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.
Wow! A new career direction for Lance Armstrong?
Yes, he should be able to inject some serious leg power. low blow?
Blow? Dunno.
EPO. Check.
Steroids. Check.
Testosterone. Check.
The Lance Armstrong pre-flight check list.
Hmmm, I would have tested it somewhere with a bit more space available.
Pretty cool, though.
The whole thing weighs only 71 pounds. Amazing.
Don’t try this outdoors!