Human Powered Aircraft

[michaelparso]

I'm doing a study on human powered aircraft but i'm struggling to find much data on existing designs. Does anyone know of any good resources on the subject?

 

[monkeydog]

Sure do,I just did a "google" search on "human powered flight" and got a bunch of hits.

Normally the people on e-tips don't like doing research for others, but I kinda enjoyed this one.

 

[michaelparso]

Yer this is a really interesting subject, the kremer marathon competion that has been set is a real challenge.

I've done a lot of related searches on google etc which has given me the background info however its technical data i'm struggling to find.

 

[monkeydog]

Hard to tell what data you are looking for.
I would guess your best bet is to ask the people who are working on that directly, or go to organizations like AIAA for published papers.

 

[GregLocock]

Try IHPVA

Also I'm sure Gossamer Condor or whatever it was called has been the subject of several papers and books, and I'm pretty sure I've seen plans.

generally a search for Paul MacReady or Aerovironment should get you somewhere.



Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[rb1957]

the University of Toronto has been working for years on their ornithopter (a plane powered by a flapping wing, powered by a human) is a completely different approach to the problem.

how about this site ...

http://www.nasg.com/hpa/refer.html

are you planning on competing for this new prize ? are you looking for full technical descritpion on previous (and current) models ? if so, i think you're dreaming, that projects, past and current, are going to fully disclose their hard earned data. i think you most you'll get are generalisations (like you probably already have).

 

[aerodog]

Check Da Vinci's "Codex on the Flight of Birds" dated 1505-1506. He was the first to propose man powered flight and his diagrams are on display in the museum of science in Florence Italy.

 

[amorrison]

Try

http://www.bhpc.org.uk/

http://www.ihpva.org/HParchive/issues.htm

http://www.asme.org/Events/Contests/HPV/Human_Powered_Vehicle.cfm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Powered_Vehicle

 

[PropulsionAccess]

also try

http://www.ihpva.org/Air

-carp

http://www.PropulsionAccess.com/

Propulsion Engineering Community

 

[berkshire]

You might also check with MIT on the daedalus project.
B.E.

 

[InteroperabilityFix]

Will there ever be a marketable HPA? One that you can carry in your car/truck, bring it to a field and start flying on a nice calm day?
Imagine how much cheaper and more accesible that would be than any powered aircraft or air-towed glider!
I have some ideas on a radical VTOL HPA design but no way to test them.

_______________________________________
Scientific/Engineering Code Exchange:

http://www.solvengineer.com

 

[rb1957]

i think that the athletic requirements would exclude most of the population. also the ultra-low weight design and materials would probably make this an expensive proposition, i'd think much more than a powered ultra-light. would it be possible to design an ultra-light as a soaring glider (most of them look like they'd glide like a space shuttle).

 

[Jordonlaw]

"Would it be possible to design an ultra-light as a soaring glider (most of them look like they'd glide like a space shuttle)."

Check out Roger Ruppert's work at :-

http://www.ruppert-composite.ch/deutsch/downloads/swissglider2002.pdf

This guy used to be very competitive with free flight model aircraft and then went on to apply his composites experience to lightweight gliders.

 

[rb1957]

really cool link, but those are high performance hang gliders ... i was thinking more along the lines of a powered ultralight as a pwoered glider (use the engine to launch, then soar.

still, very neat looking gliders

 

[permagne]

The italian company Pipistrel makes an hybrid between ultralight aircraft and a glider. Its a glider with engine in the front, or maybe an ultralight with slighly wider wingspan.

I doubt that it's possible to make an UL plane human powered. Im flying an zephyr 2000 UL which has a glide ratio to 16:1, witch is good performance for UL, but still not good enough for human powered flights I think.

Per Magne

 

[berkshire]

rb1957
This link is to a part 103 legal sailplane.

http://www.glidersport.net/about.html

Also solar powered sailplanes have been produced.
that are true sailplanes. A character at Ramona Ca has a solar powered sailplane with 5000watts of generating capability. It uses a 6hp motor.
B.E.