Final-year aerospace engineering students are now actively involved in building a human-powered aircraft as part of their degree.
The Bath project was started by Gareth Evans from Airbus, who designed the frame for a human-powered plane but was unable to finish it owing to a lack of resources and space. He donated it to the university so that engineering students could complete it.
Last year, final-year aerospace engineering students Dan Scarfe and Jon Cherry took on the challenge and designed and built wings for the aircraft using their knowledge of previous human aviation. This year, a new group of students will build on this design to complete the plane and test it out to see if it flies.
Dr James Cunningham, a reader in Mechanical Engineering at the university and supervisor of the project, said that it represented a real challenge for the students as it combined their knowledge of structures and aerodynamics to design and build a pedal-powered lightweight aircraft.
’The aim is to build the aircraft using readily available low-cost materials and relatively simple technologies,’ he said.
The students expect to be carrying out the first test flights by Easter 2011.
Nanogenerator consumes CO2 to generate electricity
Whoopee, they've solved how to keep a light on but not a lot else.