HPA Toucan
Hertfordshire Pedal Aeronauts · United Kingdom · first flew 1972 · glider
The HPA Toucan was a British two-seat human-powered aircraft, the first two-person human-powered aircraft to fly.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Enormous 37 m mid-wing with a tiny fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Enormous 37 m mid-wing with a tiny fuselage
- Two crew sitting in tandem under a transparent cover
- Balsa pusher propeller at the rear of the tail unit
A mid-wing human-powered monoplane with tandem crew, pedal-driven chains turning the main wheel and a two-bladed pusher propeller.
Specifications
- The HPA Toucan has a length of 8.74 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 37.49 m (123 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 54.5 km/h (34 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Hertfordshire Pedal Aeronauts formed in 1965, mainly from Handley Page staff. Construction began in 1967, and after hops on 16 June 1972 the first flight was on 23 December 1972.
Variants
Only one was built; it was designed by Martyn Pressnell.
Where you'll see it
Flown by Bryan Bowen with Derek May as crewman, its longest flight of 1972 was 204 ft; on 3 July 1973 it flew 2,100 ft at a height of 15 to 20 ft.
Related aircraft
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