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However, problems soon began to affect the aircraft and pilot. Allen's radio failed for a while and he was only able to communicate with the accompanying boats by hand and head movements. In addition, Allen's water supply had been estimated for a two-hour flight, but headwinds delayed the crossing
314:
to hook it to safety. However, for the hooking procedure, Allen had gone a little higher and found less air turbulence, so he continued to pedal the aircraft and see if progress could be made. With a calming surface wind, Allen continued, and landed on a beach at
263:). The empty mass of the structure was only 71 lb (32 kg), although the gross mass for the Channel flight was almost 220 lb (100 kg). To maintain the craft in the air, it was designed with very long, tapering wings (high
267:), like those of a glider, allowing the flight to be undertaken with a minimum of power. In still air, the required power was on the order of 300 W (0.40 hp), though even mild turbulence made this figure rise rapidly.
226:, which had won the first Kremer prize on August 23, 1977, by completing a 1-mile (1.6 km)-long figure-eight course. The second Kremer challenge was then announced as a flight across the English Channel recalling
319:
in France. Allen completed the 22.2 mi (35.7 km) crossing in 2 hours and 49 minutes, achieving a top speed of 18 mph (29 km/h) and an average altitude of 5 ft (1.5 m).
729:
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With increasing headwinds, concern grew that the flight would have to be called off. With the coast of France still unseen, an accompanying boat maneuvered in front of the
986:
981:
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The aircraft was designed and built by a team led by Paul B. MacCready, a noted
American aeronautics engineer, designer, and world
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520:
237:" configuration, using a large horizontal stabilizer forward of the wing in a manner similar to the
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and his supply ran out. Without adequate water, Allen suffered from dehydration and leg cramps.
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MacCready's team built two
Albatrosses; the back-up plane was jointly tested as part of the
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to the rehearsed speed of 75 revolutions per minute and took off from a point near
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30:
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630:"BBC Radio 4 - Letter from America by Alistair Cooke, John Wayne obituary, 1979"
303:, England. The Channel conditions and lack of wind were ideal for the crossing.
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aircraft and powered using pedals to drive a large, two-bladed propeller. The
16:
Human-powered aircraft developed by
American aeronautics company AeroVironment
955:
784:
676:. MBI Press, 2004; Dover Publications, Inc., 1991; Houghton Mifflin Co., 1981
348:
Langley/Dryden flight research program in 1980 and was also flown inside the
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79:
67:
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352:, the first ever controlled indoor flight by a human-powered aircraft. The
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259:; the entire structure was then wrapped in a thin, transparent plastic (
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More With Less - Paul MacCready and the dream of efficient flight
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Just before 6 am on June 12, 1979, amateur cyclist and pilot
196:. On June 12, 1979, it completed a successful crossing of the
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was his second human-powered aircraft, the first being the
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Gossamer
Odyssey: The Triumph of Human-Powered Flight
255:
frame, with the ribs of the wings made with expanded
204:
worth £100,000 (equivalent to £639,000 in 2023).
373:
broadcast of 15/17 Jun 1979 to Allen's achievement.
530:
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
987:Individual aircraft in the Smithsonian Institution
749:photography by the team's photographer, Don Monroe
953:
669:, November 1979, vol. 156, n. 5, p. 640-651
725:List of displayed aircraft at Udvar-Hazy center
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636:
783:
776:
762:
982:1970s United States experimental aircraft
587:Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
207:
327:
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505:0.44 lb/sq ft (2.1 kg/m)
954:
493:18 mph (29 km/h, 16 kn)
757:
499:35 mi (56 km, 30 nmi)
439:97 ft 8 in (29.77 m)
433:34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)
385:, MacCready was later awarded the
367:Alistair Cooke devoted some of his
13:
652:
445:16 ft 0 in (4.88 m)
427:145-pound (66 kg) useful load
396:
14:
1008:
702:
659:Allen, Bryan. "Winged Victory of
451:488 sq ft (45.3 m)
392:
285:Armstrong Flight Research Center
29:
356:is currently on display at the
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977:Single-engined pusher aircraft
622:
600:
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561:"Gossamer Albatross ECN-12665"
1:
41:Dryden Flight Research Center
992:Aircraft first flown in 1979
683:. York Custom Graphics, 1982
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7:
733:at Seattle Museum of Flight
509:
323:
106:Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
10:
1013:
842:MacCready Solar Challenger
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690:. Encounter Books, 2002.
