Lesson plan
Wright Micron
The Micron was the second of two human-powered aircraft designed and built by Peter Wright, an engineer from Melton Mowbray, England. Wright had previously designed and built the Wright MPA Mk 1, which first flew in 1972. The low wing loading of that design affected the flight opportunities which could be made. The design of his second human-powered aircraft, the Micron, began in 1974 with the intent that it be robust and practical; to this end, it had a relatively high wing loading, thereby increasing flight opportunities. It was also intended to be easily assembled and transportable in a glider trailer. The Micron was of conventional configuration. It was a low-wing monoplane, with a very streamlined fuselage and a V-tail empennage. The pilot sat in a recumbent position, pedalling a set of bicycle pedals, and powering a pusher propeller mounted on a pylon located near the front of the fuselage. Power transmission was by a cable/roller drive. The craft made extensive use of plastics, expanded polystyrene, and carbon fibre. The fuselage, tail, and upper wing surfaces were all produced using moulds. The craft was completed by February 1976, and involved 200 hours of construction time. A month later it was reported that the Micron was undergoing trials at RAF Cranwell, and was being hangared there alongside the Jupiter and Mercury human-powered aircraft.…
Article summary
The Micron was the second of two human-powered aircraft designed and built by Peter Wright, an engineer from Melton Mowbray, England. Wright had previously designed and built the Wright MPA Mk 1, which first flew in 1972. The low wing loading of that design affected the flight opportunities which could be made. The design of his second human-powered aircraft, the Micron, began in 1974 with the intent that it be robust and practical; to this end, it had a relatively high wing loading, thereby increasing flight opportunities. It was also intended to be easily assembled and transportable in a glider trailer. The Micron was of conventional configuration. It was a low-wing monoplane, with a very streamlined fuselage and a V-tail empennage. The pilot sat in a recumbent position, pedalling a set of bicycle pedals, and powering a pusher propeller mounted on a pylon located near the front of the fuselage. Power transmission was by a cable/roller drive. The craft made extensive use of plastics, expanded polystyrene, and carbon fibre. The fuselage, tail, and upper wing surfaces were all produced using moulds. The craft was completed by February 1976, and involved 200 hours of construction time. A month later it was reported that the Micron was undergoing trials at RAF Cranwell, and was being hangared there alongside the Jupiter and Mercury human-powered aircraft.…
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.