Japanese students create flying bicycle that's powered only by pedaling

In 2019, Japanese students wowed the world by creating their own flying bicycle, which can take flight purely with pedal power.

The bike was created by Fusha Sakai, who is a member of Japan’s Osaka Public University’s student-led Sakai Windmill Association, and it’s an impressive invention.

Footage showed the strange contraption taking flight, with its pilot (or should that be rider?) pedalling hard to get it into the skies.

Bicycles might not be everyone’s favorite type of transport, but being able to make them fly does seemingly make them a little bit cooler.

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The name given to the flying bicycle

The team named the unusual aircraft Tsurugi, and a video posted on their YouTube channel shows the aircraft in flight at the Naki Shirahama Airport, located near the Sakai Windmill Club.

At the time of the video, the pilot of the aircraft was still under training.

Hence, the steady flight and short distance.

In the video, it was impressive how quickly the aircraft was able to take off, just by pedal power.

Using the pedals turned the propeller, driving the bicycle forward and eventually allowing it to take off.

Japanese Students Built A Flying Bicycle That Actually Lifts Off The Ground Powered Only By Pedaling
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Once in the air, there are controls for the pilot to adjust the direction that the aircraft is heading.

It’s one of the most unusual aircraft you could ever see.

How far can the strange aircraft fly?

While this flight was short, the team has flown the aircraft even further during a special session, which saw the pilot in the video fly a distance of 11 miles.

He did this in the Yomiuri Television Birdman Rally. And in 2023, the team was able to compete again with the unusual machine.

They placed 7th in the competition despite suffering from a damaged aircraft.

Pedal-powered aircraft and gliders are nothing new, however.

In 1979, a man called MacCready was able to cross the English Channel in his own pedal-powered glider.

To build one, however, as a bunch of university students is a very impressive feat of engineering.

The fact that it worked so well and could fly well over 10 miles and be competitive in events is also impressive.

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