Originally intended to be completed by May 1962, resource and construction issues meant that the first flight trials did not take place till July 1965.
Issues around poor design and execution impacted the enthusiasm of the members of the Southend MP Group, with that declining as the project wore on.
In 1967, a partial collapse of a Nissen hut, in which the aircraft had been stored, damaged the wing sections, effectively ending the project.
[4] One member of the group, Martyn Pressnell, went on to form the Hertfordshire Pedal Aeronauts, who built the first successful two-person human-powered aircraft, the Toucan.
[2] The Mayfly's crew sat in a reclining position and powered the tractor propeller, mounted on top of a pylon, using a novel steel cable transmission system which avoided the need for gears and bevels.