Perkins Reluctant Phoenix

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Use British English|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox aircraft | name = Perkins ''Reluctant Phoenix'' | logo = | logo_size = | image = Perkins_Reluctant_Phoenix.jpg | alt = | caption = Rear quarter view of the Perkins ''Reluctant Phoenix'' | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Human-powered aircraft | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = Daniel Perkins | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 1 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 18 July 1966 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = }}

The '''Reluctant Phoenix''' is a British human-powered aircraft, designed and built in the 1960s by the British engineer Daniel Perkins. It was notable for being an inflatable delta-wing tailless design, and for being flown indoors.<ref name=AEROSPACE/><ref name=HPF/><ref name=REAY/>

== Background ==

Perkins was employed with the Ministry of Defense during the 1950s and 1960s and developed a number of inflatable structures; both for his employers and on his own account. In the late 1950s, he built three human-powered aircraft, all with inflatable wings, though none were successful.<ref name=SHERWIN/>

The Reluctant Phoenix was Perkins' fourth design. It was a tailless delta-wing monoplane, with a pusher propeller fitted to the tailing edge of the rudder. The primary structure of the craft consisted of single aluminium tube running along the centre-line of the aircraft. To this were attached the undercarriage's steerable nosewheel, pedal cranks, the pilot seat, the control system, a tailwheel, and the tail fin.<ref name=SHERWIN/> The remainder of the aircraft's structure consisted of the inflatable wing, which was made from polyurethane-coated nylon fabric. The aerofoil was symmetrical with a 20% chord thickness, with the wing being made up of 8 spanwise webs to form the profile.<ref name=AEROSPACE/> The pilot sat in a recumbent position, fully ensconced within the wing, with only his head being exposed above an opening in the upper surface of the wing. The drive mechanism consisted of a set of bicycle pedals driving a rope belt drive, over pulleys, through to the propeller drive shaft.<ref name=SHERWIN/> A set of handlebars, located underneath the pilot's knees, could be moved in three dimensions. A set of elevons built into the trailing edge of the wing allowed for horizontal and lateral control. The all-flying rudder would be used for directional control.<ref name=REAY/> Photographs of the craft show that a pair of vertical wing-tip fins were later added to the craft. It was reported that construction time involved 200 hours, and cost £200.<ref name=REAY/>

Due to no outdoor runaway being available, flight testing took place within the {{convert|812|ft|m|abbr=on}}-long airship hangar at Cardington, Bedfordshire.<ref name=SHERWIN/>

Its first flight took place on 18 July 1966. In all 97 flights were made, all with cyclist Mike Street as the pilot. Most of the flights involved towed launches, but at least four were achieved under human-power alone.<ref name=SHERWIN/> Take-off runs were in the order of {{convert|140|yd|m|abbr=on}}. Flights attained an altitude of {{convert|2|ft|m|abbr=on}}, with the longest distance covered being {{convert|421|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name=REAY/>

After flight testing was completed, the aircraft was placed in storage. After Perkins' death, the craft was transferred to Fred To, who went on to develop a larger inflatable tailless human-powered aircraft called the ''Phoenix''.<ref name=AEROSPACE/>

==Specifications== {{Aircraft specs|ref=The history of man-powered flight<ref name=REAY/> |prime units?=met |crew=1 |capacity= |length m= |length ft= |length in= |span m=8.23 |span ft= |span in= |span note= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |mid span m= |mid span ft= |mid span in= |mid span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |swept note= |dia m= |dia ft= |dia in= |dia note= |width m= |width ft= |width in= |width note= |height m= |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm=23.40 |wing area sqft= |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio=4 |airfoil= |empty weight kg=17.30 |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |more general=

}}

==See also== {{aircontent  |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= * HMPAC Puffin * Malliga 1 * Paxton man-powered aircraft * Weybridge ''Mercury'' * Wright ''Micron'' * Wright MPA Mk 1

|sequence= |lists= * List of Human-powered aircraft }}

==References== <references>

<ref name=AEROSPACE>{{cite magazine|last=To |first=F.E.|date=June–July 1985 |title=Phoenix: A Polyester-Film Inflatable Man-Powered Aircraft| magazine=Aerospace|location=London, UK| publisher=Royal Aeronautical Society| pages=nk|issn=2052-451X}}</ref>

<ref name=HPF>{{cite web |title=True Flights - Reluctant Phoenix |url=https://www.humanpoweredflight.co.uk/page/human-powered-flight-true-flights |website=Human Powered Flight |access-date=29 April 2023}}</ref>

<ref name=REAY>{{cite book |last=Reay |first=D.A. |date=1977 |title=The history of man-powered flight |location=Oxford, England |publisher=Pergamon Press Ltd |pages=177–180 |isbn=0080217389}}</ref>

<ref name=SHERWIN>{{Cite book |last=Sherwin |first=Keith |author-link=Keith Sherwin |title=To fly like a bird: The story of man-powered aircraft |publisher=Bailey Brothers and Swinfen Limited |year=1976 |isbn=0561002835 |location=Folkestone, England |pages=24–27, 67–70 |language=en}}</ref>

</references>

Category:Human-powered aircraft Category:Low-wing aircraft Category:Pusher aircraft Category:Inflatable aircraft Category:Tailless delta-wing aircraft Category:Single-engined pusher aircraft Category:1960s British experimental aircraft Category:Aircraft with fixed bicycle landing gear Category:Aircraft first flown in 1966

Perkins Reluctant Phoenix

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