Human Powered Flight 50th anniversary at Lasham
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- čas přidán 12. 11. 2011
- The Royal Aeronautical Society organised commemorative flights at Lasham Airfield to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first proven unassisted flight of a human powered aircraft. Derek Piggott flew the original flight in the aircraft SUMPAC built by Southampton University students. The commemorative flights were made by pilots Bill Brooks and Robin Kraike in the aircraft Airglow which was built by John McIntyre and refurbished by Bill Brooks and his team.
- Věda a technologie
You can't beat a lovely English summer's day
Beautiful mate, I'm in South East Tennessee now and I'm missing it watching this video
A large commercial airline should get one of these and kit it out for long haul. Imagine being at Heathrow and the Captain says "welcome aboard this flight to New York, we hope you enjoy the journey and when I say go START PEDALING!!"
haha i would love to see one of these with 20 guys pedaling, imagine an airport full of them. niceeee
MarathonInfinityHalo as long as there are cheap tickets and free onboard energy bars.. I'm just thinking about the plane in Chicken Run, although made out of a shed it wasn't exactly light weight!
that scene is the only example of a bunch of people powering an airplane just by pedaling, too bad it's made for chickens. let's hope we will see one of them flying one day (the human type, although the other alternative would be interesing as well)
Alright, we are halfway there, keep on pedaling guys! Come on! Come on! NooooooooooOoooOoOOO! I knew a transatlantic flight was a bad idea! AAAAaaaaAAAAA AAAA!
nipty bipty One guy falls asleel
Eveyone dies
My colleague David Williams and I built and flew "Solar One", a solar powered aircraft, on the 19th of December 1978. This article was published in Flight International magazine. Search online "Flight global archive" for the Solar One article. Soon after that I went on to design and build the inflatable HPA "Phoenix". This aircraft had a span of 102 ft. and could be packed and carried on top of a car.
My father and I used to talk about how to build a similar plane and do this for almost all of my teenage years, He died when I was 18 before this flight happened. My father was a Spitfire Mechanic in WW II.
Heavy millstones with gyroscopic force? :P
Free energy is coming back around, new earth is being built and designed by the intelligence in gen z as the days go on ;) Nothing to worry about, everything on the news is a distraction
they couldn't of picked a worse day to do this
Thank you for your comment. We wanted to make this flight as near to the anniversary date of the first UK flight, it was also a weekend when most of those who took part did not have to go to work. You might even notice that Derek Piggott was present at this anniversary flight. Derek is very much around and visited us this week at our BHPFC Sywell human powered flying competition, Derek is now about 94 years old. At this competition we also recorded the first ever human powered flight made in the UK by a female. See also my you tube posting of the clip of this brief flight.... czcams.com/video/V7LxF2-ci8U/video.html
Couldn't HAVE*.
Fuck sake.
+insultantable wow quite some history now im gonna sub
dude i feel ya.... i see this everyday on CZcams
could just be me, but i think a day like that would be an advantage because of the cold and therefore more dense air?
It is innovative and WONDERFUL! Best of luck to all you experimental aviators out there!!
+Aaron Waddell . Thanks for your encouragement. We hold competitions in the UK every year and the aircraft keep on improving. The design and construction of these aircraft challenge aspects of aerodynamics refinement, skill in construction and innovation. It builds teamwork and an understanding of the movement of the weather and airflow, it challenges the limits and well-being of the human body and the pilot's coordination skills. For a relatively low cost it is possible to build a real aircraft. Finally, it is great fun and quite exhilarating.
Thank you for your encouragement. These aircraft tend to stay at below 10 metres above ground in order to reduce power required to fly ( ground effect).
I see, thanks for your kind reply. AND the video of this amazing piece of work.
Human power flights should have a power reserve like in automatic watches which delivers constant power to the propeller! That will make sure that the pilot is not constantly peddling to keep the craft in flight!
At present, most of the human powered aircraft require 220 to 300 watts to sustain level flight under ground effect. By flying under ground effect the induced drag of the wing is reduced by up to 50%. In order to fly out of ground effect this power requirement goes up to above 300watts. The aircraft would have to be stronger to be safe, that increases weight and power requirement further. Of course it is the goal of designers to keep improving the breed.
