50°53′53″N 1°23′35″W / 50.89798°N 1.39292°W
SUMPAC | |
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SUMPAC on display at the Solent Sky museum. | |
Role | Human-powered aircraft |
First flight | 9 November 1961 |
Number built | 1 |
The Southampton University Man Powered Aircraft (or SUMPAC) on 9 November 1961 became the first human-powered aeroplane to make an officially authenticated take-off and flight.[1] It was designed and built by Southampton university students between 1960 and 1961 for an attempt at the Kremer prize, but it was never able to complete the 'figure-of-eight' course specified to claim the prize money.[2]