Eco Factor: Human-powered aircraft with flapping wings.
The University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies has made aviation history by building and flying the “Snowbird”, a human-powered airplane with flapping wings. The first-of-its-kind aircraft to fly continuously, the Snowbird performed its record-breaking flight August 2 at the Great Lakes Gliding Club in Tottenham, Ontario.
The aircraft with flapping wings sustained both altitude and airspeed for 19.3 seconds, and covered a distance of 145 meters at an average speed of 25.6kph. The Snowbird weighs just 94lbs. and has a wing span of 32 meters (105 feet). Although its wingspan is comparable to that of a Boeing 737, the Snowbird weighs less than all of the pillows on board. Pilot Reichert lost 18 lbs. of body weight this past summer to facilitate flying the aircraft.
Via: ZDNet
