Ladies and gentlemen, an American biology student now holds the record for the world’s longest human-powered flight by a female. She’s Judy Wexler, and in the picture below, she’s on Gamera, a carbon fiber four-rotor aircraft that’s on track to bag the Sikorsky prize. It’s a holy grail of sorts among helicopter enthusiasts, its criteria being an unattainable goal of 60 seconds of human-powered flight. Ms. Wexler has so far only managed less than a fifth of that span with her machine, but she’s determined.
The Challenge of Human-Powered Flight
Funny name though. Apparently, Gamera is a Japanese monster from a kaiju film—a monster movie. Operating the Gamera is no joke either. Its five pilots need to exert a lot of foot and hand pedaling to power the rotor and get the frame off the ground. Ms. Wexler and her team already succeeded with a brief four-second hover, and they’ve just bested themselves recently with an even longer limited flight.
The challenge of human-powered flight is immense. The aircraft must be incredibly lightweight yet strong enough to support the pilot and withstand the forces of flight. Gamera, made primarily of carbon fiber, is a marvel of engineering. The design team, consisting of students and faculty from the University of Maryland, has spent countless hours refining the aircraft to maximize efficiency and performance.
The Sikorsky Prize and Its Significance
The Sikorsky Prize, established by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) in 1980, is named after Igor Sikorsky, a pioneer in helicopter design. The prize sets a high bar: a human-powered helicopter must hover for 60 seconds and reach an altitude of at least 3 meters (about 10 feet) while remaining within a 10-meter (32.8 feet) square. Achieving this feat requires not only physical endurance but also precise engineering and aerodynamics.
Ms. Wexler’s achievement is a significant step toward this goal. Her determination and the team’s innovative approach have brought them closer to making history. The Gamera project is not just about breaking records; it’s about pushing the boundaries of what is possible in human-powered flight. The lessons learned from this endeavor could have broader implications for the future of aviation, particularly in the development of more efficient and sustainable aircraft.
Here’s the video:
The video showcases the incredible effort and coordination required to achieve even a few seconds of flight. It highlights the dedication of Ms. Wexler and her team, who have spent countless hours training and fine-tuning the Gamera. Their progress is a testament to the power of human ingenuity and perseverance.
If you ever cared about the future of flight in a fast-paced and complex world, then you’d better be rooting for this team. Godspeed to them!
Source Gizmag
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