Halton Jupiter
RAF Halton · United Kingdom · first flew 1972 · glider
The Halton Jupiter was a British human-powered aircraft that set distance and duration records in the early 1970s. It was flown by the pilot pedalling in a conventional cycling position.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Pod-and-boom fuselage in spruce and balsa |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat shoulder-wing monoplane of 24 m span
- Pylon-mounted pusher propeller driven by the pilot pedalling
- Pod-and-boom fuselage in spruce and balsa
A large, very light aircraft with an 80 ft wing, a spruce and balsa structure and a propeller on a pylon above the pilot.
Specifications
- The Halton Jupiter has a length of 8.99 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 24.38 m (80 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 48 km/h (30 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Chris Roper designed it in 1963 and construction continued to 1968. After a workshop fire in 1969, the remains passed to Flight Lieutenant John Potter at RAF Halton, where about 100 people contributed 4,000 hours to rebuilding it. It first flew on 9 February 1972 at RAF Benson.
Variants
Only one was built, and it is in storage.
Where you'll see it
Between February and the end of May 1972 it made 60 flights. On 29 May 1972 John Potter flew 1,171 yards in 1 minute 47.4 seconds, a distance and duration record for human-powered aircraft.
Related aircraft
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