The University of Maryland team responsible for the Gamera II human-powered helicopter NAA flight time record
may be on its way to bagging another one -- this time for altitude.
With new freshman pilot Henry Enerson spinning the cranks, the gigantic
four-rotor design ascended to eight feet, an unexpectedly lofty level,
according to the team. The well-controlled 25 second flight was far less
than the record 49.9 seconds Gamera achieved earlier, but the new
altitude bodes well for its upcoming Sikorsky Prize attempt.
That $250,000 award, unclaimed since 1980, requires a 10-foot altitude
to be maintained for one minute, and now looks to be distinctly in the
UMD group's sights. Check the video after the break, and marvel at the
ungainly quadrocopter's latest aerial exploit.
