Clark School Team to Fly New Gamera II Human-Powered Helicopter

MEDIA ADVISORY  June 13, 2012

CONTACT:
Melissa Corley
301 405 6501
mcorley@umd.edu

UPDATE 6/20/12, 10 A.M.: first flight of the day unofficially timed at 35 seconds, which would beat last year's world record. More flights to come later in the day.

WHAT: A team of A. James Clark School of Engineering students will fly their new human-powered helicopter, Gamera II.  The vehicle is an improved version of Gamera I, which last year set world records for flight duration.  Like Gamera I, Gamera II is an enormous hand- and pedal-powered X-shaped vehicle that has four rotors and is 103 feet across diagonally. But Gamera II weighs only 71 pounds, an amazing 35 pounds lighter than the previous vehicle, and features enhanced rotor design, an improved transmission and a redesigned cockpit. The team expects that Gamera II is capable of flights lasting longer than 60 seconds, a major step towards competing for the AHS Sikorsky Prize and remaining ahead of competitors. Learn more about Gamera II here: http://www.agrc.umd.edu/gamera/gamera2/index.html

WHO: A team of more than 40 graduate and undergraduate students led by faculty advisors V.T. Nagaraj, Inderjit Chopra, Gordon Leishman and Darryll Pines (dean of the Clark School, one of the nation's top rotorcraft research institutions). This year, there are three pilots participating in the flights: Dennis Bodewits, Kyle Gluesenkamp and Colin Gore. All three are UMD staff or students and are profiled on the Gamera II web site: http://www.agrc.umd.edu/gamera/gamera2/gamera2-team.html.

WHEN: Reporters and photographers are invited to watch the team test the vehicle between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20.

WHERE: Reckord Armory, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
Directions to Parking: CALL AHEAD for parking information

WHY: The team has been working for three years to compete for the Sikorsky Prize, offered by the American Helicopter Society. The Clark School team is one of at least three teams planning to attempt flights this summer. No team has succeeded since the prize was first offered in 1980.

More Information: 

Watch a video about Gamera II: http://youtu.be/OdxF_QGBqPI
Gamera web site: http://www.agrc.umd.edu/gamera/index.html
Gessow Rotorcraft Center: http://www.agrc.umd.edu/
AHS International's Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition: http://www.vtol.org/awards-and-contests/human-powered-helicopter

About the A. James Clark School of Engineering

The University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering is a premier program, ranked among the top 20 in the world. Located just a few miles from Washington, D.C., the Clark School is at the center of a constellation of high-tech companies and federal laboratories, offering students and faculty access to unique professional opportunities.

Our broad spectrum of academic programs, including the world’s only accredited undergraduate fire protection engineering program, is complemented by a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, early hands-on educational experiences, and participation in national and international competitions.

The Clark School is leading research advancements in aerospace, bioengineering, robotics, nanotechnology, disaster resilience, energy and sustainability, and cybersecurity. From the universal product code to satellite radio, SMS text messaging to the implantable insulin pump, our students, faculty, and alumni are engineering life-changing innovations for millions. Learn more at www.eng.umd.edu.