• By Danny Allen
    Sep 1, 2009 12:40 PM 28,941
    read more: #diy, #pedalpoweredplane, #selfflight, #humanpoweredflight, #albatross, #condor, #gossamer, #gossameralbatross, #gossamercondor, #engineering, #wtf, #flight, #planes, #glider, #science, #henrykremer, #wingspan, #reynoldsnumber, #jessevankuijk, #extremeengineering, #flying, #aerospace, #ecomodo, #ecomodo

    Crazy Teenager Takes Off In Homemade Pedal-Powered Aircraft

    Everyone wishes they could fly, but this 19-year-old kid spent three years building his dream from balsa wood, rip-resistant foil and plastic wrap. And amazingly, the 85-foot-wingspan craft has already hopped a distance of about 35 feet.

    The modest distance (and height of about 5 feet) isn't a bad start in human-powered flight for a do-it-yourselfer. Dutchman Jesse van Kuijk hopes to go further in the future, without the bike chain powering his propeller slipping off its cog.

    Though he's never flown in a real plane, Jesse says he studied self-powered craft like the Gossamer Condor and the English-Channel crossing Gossamer Albatross. He also got tips from the Albatross' pilot, American Bryan Allen, who is now a software engineer for the Mars exploration project.

    So, what did you do this Summer? [Spiegel via Inhabitat]

    Pedal-Powered Balsa Wood Plane Gallery


    Send an email to Danny Allen, the author of this post, at dallen@gizmodo.com.