Carbon Condor

Project We are designing and building a human-powered aircraft to compete for the Kremer Sporting Aircraft prize administered by the Royal Aeronautical Society. Our design consists of a 78 ft (24 m) span, tailless aircraft which will weigh 50 lbs (23 kg). The aircraft will be built primarily out of carbon fiber to achieve such a large size at such a light weight. A propeller measuring approximately 2 meters (6.6 ft) in diameter will push the aircraft through the air at airspeeds of 22-28mph (35-45 kph). The aircraft will be powered and flown by a 170 lb (77 kg) pilot who will be able to supply 0.4 horsepower (300 watts) while in cruising flight. The pilot will be pedaling from a recumbent position to minimize fuselage frontal area and therefore the aerodynamics drag. As this is a work in progress, parts of the design are likely to change before the final aircraft is built.