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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

University of Maryland Student Engineers to Test Human-Powered Helicopter :: University Communications Newsdesk, University of Maryland

May 3, 2011
Contacts: Missy Corley, 301.405.6501 or mcorley@umd.edu

University of Maryland Student Engineers to Test Human-Powered Helicopter

WHAT: In a step toward winning the Sikorsky Prize, a team of A. James Clark School of Engineering students will attempt for the first time to test-fly their human-powered helicopter, called Gamera. Gamera has a rotor at each of the four ends of its X-shaped frame, with the pilot's module suspended at the middle. Each crossbar of the frame is 60 feet long, and each rotor is 42 feet in diameter. Through the use of balsa, foam, mylar, carbon fiber and other lightweight materials, the entire vehicle weighs only 210 pounds, including the student pilot. All power comes from a combination of hand and foot pedaling. If Gamera makes it off the ground, the team has the potential to capture a world record for human-powered helicopter flight with a female pilot on board.

WHO: A team of more than 50 graduate and undergraduate students led by faculty advisors V.T. Nagaraj, Inderjit Chopra and Darryll Pines (dean of the Clark School). The pilot for the tests is University of Maryland life sciences graduate student Judy Wexler. The Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center in the Clark School is one of the nation's top rotorcraft research institutions.

WHEN: Reporters and photographers are invited to watch the team test the vehicle between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11.

Read More...
http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/bigissues/release.cfm?ArticleID=2424

UMD Gamera Human Powered Helicopter Promo

Video Link....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT4y4xb2UYI

Gamera Human Powered Helicopter Setup for May11th Flight

Video link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef9kqkpXI_k

Gamera Human Powered Helicopter Setup for May11th Flight

From: TeamGameraHPH | May 10, 2011 | 318 views

Team Gamera HPH started assembling the Gamera in the University of Maryland's Comcast Center on May 5th 2011, and has been testing for the first flight attempt of this amazing vehicle on May 11th. Check out the links below to watch the event streamed live starting at 9am on May 11th, 2011.

Streaming link for live event: http://lecture.umd.edu/detsmediasite/Viewer/?peid=dae7b8b...

Press Release: http://www.eng.umd.edu/html/media/release.php?id=104

Facts Sheet: http://www.eng.umd.edu/html/media/images/HPHHandout.pdf

Promo Video: http://youtu.be/uT4y4xb2UYI

Thanks TONS to Andrew Aversa (aka zircon) for the use of his mindbendingly awesome music. The song is Mindbender from his 2007 CD Antigravity. Check him out at zirconmusic.com.

TeamGameraHPH's Channel
http://youtu.be/Ef9kqkpXI_k