Up, up and away: Gamera II team takes human-powered helicopter to new heights
« Back to Article
Damage sustained after a crash during the latest round of human-powered helicopter flight record attempts
Team member CodyKarcher tests Gamera II after emergency repairs following a crash
Each of Gamera's blades has been extended by 0.7 meters, giving the rotors a radius of 7.2 m
The venue for the latest series of record attempts was changed from the University's Reckord Armory to the bigger Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex, to better accommodate the new craft
The Gamera II team have broken the 60-second flight barrier and reached an altitude of over nine feet, although not in the same flight (Photo credit: Earl Zubkoff, Essential Eye Photographics)
The Gamera II team gather for a group photograph
The Gamera II team at the A. James Clark School of Engineering has certainly been keeping officials at the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) very busy this year. Kyle Gluesenkamp from the school's mechanical engineering department pedaled and cranked his way into the record books in June with a new official national record for human-powered helicopter flight with a time of 49.9 seconds, and now that too has been smashed. A new venue, and some vital modifications to the huge craft has resulted in the magic Sikorsky Prize 60-second barrier being surpassed for the very first time. Not only that, but Gamera II has also been taken up beyond eight feet before a serious crash landing put a stop to more record attempts.
« Back to Up, up and away: Gamera II team takes human-powered helicopter to new heights
Other Images from this Gallery
Related Articles
-
Gamera II human-powered helicopter flight record confirmed by NAA
10th August, 2012
-
Gamera II team smashes previous best human-powered helicopter flight time
25th June, 2012
-
Maryland team readies Gamera II for next human-powered helicopter record
15th June, 2012
-
Human-powered Gamera helicopter hovers its way into the record books
19th August, 2011
-
Sikorsky’s X2 demonstrator sets unofficial world record speed of 250 knots
21st September, 2010
-
Sikorsky’s X2 demonstrator outpaces conventional helicopters at 208 mph
1st June, 2010