This 50th Anniversary flight commemorated the flight made at 4.30pm on the 9th of November 1961 by the aircraft SUMPAC, the pilot then was Derek Piggott, who is seen in this video clip as a spectator during the rollout.
This is incredible!
This is really cool I admire your professional skills and you are a great inspiration to me
Love the Papyrus font on the side
Thank you for your encouragements.
awsome thanks
If you took that out on the plains on a hot day, you could take advantage of the thermals for lift.
Make like an infinite sailplane. Just pedal to make up for the occasional lack of updrafts.
a best day to fly an aircraft with no redio
s_ r "redio"?
Thank you.
thank you for the kind and pertinent reply.
I understand, they deserve to flying it.
VERY, VERY GOOD !!!!
That was thrilling!
We are now also setting up a cross-channel human powered flying competition to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Derek Piggott's flight, so keep you eyes on the web for this exciting announcement to come soon.
You are right. It is very well built.
The book was by Keith Sherwin, who has since written 2 other books on the subject. Wood and aluminium were the main construction materials used up till then. As carbon fibre is extensively used structurally now, HPAs to-day weigh about 20 kgs less. Propellor and aerodynamic design have also improved. Most relatively fit people are now capable of flying HPAs. Power requirement range between 220w to 300w to fly under ground effect. Carbon fibre is high now due to its extensive use in aircraft.
very cool!
NICE!!
Thank you for your interest. There are plans to fine tune and improve the performance of Airglow.
You do not need a pilot's licence to fly a human powered aircraft. The UK CAA also do not require you to. But it is advisable to join the BHPA ( British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association) which now has a section to insure Human Powered Aircraft pilots. The annual membership fee is around £85. This arrangement was one of the items that was necessary when we organised the Icarus Cup 2012 at Lasham which took place between the 13th and the 22nd of July.
It must be such a cool sensation to be floating along just on the power of your legs.
You are absolutely right, if you can pump out 300watt by the power of your legs , you don't weigh much more than 60kg and you've got an aircraft as good as Airglow then you can fly.
how high does this human-powered aircraft can fly, Sir? Nice job!
thank for share,
Thanks for your comment. It's not my job to defend Airglow, but this aircraft is still considered a very well designed and constructed aircraft of its type, it is hardly a child's toy. It is definitely able to take-off under the power of the pilot alone. Climbing depends solely on the pilot's power. Where did you obtained your definition of an aircraft? It is quite an achievement when one considers that the aircraft can fly with less than 1/2 hp, that's about 1/5 the power of a vacuum cleaner.
Did he file an IFR flight plan lol. Pretty foggy out there. Imagine that thing flying an instrument approach
I have never heard of PPIFR. The conditions were not considered marginal for HPAs to fly that morning, as the aircraft also remained within the airfield during the celebration flights. The telephoto setting on the camcorder for one or 2 of the shots give the impression of a lot of mist. I hope that answers your question. Both pilots who flew the aircraft that day are extremely experienced.
Thank you for your comment. You are right about the age, but both Bill and Robin are pretty fit. They also spent a lot of their time restoring this aircraft to flying condition and well deserved flying it on this important anniversary. Robin is now even fitter. Both pilots had a heavy workload at the time at P+M Aviation, but they were committed to celebrate the 50th anniversary. There is an outer wing section which will be tried in the future, increasing span and aspect ratio.
That's a good idea. Good luck.
Thanks. The pilot Bill Brooks is a brilliant pilot and designer. He is also the chairman of the human powered aircraft group of the RAeS. The group organised the 9 days "Icarus Cup" HPA competition at Lasham at the end of July. There were 5 HPAs competing. With 200m races, 1km races, slaom course tasks, duration and short take-off tasks. I will be posting exciting videos of this event soon. We think that this is the first time a purely Human Powered Flight competition has been held.
There is nothing to stop anyone using stored power, but the definition of a human powered aircraft is that there should be no power assistance of any type.
It was a typically cold British November morning. There were quite a few present, including Derek Piggott, who flew SUMPAC 50 years ago. The BBC were there to film also. Members of Lasham Gliding were spectators also. A few students from Southampton University and their prof were there. The team that flew the aircraft were from P&M Aviation. Anyone there that dawn might have provided the cough.
Good luck and good wishes.
