Human Powered Aircraft

Guy is on a mission to do the seemingly impossible: fly using muscle power alone. He wants to build the world's fastest human powered aircraft: a plane without an engine that Guy will cycle into the air.

He heads to Southampton University where, on 9 November 1961, Derek Piggot became the first man to fly under his own power.

Forty two years later, Guy is ready to break into the history books with another team from the university. They've got seven months to build a plane from scratch and equip Guy with the skill, power and endurance to pilot it.

He begins by learning how to fly a glider with stunt pilot Guy Westgate. He also visits a velodrome to measure his cycling power output and embarks on a programme of intense physical training.

Finally, Guy is ready to put his plane to the test against the UK's leading engineers in the Icarus Cup, where he sets out to pilot the fastest ever human powered aircraft.

Next episode

S01E04 - World's Fastest Toboggan