• Pedal powered helicopter lifts off ground for 4 seconds

  • Pedal-powered-helicopter-1.jpg
    Just recently we came across the alternative-fuel-powered flight by the Solar Impulse plane. Now, Judy Wexler gave flying yet another green means to power up, that probably will take years to turn into a full-fledged means to take to the skies. Seated in a human-powered helicopter, Judy Wexler managed to float above the ground for a good 4 seconds, a short while, though good enough for a start. Developed at the University of Maryland, this pedal-powered helicopter called the Gamera uses four 42-foot-long rotors in an X pattern with the pilot at the center and was made from balsa, mylar, carbon fiber, and foam. Hand pedals and foot pedals get the rotor of this one to spin.



    For now, four seconds is all it can stay above the ground for. We hope this exceeds and we soon have flying bicycles in the future.
    [Cnet]

    Posted in Topics:Transport, Tags: , on May 18, 2011