the machine is modelled on the robot from one of Gerald's favourite television programmes Lost in Space.

It comes complete with a fibreglass base, plastic tube arms, buttons, lights and gripping hands made out of bike gears.

And Gerald hopes the robot - which looks almost identical to the one featured in the film - will soon have working lights and will fit on top of a bicycle so it can be moved from place to place.

(Image: Mark Lewis)

Gerald has also previously built a boat, a vintage tandem bike, a number of wind turbines and is currently in the process of constructing a propeller-powered bicylce.

"I get bored too easily," he said.

"I taught myself how to do everything - mostly, because I couldn't afford to pay anyone else to do it for me.

(Image: Mark Lewis)

"These days you need papers and certificates to be able to do anything. It's all on computers .

"They don't teach kids how to build things anymore.

"You haven't got to go to college to learn how to build. When I was younger - if you could do it, then you could do it."

"I just read a lot of books," he added.

"I've read everything from Einstein to Darwin and I take an interest in everything around me.

"You've got to take all that inspiration and put it into something.

"And, that something could be anything that makes you use your initiative - and, I think that is what has happened to me.

"That, and boredom.

"I'm not doing anything now - I'm 71 and I've been ill.

"But, I feel like I could still do something.

"And, even if it's only a small contribution - it's better than doing nothing at all."