Human powered helicopter captures AHS Sikorsky Prize (VIDEO)
Posted by: Jon on 07/11/2013 06:22 AM
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The competition was initially opened in 1980, and over the course of the 33 years that followed, dozens of teams from around the world pushed the limits of existing technology in pursuit of this once-thought-to-be impossible goal.
The prize-winning flight came at the very end of five days of test flights, after which the space would no longer be available. On two earlier flights, Reichert pilot the craft, called Atlas, to heights of 2 meters and 2.5 meters. With just minutes remaining before the team was scheduled to vacate the stadium to make way for an evening soccer practice, Reichert managed to squeeze in one last flight. Within 10 seconds a horn sounded signaling that he had exceeded the 3-meter mark.
Robertson and Reichert were clearly elated, and justifiably so. To take on a challenge that many experts in the field considered impossible, knowing that an experienced team with much greater resources was already closing in on the finish line, took enormous chutzpah. Yet they persevered. Time and again they crashed and rebuilt. Time and again they waited on tenterhooks while Gamera came agonizingly close to winning, or set up the machine, tuned it, and got it running, only to have to break it down again so that amateur soccer teams could use the playing field. They kept adjusting and modifying the airframe for greater stiffness, stability, and performance. Finally, incredibly, it all came together.
I think that it looks a little like a massive ceiling fan, but still an awesome accomplishment!
The prize-winning flight came at the very end of five days of test flights, after which the space would no longer be available. On two earlier flights, Reichert pilot the craft, called Atlas, to heights of 2 meters and 2.5 meters. With just minutes remaining before the team was scheduled to vacate the stadium to make way for an evening soccer practice, Reichert managed to squeeze in one last flight. Within 10 seconds a horn sounded signaling that he had exceeded the 3-meter mark.
Robertson and Reichert were clearly elated, and justifiably so. To take on a challenge that many experts in the field considered impossible, knowing that an experienced team with much greater resources was already closing in on the finish line, took enormous chutzpah. Yet they persevered. Time and again they crashed and rebuilt. Time and again they waited on tenterhooks while Gamera came agonizingly close to winning, or set up the machine, tuned it, and got it running, only to have to break it down again so that amateur soccer teams could use the playing field. They kept adjusting and modifying the airframe for greater stiffness, stability, and performance. Finally, incredibly, it all came together.
I think that it looks a little like a massive ceiling fan, but still an awesome accomplishment!
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