Toucan | |
---|---|
Role | Two-seat Human-powered aircraft |
National origin | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Hertfordshire Pedal Aeronauts |
First flight | 23 December 1972 |
Number built | 1 |
The HPA Toucan is a British two-seat human-powered aircraft built and flown by members of the Hertfordshire Pedal Aeronauts and was the first two-person human-powered aircraft to fly. [1]
The Hertfordshire Pedal Aeronauts was formed in 1965, mainly from the staff of Handley Page Limited, to design and build a human-powered aircraft and to compete for the Kremer Prize. The aircraft, unique in being powered by two persons, was designed by Martyn Pressnell. Pressnell was at the time a stress engineer with Handley Page. [1] Partly funded by a grant from the Royal Aeronautical Society construction began in 1967 and was completed in 1972. [1] Following taxying trials at Radlett Aerodrome on 16 June 1972 when brief hops were made, the aircraft made its first flight on 23 December 1972. [1] [2] Flown by Bryan Bowen with Derek May as crewman the longest flight was 204 ft (62 m), the Toucan flew again on 3 July 1973 for 2,100 ft (640 m) and achieved a height of 15 to 20 ft (4.6 to 6.1 m). [1]
The Toucan is a mid-wing cantilever monoplane with the fuselage a braced structure of spruce and balsa and covered with Melinex. [1] The wing spars had spruce booms and plywood edges and the ribs were made from balsa and like the fuselage it was covered with Melenix. [1] The landing gear was a non-retractable the main wheel and tailwheel in tandem, it also had small outrigger wheels under the wings. [1] The two crew sit in tandem under a transparent removable cover, the power is generated by the two crew using bicycle pedals which were connected by chains to drive the main wheel and via a shaft a two-bladed balsa pusher propeller mounted at the rear of the tail unit. [1]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1973-74 [1]
General characteristics
Performance
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