Going for

the Record

At the end of July the team assembled at
Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire
for the Icarus Cup competition.

YWELL   is one of the few airfields

that I have been to that actually isn’t

a former RAF base. From the time it

was established 85 years ago, it has been a

civilian aerodrome, although it was pressed

into service as a training facility and aircraft

repair centre during the Second World War.

It is now an aviation museum and home to

a number of different flying clubs.

S

There were a handful of other teams who had

brought along their aircraft. Some of these

were new; others had flown previously but

now had experimental new design features.

Over the course of a few days they would

compete in a number of different disciplines,

or tasks: to achieve the longest flight or the

shortest take-off; to be fastest over 1 kilometre,

200 metres, a slalom course and a triangular

Top: Until air is passing

over the wing to create

lift, the lightweight foam

structures tend to sag,

which could cause

damage, so they need

a bit of support from the

team members.

Middle: The gears, where

muscle power would be

converted to lift.

Bottom: The cockpit used

transparent film stretched

over foam ribs to give a

streamlined form.

Far right: Where necessary,

the transparent film was

sealed in place using

tape to make sure it

wouldn’t flap open, letting

air rush in and unbalancing

the aircraft.

128  HUMAN POWERED AIRCRAFT