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SUMPAC
	SUMPAC on display at the Solent Sky museum.
Role	Human-powered aircraft
First flight	9 November 1961
Number built	1

50°53′53″N 1°23′35″W / 50.89798°N 1.39292°W / 50.89798; -1.39292

The Southampton University Man Powered Aircraft (or SUMPAC) on 9 November 1961 became the first human-powered aeroplane to make an officially authenticated take-off and flight.^[1] It was designed and built by Southampton university students between 1960 and 1961 for an attempt at the Kremer prize, but it was never able to complete the 'figure-of-eight' course specified to claim the prize money.^[2]

Design and development

The aircraft was designed and built by a team of post-graduate students from Southampton University. Intended to compete for the £50,000 Kremer Prize (requiring successful completion of a one-mile (1.6 km) 'figure of eight' course) the project was funded by the Royal Aeronautical Society.^[2]

The aircraft is of conventional configuration, with the exception of a pylon mounted pusher propeller, and is constructed from balsa, plywood and aluminium alloy. Originally covered with silver-doped Nylon the aircraft now sports a transparent plastic skin on the fuselage.

The SUMPAC was powered using pedals and chains to drive a large two-bladed propeller. Piloted by noted gliding instructor and test pilot Derek Piggott, its first flight on 9 November 1961 at Lasham airfield covered a distance of 70 yards (64 m) and climbed to a height of six feet (1.8 m).^[2] The longest flight made was 650 yards (594 m) rising to a maximum height of 15 ft (4.6 m). Turns were attempted, with 80 degrees the best achieved. A total of 40 flights were made by SUMPAC.^[3] After a crash in 1963 which caused damage to the fragile structure it was decided to retire the aircraft although it had been repaired.^[2]

The SUMPAC is currently on display at the Solent Sky museum; it was loaned for some time to the Shuttleworth Collection but now resides in its hometown of Southampton.

Specifications

Data from The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs du Monde Volume II^[2]^[4]^[5]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
Wingspan: 80 ft 1 in (24.4 m)
Wing area: 300 sq ft (27.9 m²)
Aspect ratio: 21.3
Airfoil: NACA 65_a 818
Empty weight: 128 lb (58.1 kg)
Gross weight: 268 lb (121.6 kg)

Performance

Never exceed speed: 21 mph (33 km/h, 18 kn)
g limits: +1.5 -1 at 16.4 mph; 14.3 kn (26.4 km/h)
Maximum glide ratio: 34 at 65 mph; 57 kn (105 km/h)
Rate of sink: 37 ft/min (0.19 m/s) at 17 mph; 15 kn (27 km/h)
Lift-to-drag: 36 at 20 mph; 17 kn (32 km/h)
Wing loading: 0.89 lb/sq ft (4.35 kg/m²)

References

Notes

^ "BBC News web-site". Retrieved 15 November 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Guttery 1969, p. 70.
^ Details of SUMPAC
^ Shenstone, B.S.; K.G. Wilkinson (1963). The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs du Monde Volume II (in English, French, and German) (1st ed.). Zurich: Organisation Scientifique et Technique Internationale du Vol a Voile (OSTIV) and Schweizer Aero-Revue. pp. 120–121.
^ Flight International, 23 December 1971 p1014

Bibliography

Shenstone, B.S.; K.G. Wilkinson (1963). The World's Sailplanes:Die Segelflugzeuge der Welt:Les Planeurs du Monde Volume II (in English, French, and German) (1st ed.). Zurich: Organisation Scientifique et Technique Internationale du Vol a Voile (OSTIV) and Schweizer Aero-Revue. pp. 34–36.
Guttery, T.E. The Shuttleworth Collection. London: Wm. Carling & Co, 1969. SBN 901319-01-5
Man powered flight advances