645:, Referenced May 19, 2010
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472:215 lb (98 kg)
251:was constructed using a
466:70 lb (32 kg)
412:General characteristics
972:Human-powered aircraft
962:AeroVironment aircraft
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341:
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208:Design and development
180:human-powered aircraft
731:Gossamer Albatross II
719:Gossamer Albatross II
711:Gossamer Albatross II
400:
354:Gossamer Albatross II
334:Gossamer Albatross II
331:
278:
230:'s crossing of 1909.
187:aeronautical engineer
111:Gossamer Albatross II
58:experimental aircraft
37:Gossamer Albatross II
876:NASA Pathfinder Plus
610:. AeroVironment, Inc
608:"Gossamer Albatross"
583:"Gossamer Albatross"
381:For his work on the
233:The aircraft is of "
666:National Geographic
515:Related development
370:Letter From America
362:Seattle, Washington
190:Dr Paul B MacCready
119:Seattle, Washington
49:General information
997:High-wing aircraft
802:Gossamer Albatross
747:Gossamer Albatross
661:Gossamer Albatross
643:MuseumofFlight.org
421:One (pilot-engine)
407:MuseumofFlight.org
402:
383:Gossamer Albatross
342:
289:
281:Gossamer Albatross
249:Gossamer Albatross
218:Gossamer Albatross
200:to win the second
175:Gossamer Albatross
102:Gossamer Albatross
23:Gossamer Albatross
949:
948:
884:
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681:On Gossamer Wings
350:Houston Astrodome
279:The cabin of the
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916:RQ-14 Dragon Eye
906:Nano Hummingbird
836:Gossamer Penguin
824:
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740:Gossamer Penguin
679:Morton Grosser.
672:Morton Grosser.
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358:Museum of Flight
338:Museum of Flight
214:soaring champion
164:Gossamer Penguin
115:Museum of Flight
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967:Canard aircraft
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901:Global Observer
896:FQM-151 Pointer
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871:NASA Pathfinder
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810:Gossamer Condor
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709:NASA's page on
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653:Further reading
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523:Gossamer Condor
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239:Wright brothers
223:Gossamer Condor
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198:English Channel
152:Gossamer Condor
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108:, Virginia, USA
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64:National origin
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717:NASA image of
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686:Ciotti, Paul.
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491:Maximum speed:
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393:Specifications
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261:mylar PET film
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159:Developed into
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147:Developed from
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241:' successful
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228:Louis Blériot
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194:AeroVironment
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612:. Retrieved
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565:. Retrieved
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456:Aspect ratio
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295:powered the
290:
287:, April 1979
280:
271:The crossing
265:aspect ratio
253:carbon fiber
248:
244:Wright Flyer
242:
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202:Kremer prize
174:
173:
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139:First flight
126:Number built
110:
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75:Manufacturer
36:
22:
936:Switchblade
911:RQ-11 Raven
866:NASA Helios
484:Performance
476:Powerplant:
293:Bryan Allen
257:polystyrene
192:'s company
956:Categories
921:RQ-20 Puma
834:MacCready
808:MacCready
800:MacCready
521:MacCready
449:Wing area:
340:in Seattle
301:Folkestone
614:March 26,
592:March 26,
567:March 26,
544:Citations
478:1 × Human
437:Wingspan:
425:Capacity:
405:Data from
312:Albatross
297:Albatross
182:built by
787:aircraft
510:See also
324:Versions
184:American
86:Designer
931:SkyTote
827:Piloted
443:Height:
431:Length:
336:at the
134:History
43:in 1980
694:
563:. NASA
536:SUMPAC
497:Range:
377:Prizes
235:canard
98:Status
419:Crew:
178:is a
121:, USA
941:Wasp
926:T-20
854:UAVs
852:NASA
692:ISBN
616:2015
594:2015
569:2015
460:19.5
346:NASA
332:The
172:The
142:1979
104:I -
54:Type
35:The
663:".
360:in
117:in
39:at
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585:.
552:^
389:.
364:.
283:,
216:.
113:-
777:e
770:t
763:v
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458::
129:2
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