Since humans evolved enough to think about birds, they’ve wondered if they could fly like them.
The problem with the pilot providing the power is that there’s so little of it – most people can produce only about a third of horsepower by pedalling.
HPAs fly slowly and just above the ground or water, so crashes or structural failures are not serious – no one has ever been seriously hurt in an HPA crash.
In the early 1980s, I flew an inflatable HPA called Phoenix, which was made mostly of Mylar glued together with Bostik 1755 adhesive.
Later, flying in London’s Docklands , we achieved a cruise speed of 4mph and accidentally gained the world record for the world’s ‘slowest’ aeroplane.
The race will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first recorded HPA flight which was Southampton University’s Man Power Aircraft which Derek Piggot flew at Lasham airfield in 1960.
Take off will be from The Warren, about four miles east along the coast from Folkestone, England and landing will be on the beach at Cap Griz-Nez in France.
One of the main aims of the race is to encourage the designing and building of HPAs, particularly by young people, to encourage their interest in technical subjects and keeping fit.
To think that several international teams are going to attempt the same feat, on the same day, in a race to see who is the fastest, seems almost a bit bonkers.
Lined up to take part so far are Wiltshire-based Team Aerocycle and a team from Bordeaux University, with others expected to join over the coming weeks.
One example of how the DaSH team worked out the ‘right’ way to make a part concerns the rib caps on the wing and tail ribs.
A windless dawn will be chosen for the race, but a light tail wind might arise; the route is about eastward and the prevailing wind westerly.
A well-known phrase in aircraft design is “simplicate and add lightness.” In planning and building an HPA, it could not be more appropriate.