This WILL make you Smile: Human Powered Helicopter
August 31, 2012
I’m not suggesting this as an alternative to current modes of flight, but this is worth a watch, if only for the sheer bloody maniacal genius that went into it.
Records are made to be broken, and a bunch of students at the University of Maryland are smashing the ones they just set earlier this summer. They’re so close to winning the crazy-hard American Helicopter Society’s Igor I. Sikorsky Human-Powered Helicopter competition — watch an amazing eight-foot flight past the jump.
Henry Enerson, a freshman at UMD, is one of a handful of pilots taking turns furiously pedaling in the cockpit of the Gamera II, a human-powered quadcopter. The team has already met one major requirement of the Sikorsky Prize this week, hovering for 65 seconds. Now if they can hit one minute and get a little higher than 8 feet — to exactly 3 meters, or 9.8 feet — they’ll win the $250,000 32-year-old prize.
The team has been testing all week but had to take a break for a few hours today so the students could go to class. We’re following their progress and we’ll update here if they set any further records — meanwhile, watch Henry’s flight below.
Climate Denial Crock of the Week 
August 31, 2012 at 11:54 pm
Wow! A new career direction for Lance Armstrong?
September 1, 2012 at 12:44 am
Yes, he should be able to inject some serious leg power. low blow?
September 1, 2012 at 12:47 am
Blow? Dunno.
EPO. Check.
Steroids. Check.
Testosterone. Check.
The Lance Armstrong pre-flight check list.
September 1, 2012 at 12:40 am
Hmmm, I would have tested it somewhere with a bit more space available.
Pretty cool, though.
September 1, 2012 at 4:59 am
[…] I’m not suggesting this as an alternative to current modes of flight, but this is worth a watch, if only for the sheer bloody maniacal genius that went into it. Records are made to be broken,… […]
September 1, 2012 at 1:35 pm
[…] I’m not suggesting this as an alternative to current modes of flight, but this is worth a watch, if only for the sheer bloody maniacal genius that went into it. Records are made to be broken,… […]
September 1, 2012 at 7:22 pm
The whole thing weighs only 71 pounds. Amazing.
September 3, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Don’t try this outdoors!