Sun, Jul 17, 2011
Clark School's Gamera Human-Powered Helicopter Team Completes
Flight With An Unofficial Duration Of 12.4 Seconds
On July 13, the students on the Gamera human-powered helicopter
team from the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of
Engineering completed their scheduled summer flight session with a
new unofficial flight duration of 12.4 seconds. If verified by the
National Aeronautic Association, this new time will shatter the
team's previous 4.2-second U.S. national record set in May.
Judy Wexler Prepares For Gamera Flight (YouTube
Capture)
Between the May flights and Thursday's, the students enhanced
Gamera's cockpit and transmission and added LEDs to its landing
gear that turn on when the vehicle is off the ground. Judy Wexler,
the biology student who piloted the record-setting flight in May,
was also on board in the most recent session.
"Our students demonstrate the combination of technical expertise
and determination to succeed that will bring continued
technological progress to our nation and our world," stated Clark
School Dean Darryll Pines. "During these flight tests they faced
formidable obstacles when Gamera suffered its first significant
structural problems, but they worked through the night to repair
these and the next day achieved our best flights. Their spirit
fills me with pride."
The team plans further flights in the fall to move closer to
winning the Sikorsky Prize, established by the American Helicopter
Society in 1980. The prize requires a flight of one minute, during
which the vehicle attains an altitude of three meters at some point
and remains within a 10 square meter area. No team has yet come
close to winning the prize, now valued at $250,000.
UMD YouTube Frame Capture
'Gamera', in case you were wondering, is the name of a giant
flying turtle in Japanese science fiction movies, and was selected
as the name for the Clark School vehicle because the University of
Maryland's mascot is the diamondback terrapin.
More News
Airbus Racer Demonstrator Makes Inaugural Flight Airbus Helicopters' ambitious Racer demonstrator has achieved its inaugural flight as part of the Clean Sky 2 initiative, a corners>[...]
A little Bit Quieter, Said Testers, But in the End it's Still a DA40 Diamond Aircraft recently completed a little pilot project with Lufthansa Aviation Training, putting a pair of >[...]
Line Up And Wait (LUAW) Used by ATC to inform a pilot to taxi onto the departure runway to line up and wait. It is not authorization for takeoff. It is used when takeoff clearance >[...]
Contributing To The Accident Was The Pilot’s Use Of Methamphetamine... Analysis: The pilot departed on a local flight to perform low-altitude maneuvers in a nearby desert val>[...]
From 2015 (YouTube Version): Overcoming Obstacles To Achieve Their Dreams… At EAA AirVenture 2015, FedEx arrived with one of their Airbus freight-hauling aircraft and placed>[...]
Airbus Racer Helicopter Demonstrator First Flight Part of Clean Sky 2 Initiative
See All