Icarus Cup 2024

Jesse made a short visit to the Icarus Cup 2024. The competition was held at the large runway of Manston, just like last year. Likely this will be the last year at Manston, as this former RAF airbase will be redeveloped into a cargo airfield.

Only 3 HPAs were present: Aerocycle301, Aerocycle302, and Lazarus. This year it was not much of a competition, but we just did some nice flying. John Edgley generously offered Aerocycle301 for many flights by many people. Aerocycle302 was kept as the real competition aircraft, even though only the two strongest cyclists flew it, just like last year. Jesse also got to fly Aerocycle301 again. After a long, cold morning of waiting till many novice pilots made some ground loops and first flights, he finally got to fly for half a minute. If only he could bring his own HPA to the Icarus Cup!

Lazarus by SUHPA had a new drivetrain concept. It remains a mystery why they chose this concept, but it was an interesting engineering experiment. Some initial testing trouble occurred, followed by hasty mail deliveries of replacement parts. But they managed to fix it in time, for some short flights with this new drivetrain!

Strath HPA was also present again, working on their first design but helping out with ground handling and some flying of Aerocycle301.

We had expected some more HPAs, however: for unknown reasons, Betterfly and Airglow again did not show up. LeDash would like to come over from France, but the customs hassle was so large the previous year (hours and hours of delay for no real reason), that they did not join this year. Max was too busy with his work to repair Disco Volante. Maybe a next time!

Charles, however, surprised everyone by showing up with an EPA: electric powered aircraft. Originally meant as a small and fast HPA, this experimental aircraft was given electric propulsion because of the high power requirement. The different construction techniques proved to work just fine, and the EPA did many taxi trials and ground runs. The design fits the sub-70-kg aircraft class in the UK, where microlight aviation innovation is happening. This class does not exist in the Netherlands.

The yearly BHPFC change of the board took place during the AGM. We also had a good RAeS Human Powered Flight Specialty Group meeting.

Here is an overview of the event with photos in random order!

The people at Icarus Cup 2024. (Jesse is taking the picture so he’s not in it.)

To be continued.

The ground crew handling Aerocycle302.
Ground handling of Aerocycle302.
Attaching the elevator to the controls of Aerocycle302.
The first evening with flyable weather, we did some spot landings on the taxiway near the hangar.
Flying the spot landing task.
Beautiful colored skies at 4.30 in the morning, this is why Turner painted some British seascapes here.
Tony Prentice, marshall of the Icarus Cup, beaming in the morning sun. He drives around in his van to set up the competition tasks and to keep the score, together with other marshalls.
In discussion with the marshalls.
Kit Buchanan provides the much needed power to get Lazarus in the air.
Lazarus is resting with one wing tip on the ground after a flight attempt. Kit is still in the cockpit.
Lazarus is just off the ground, flying across the runway because of the crosswind.
The new drivetrain concept of Lazarus. The crown wheel drives a pinion which has ball bearings instead of teeth. According to the SUHPA team, this should reduce friction. This is a test version, so the mass increase over normal bevel gears is accepted.
We’re enjoying some tough technical discussions about the Lazarus drivetrain, after a nice dinner at the Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate.
Aerocycle301 is being carried through the door opening. Look carefully, and see that the lifting people with the high-viz jackets are pulling on the wires. That prevents accidental damage to the fragile cockpit fairing.
Absolute legend Alan Blundell (85) is quietly repairing the seat webbing of Aerocycle301. The webbing had stretched over the years and it made pedaling in it quite painful.
After a 3:30 wake up and a whole morning of flight ops, this heavy British breakfast is more than welcome!
Charles Dhenin gives instructions to Kit in the cockpit of Charles’ electric aircraft.
Ground handling the electric microlight aircraft.
The electric aircraft during a ground run on another day. Note the lovely wing dihedral.
Jesse is flying! This is just after take off. It always feels as if you are so much higher in the air than you actually are!
Jesse is flying.
Jesse has just landed after his flight in Aerocycle301. Note the green foam stuffed behind his back. The seat webbing had not been tightened here and it hurt.
Selfie at the RAeS Human Powered Flight Specialty Group meeting. Held in the marquee that was shared with the British Open Paramotor Championship.
Aerocycle302 in the evening sun.
Alec is measuring the wind speed and direction, just before a take off of Lazarus or test run of the electric aircraft.
Lewis, Ed, Peter, Max (who never feels cold), John, and Kit’s parents.
Lazarus in the morning sun.
Jesse’s stay was short, and he wished he could have stayed longer this year. On his way to the train station however, he spotted a dinosaur near the airfield. Close call!