MIT Chrysalis
Massachusetts Institute of Technology · United States · first flew 1979 · glider
The Chrysalis was a human-powered biplane, designed and built by graduates and undergraduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with Professor Eugene Larabee as Project Adviser.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Pod-and-boom fuselage covered in transparent Mylar film |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Human-powered biplane with unstaggered wire-braced wings
- Pod-and-boom fuselage covered in transparent Mylar film
- Tractor propeller driven by the pilot
A conventional biplane with wire-braced unstaggered wings, a pod-and-boom fuselage, a single castoring monowheel and a tractor propeller.
Specifications
- The MIT Chrysalis has a length of 11.89 m (39 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 21.95 m (72 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Design work began in late 1978. Construction took 91 days and involved 20 people and 3,500 hours of work. It first flew on 5 June 1979 at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts, piloted by Harold Youngren.
Variants
MIT had previously built two human-powered aircraft, the BURD and BURD II, both unsuccessful. The Chrysalis was a separate design.
Where you'll see it
Between its first flight and its dismantling in September 1979 it made 345 flights with 44 different pilots. It was the first aircraft to use a minimum induced loss propeller.
Related aircraft
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