Impressive
Due to the limited power output of the average human ( around 0.3hp-0.5hp continuous), it is at present necessary to fly under ground effect, that usually means that the height is kept to about 15m, this maximum height is also kept for safety reasons. Competitions, such as the Icarus Cup, are helping to improve aerodynamics and performances of these aircraft.
was the pilot PPIFR(pedal powered instrument flight rules) rated? from what I could see the conditions were less than marginal VMC :-)
Airglow weighs 35kg, which is very light for the 25m span. It would not be a good idea to catapult launch as the structure would have to be beefed up to take the acceleration. In any case, the video shows Airglow being pushed asisted for take-off but it is quite capable unassisted T-Os. The true definition of a Human Powered Aircraft is that it must be able to take-off solely under the pilot's power. In the 30's a pioneering German HPA " Mufli" did require catapult launch.
That is also first semester college physics -- although levers and possibly pulleys/hydraulics/transmissions are covered to some extent in 8th or 9th grade (It's been awhile).
Yes, the prop is undoubtedly geared down at some fixed ratio (not 1:1) -- one which has been carefully calculated to require the least amount of power from the pilot. The propellers on these things are always carefully optimized and matched to what power is available at the output shaft.
love it!
Wow!! Impressive! Maybe u guys should try out international birdman rally in Japan.
There have been 2 or 3 designs in the past for 2- man power, the main problem with these attempts is that the aircraft has to be larger, meaning larger spans also. The larger span makes the turn difficult as the inside wing is flying at a much lower speed compared to the outside wing.
Some of the scenes were shot on telephoto lens which gives the illusion of thick mist. Visibility was about 1km which was definitely good enough for the pilots that morning, especially when flying at around 20mph. The turn made in the telephoto scene was from one runway to the adjacent one.
Ask one of the pro-climbing cyclists [à la Tour de France type] to jump in, would be fun to see how far they'd go. Best strength to weight ratio imho. Very good job! With new materials the crafts can surely be smaller and more durable.
If you fill the empty spaces in the craft with helium it will reduce enough weight to go a further distance. It is "cheating" the human power principle, but aiding conventional use.
It negates weight like a mini zeppeliner, and weight is the crucial part here... If instead adding a theoretical super boyant gas that makes the vehicle only weigh 1 kilo or less and is super easy to propel forward, how is that any different? Where would you draw the line then?
I would think that the weight is not the principal here... it's the human propelled principal. If it doesn't take gas and it's propelled by the human body then there is no limit. Even a hot air balloon needs a fuel. If you think helium is cheating.... then what is adding gears? Instead of turning the propeller 1000 rpm's by hand are you "cheating" by using gears so you only have to pedal 100 or whatever.... I would think not
I get it. You're ganging up on me because I'm a one eyed-arm-footed person who can't ride bicycles. The random hate these days.. Touche guys, I'm off to refresh my physics. I more or less spun of the feeling it was "unfair" to the oldtimers and got lost. Make the future bright!
A good TDF rider could keep that thing up there from an hour to half a day, depending on the wattage required and if he brings snacks.
I.e. if it takes 300 watts to fly, they'll be up there for a couple hours.
If it takes 200, they could be up there all day.
400 and some could still hang up there for an hour (the best time trialists manage 420 watts for an hour). I think a lightweight time trialist might actually be the best for this job.
Opus 32 use Alberto Contador on EPO, and fill everywhere with helium except where the cyclist sits - they need to breathe!
The best chance for human powered would be some sort of energy storage so you can build up a large charge while gliding and use it up when taking off and such.
At the moment there are 2 aircraft being designed and built in the UK which would be sold as kits. These may not be out for some time yet. You are correct in that these will be recreational aircraft but I have no idea how much they will cost. It is one step forward.
I did not know that u have such nice weather in Britten.
Interessting!
How are they named/ who is buildin g them?
this is amazing..........say: is it possible for the flight machine to take off with electric / mechanical power assist and switch to human powered mode once it has reached a certain height?
Would the returns for speed to power be better with two or more people?
1st semester physics: Power = Force x Distance/Time
These aircraft are optimized to operate at a very low speed to minimize power required. It's a miracle they can fly at all.
That is certainly one way forward.
You are right, but the decision was taken to fly in order to commemorate the anniversary. Several flights were made that morning.
pure flight.
