SOURCE: https://www.dmgmori.co.jp/files/user/img/trend/sam_birdman2021.png
Quoted from DMG MORI web page: https://www.dmgmori.co.jp/trend/detail/id=5896
On 2 Sep. 2021, after the broadcast of the Japan International Birdman Rally (JIBR) 2021, BIRDMAN HOUSE IGA (BHI) announced through the web page of DMG MORI, which employs BHI pilot Yuta Watanabe, that the team would retire from JIBR and focus on setting new flight distance world records of human-powered flight.
The team have participated to human-powered propeller aircraft category of JIBR four times, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021. The team achieved a 40 km flight in JIBR 2017 and a 60 km flight in JIBR 2019. The both set distance records as of them. Human-powered propeller aircraft category of JIBR 2018 was cancelled due to bad weather and JIBR 2020 also was cancelled due to COVID-19. Therefore, the team was expected to make its three consecutive win with three consecutive new records.
The team applied a new faster (10 m/s) and smaller (25 m wing span) human-powered aircraft (HPA) to JIBR 2021 than a proven HPA which made the team two times champion. Yuta Watanabe made about 36 km flight for 75 min and came back close to the shore on the side where he started. He already exhausted and decided to cancel his flight aiming for 70 km. It was a outstanding performance, but he was finally disqualified for landing on shallow water too close to the shore. The area where he landed is designated as a no-fly zone for safety reasons such as collision with land or structures. The team missed its three consecutive win but determined that performance of the new HPA was successfully verified through the 36 km flight.
The team would complete to learn from JIBR and will go forward to their next target. Their progress until now conforms to their plan referred in Yuta Watanabe’s lecture in the last summer. It seems to be going well. If they keep going like this, we may witness them surpass the modern myth of MIT Daedalus in the near future.
SOURCE:https://www.facebook.com/DMGMORI.CO/posts/2974822742783301?tn=-R
Like & Reference;
- 第43回鳥人間コンテストに出場！人力飛行機での飛行距離世界記録更新へ挑戦！ | ニュース/トピックス | DMG MORI : Participated in the 43rd Japan International Birdman Rally ! Challenge to break the world record of flight distance with human-powered aeroplane ! | News/Topics | DMG MORI
Google translated link (English)
poor English better than Japanese – thank you
Japanese HPA 
Best of luck to them!
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I really hope they can break the record. Daedalus was amazing but progress has to be made. Do you know a way to watch the Birdman Rally broadcast from Europe? Thank you!
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Thank you for your comment.
Regarding BHI’s challenge, I hope so as well.
Unfortunately, as far as I know, it should be impossible to watch officially the TV show in Europe. The organizer, Yomiuri TV, is offering the program on the web for a limited time for domestic audience, but it may not work well from overseas.
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Hi, I have one question about the plane HPA Stork-B. I’m looking for drawings and information about profiles, I would like to build this plane as an rc model. Is there anyone who can help me? My e-mail krystof.hrivnac@seznam.cz
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Thank you for your comment.
I think that you may find a schematic drawing of Stork-A, such as following linked one: https://userweb.www.fsinet.or.jp/active-g/zumen/storkB.jpg
The file name is “storkB”, but its shape of canopy must show it is Stork-A.
Unfortunately I have not found any drawing of Stork-B. One way to come true your goal is that you modify the Stork-A drawing to Stork-B like shape based on some Stork-B photographs. Several pictures of Stork-B can be found in the Web. As an alternative, the Stork-B is a collection of National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo. So you may gain information from the museum.
It’s a shame that I can not give you enough help. I hope your project will be a success!
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How is the process of preparing for the record attempt comiing along?
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Thank you for your comment.
Unfortunately I have no information about that. BHI has appeared their process much less than their results until now. So we can know the result but may not know their process. Of course, I want to know all of their process but I accept the current situation. Because I understand that it is the most important for BHI to achieve the great goals and BHI must focus on their work without publicity.
Of course, I will shear any information on this website when which I catch that about the attempt.
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