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Information About

Mit Daedalus




There were actually three aircraft constructed:
  • Light Eagle (originally Michelob Light Eagle): a 92 lb (42 kg) prototype.

  • Daedalus 87: Crashed on Rogers Dry Lakebed on 17 February , 1988 , and was rebuilt as a backup.

  • Daedalus 88: Flew from Crete to Santorini.


Both Daedalus 87 and 88 weighed 69 lb (31 kg).

Light Eagle (known to the flight crew as "MLE", or "Emily") set a closed-course distance record with Glen Tremml as the pilot, as well as straight-line, closed-course, and duration women's records with Lois McCallin as pilot. These record flights took place at Edwards AFB in January, 1987.

The record-setting flight of Daedalus 88 had Kanellos Kanellopoulos as pilot. The flight ended in the water (7 meters from Perissa Beach on Santorini, according to the official record), when increasing gusty winds caused a torsional failure of the tail boom. Lacking control, the airplane then pitched nose-up, and another gust caused a failure of the main wing spar. The pilot swam to shore. The wreckage of Daedalus 88 is believed to be in storage at the Smithsonian . Light Eagle is in storage in Manassas, VA.

Daedalus 87 is on display in the lobby at the Museum Of Science, Boston .


SPECIFICATIONS (DAEDALUS 88)


Drawings

Daedalus 3-View and Details

Light Eagle 3-View and Details


General characteristics

  • Crew: one, pilot, Kanellos Kanellopoulos

  • Length: 28 ft 2 in (8.6 m)

  • Wingspan: 111 ft 6 in (34 m)

  • Height: ft in ( m)

  • Wing area: 322.8 ft&2 (29.98 m&2)

  • Empty: 70 lb (32 kg)

  • Loaded: 229 lb (104 kg)

  • Powerplant: pilot



REFERENCES/EXTERNAL LINKS