I'm still surprised that this plane dosent have tricycle landing gear. It would be a good ground stabilizer. All up,however, a great flight!
An additional 100w to 200w power through the use of solar cells would be quite feasible. This aspect has been discussed over the years at the Royal Aeronautical Society's HPF Group.The cost for the extra power must be taken into account. The Civil Aviation Authority might then want to regulate the type as it would then be quite possible to fly outside ground effect for lengths of time. With even further addition of solar cells the aircraft then becomes a Solar Powered Aircraft, not a hybrid.
in the daedalus project, i wonder if they had the pilot relive himself before the final 72 mile flight over water just to make sure it was as light as possible
... and once the mist burns off, I should be able to catch a thermal. Well done: a steady 235W takes some effort.
Great, congratulation.
Hanggliders with human power-assisted propellers have been tried,but I think it would take much more power to have any useful effect on gliders, perhaps 3-5 times of what a pilot could sustain. Maybe someone might try it.
Yes, perhaps an additional 60-80 watts power without additional pilot weight could just see that happening. Do visit the following clips that I've posted within the last few days, of flights at the Icarus Cup 2012 Event held at Lasham:-
Icarus Cup 2012,Paul Wales flies Betterfly 500m+
Icarus Cup 2012,Mike Truelove flies Airglow
Make sure it is by insultantable.
I will make one for myself!
The present definition of HPAs is that you are not allowed to release any part of the aircraft. If you have lost your landing gear how do you land the aircraft? The tipping forces from side winds can be very strong due to the large spans , it would require quite widely spaced wheels to be effective in those conditions.
How are these made?
How do they land it without damaging the rear wing?
how about using a Delta wing so that the wing span can be minimised?
why are these not in stores, and affordable, for recreational use? ( in designated areas of coarse)
Someday
I want to fly together .
Interesting question. Only the pedalling gear and transmission were in metal, the rest in carbon fibre or plastic.
What about hand powering and leg powering together??
The idea of the tricycle could be good for taking off. A tricycle that is not attached to the airplane so when it takes off the tricycle is let (remains) on the ground, it would help with keeping the tail of the airplane in the up right position so there's no need for any escort.
Sorry I guess I did't ask the question right, what I really want to know is that : is human powered alone sufficient for the flight machine to fly at high altitude ?
Nice work! Alberto Santos Dumont should be proud of you guys.
And the Wrigh Brothers should be jealous!
This would be good as a glider, it would help you get some extra lift. you'd stay in the air longer
those birds were very offended by that aircraft
+Fred Suero . If the birds are offended by these aircraft, I wonder what they think when the twin engine jet airlines land and take off at the same airfield.
yeah I wrote this to be goofy but I've heard of a lot of birds getting killed in turbines! very very sad .
+Fred Suero . Thanks for your comments anyway.
you are welcome . I'm always looking to lighten up the site :)
Actually, the conditions were pretty good ( calm) apart from the visibility. But the visibility looks much worse in the clip than it was. Thanks for your observation. The team also wanted to do it as close to the anniversary date as possible.
muito bom tem que diminuir o enflechamento das asas assim ele fica mais estavel e mais rapido
How difficult was it to power?
At the moment, most human powered aircraft rely heavily on ground effect in order to reduce power required to fly.These aircraft are stressed to just over 2gs, which means that it would be quite dangerous for them to fly higher than around 15 metres from the ground.
And that was the last time we ever saw Liam...
What about double wings with smaller wing span?
Was airglow in the human powered flight competition? I forget the name.
how fast can it go anyway?
I wonder what the pilots threshold wattage is?
Great!
And with modern materials, maybe solar cells too, it could be brilliant
Real Ale Rules The point is "not to have solar cells".
Wtf??? It's human powered :P
Solar cells? Then the point of this machine is gone!
The perfect day to fly. Nice and foggy.
This clip was taken with a very old and basic compact camera, my apologies.
Cool
They really need to turn up their render distance
He flaired and then leveled out to six-inches off the ground and then greased it in. The long level landing after the flair is that only half of it is the landing roll. My guess.
you could use bike gears and casette maybe?
Would it be possible to make a human powered airplane for more than 1 person
Can the aircraft fly out of WIG?
What is the maximum altitude one of these things has ever achieved I wonder.