Thank you for visiting the Human Powered Aircraft Group (HPAG) at Virginia Tech website! We are a group of Virginia Tech engineering students working to design and build a human powered airplane for entry in the Kremer Sport Prize Competition. The HPAG at VT, a university-recognized student organization, has as its founding goal the development of a human powered airplane through real-world engineering design and analysis.

In the fall of 2005, a group of six Virginia Tech aerospace engineering seniors conceived of a human-powered aircraft design project that would span several years and, thus consecutive, separate groups of students. As part of the requisite senior design course, each consecutive year would build upon the accomplishments made during the previous year. During the initial year, which spanned from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2006, the HPAG at Virginia Tech completed most of the preliminary design of the aircraft and built a quarter-scaled, R/C model.

The 2006-2007 team began the year making improvements to the quarter-scale model's flight performance and flew in several flight tests throughout the fall semester. After these flight tests, it was concluded that the aircraft configuration would allow completion of the competition course without the specified wind conditions; the proper weather conditions were never present during flight testing to validate flight with winds.

The current 2007-2008 is continuing to advance upon the current design by building parts and validating the design by testing. Currently, the team is working on developing two main tests: propeller efficiency and wing structural integrity. A prototype propeller is nearing completion and will be tested for efficiency with the use of a dynamometer and land-based vehicle. Also, a deflection test stand has been designed in order to perform a structural test on the inner box-wing section.