Human powered vehicle
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Gossamer_Albatross_II.jpg
Gossamer_Albatross_II.jpg
Three human powered vehicles: the Gossamer Albatross II and two bicycles.
A human powered vehicle (HPV) is a vehicle powered solely by human muscular effort. The most common HPVs are rowing boats, canoes and bicycles, but many other kinds of vehicles can employ human power, including submarines, aircraft, hydrofoils, hovercraft and kinetic sculpture vehicles.
Human powered aircraft must be capable of powered takeoffs: this excludes gliders. Perhaps the most well-known human powered plane is the Gossamer Albatross, which flew across the English Channel in 1979.
Recumbent bicycles are the fastest human powered vehicles: as of 2004, Sam Whittingham holds the record, having cycled for 200 m at 81.00 mph (130.36 km/h).
See also
External links
- The Kinetic Sculpture race (http://www.kineticsculpturerace.org)
- The BARTMOBILE - a Kinetic Sculpture Race Machine (http://www.bartmobile.com)
- Decavitator Human-Powered Hydrofoil (http://lancet.mit.edu/decavitator/)
- Human Powered Boats (http://www.humanpoweredboats.com/)de:Muskelkraftbetriebenes Fahrzeug