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Empirical
Daedalus 88 was a human-powered aircraft made by the MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. It was named after the mythical inventor Daedalus who escaped from Crete using manmade wings along with his son Icarus who fell into the sea in the area which bears his name, the Icarian Sea. In April 23 1988 Daedalus 88 flew between two Greek islands, from Crete to Santorini and broke two world records for distance and time: 116.58km (72.44 miles) in 3 hours, 54 minutes, 59 seconds. These records still hold (the previous record was the 22-mile flight of Gossamer Albatross over the English Channel).
The pilot was Kanellos Kanellopoulos (30 years old at the time), a 15-time bicycle champion of Greece, 16-time Balkan champion (2 golden awards) and 2nd place winner in Mediterranean Games in Casablanca.
From MIT page: "Like other well-conditioned cyclists tested for the job, the pilot’s body had an unusual ability to process oxygen. En route, to bolster performance, he carried and consumed huge quantities of a drink specially developed to replenish depleted blood with fluids, salt, and glucose".
Recently, there was a tribute to this effort in Thessaloniki city ( Greece ) where the pilot Kanellos Kanellopoulos was awarded and there was a projection of the documentary for the public. The event "Daedalus in Thessaloniki" was organized by a local bike club (BikeRespect / AÏχική) and the municipality of Thessaloniki.
Specifications (Daedalus 88)
General Characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 28 ft 2 in (8.6 m)
- Wingspan: 111 ft 6 in (34 m)
- Wing area: 322.8 ft² (29.98 m²)
- Empty: 70 lb (32 kg)
- Loaded: 229 lb (104 kg)
- Powerplant: pilot
PDF: Daedalus Drawing
In case you haven't seen this excellent documentary (which is most likely since it's not available and was only recently uploaded) it is more than worth it!
There is also a book about this effort: "The fullness of wings: The making of a new Daedalus" -difficult to find though except in used condition.
English version in 3 parts:
The full Greek version of the documentary (Greek subtitles) which also includes a recent interview of Kanellos (now 54) and the chief responsible of the Greek air-force in Crete that provided support for the project.
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