A human-powered helicopter is a helicopter designed to carry at least one person but limited to using only what power is provided by the person(s) on board, usually by pedaling. A high power-to-weight ratio is needed, such aircraft must be light and must have efficient rotors. Efficiency here means that the rotors must generate great lift but little drag, because drag consumes power.
The Sikorsky Prize will be awarded to the first entry to reach an altitude of 3 meters during a flight lasting at least 60 seconds, while remaining in an area 10 meters square.[1]
On 10 December 1989, the first human-powered helicopter, the California Polytechnic State University Da Vinci III, flew for 7.1 seconds and reached a height of 20 cm with two individuals steadying the craft.[2]
The current world record for human powered helicopters is held by a craft named Yuri I, built by a team from the Nihon Aero Student Group (NASG). In 1994, it achieved a height of 20 cm for 19.46 seconds unassisted and unofficially reached 70 cm during a flight lasting 24 seconds. In Japanese, the name Yuri means "lilly", a reference to the shape of the machine.[3]
See also
References
External links
- Sikorsky Prize - American Helicopter Society
- www.HumanPoweredHelicopters.org Information on the technology, history and people involved in human-powered helicopters
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