The M. I. T. Man-Powered Aircraft

Man's desire to fly under his own power has been given stimulus and a defined goal in the form of the Kremer Competition. A group of students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology formed a team for the purpose of designing and constructing an aircraft for this competition. The result of this effort is an aircraft of biplane canard configuration. A two-person crew powers a pusher propeller. The structure of the flying surfaces is balsa wood. The fuselage is constructed of aluminum tubing. Polypropylene film covers the frameworks. The results of the test program to date have brought out several problem areas. These include the need to strengthen the canard spar, relocate the canard hinge point, provide for ground steering, and replace the rear wheel with a stronger version. Other problems have occurred in the areas of the propulsion system and spoiler control actuation. The design of the aircraft, which is named the BURD, its construction, and the results of the tests to date are covered in this paper.