Gamera II team smashes previous best human-powered helicopter flight time

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For over 30 years, the US$250,000 cash prize for the American Helicopter Society's Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition prize has looked decidedly secure, but Gamera II has changed all that. Last week, Clark School of Engineering team pilots came so close to breaking one of the competition's major milestones that they could virtually smell it. Ph.D. candidate from Kyle Gluesenkamp from the School's mechanical engineering department, hand-cranking and pedaling like his life depended on it, managed to keep the huge quad-rotor craft aloft for 50 seconds, an impressive new world record that's currently awaiting validation by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA)... Continue Reading Gamera II team smashes previous best human-powered helicopter flight time

Section: Aero Gizmo

Tags: Helicopters, Human-Powered-Flight, Pedal-powered, Quadrocopter, Sikorsky, University of Maryland

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