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AeroVelo Atlas

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Atlas
File:AHS Sikorsky Prize Winning Flight by AeroVelo.jpg
AHS Sikorsky Prize-winning flight of AeroVelo's Atlas human-powered helicopter
Role Human-powered helicopter
National origin Canada
Manufacturer AeroVelo
Number built 1

The AeroVelo Atlas is a human-powered helicopter (HPH) that was built for the Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition. On 13 June 2013, it became the first aircraft to achieve the goals of the competition and thus won the prize.

Design and development

AHS International announced AeroVelo as the winner of its Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition on 11 July 2013. Left to right: Cameron Robertson and Todd Reichert, AeroVelo; Mark Miller, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp; Mike Hirschberg, AHS International.

AeroVelo, a team of students and graduates of the University of Toronto, began flight testing its Atlas quad rotor HPH on 28 August 2012.[1] The core team of AeroVelo is the same group who created Snowbird, the first successful human-powered ornithopter.[2] The Atlas is the largest HPH ever flown.[3]

The peak power of 1.1 kW (1.5 hp) was only generated during the first few seconds to climb to the required 3 metres (9.8 ft) altitude. By the end of the flight, power had reduced to 600 W (0.80 hp). Todd Reichert, the pilot and a racing cyclist, had specifically trained for such a power profile.[4]

Control was created by leaning the bike, which flexed the entire helicopter frame, tilting the rotor axes.[4]

Operational history

On 13 June 2013, AeroVelo flew its Atlas HPH and submitted data from the flight to the AHS International Human Powered Helicopter Competition Committee. After the panel of vertical flight technical experts reviewed the data from the flight, AHS International announced that the flight had met the requirements of the competition and that AeroVelo had officially won.[5]

During the 13 June 2013 flight, occurring at 12:43PM EDT, the team managed to keep Atlas in the air for 64.11 seconds, reach a peak altitude of 3.3 m (11 ft) and drift no more than 9.8 m (32 ft) from the starting point.[6][7]

AHS International awarded the $250,000 prize on 11 July 2013 to the AeroVelo Atlas.[8]

Specifications

Data from Aviation Week and Space Technology 15 July 2013[4]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Empty weight: 55 kg (122 lb)
  • Gross weight: 128 kg (282 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × human , 1.1 kW (1.5 hp)
  • Main rotor diameter: 4 × 20.2 m (66 ft 2 in)
  • Main rotor area: 1,282 m2 (13,768 sq ft)

Performance

  • Service ceiling: 3.3 m (11 ft)

See also

References

  1. ^ "AHS Congratulates AeroVelo for Human Powered Helicopter First Flight!". AHS International. August 28, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  2. ^ Sherry Shi (22 June 2013). "Snowbird Ornithopter Featured in Honda Commercial". AeroVelo. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Vertiflite, "Human Powered Helicopters Rise Higher"". AHS International. November–December, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c Graham Warwick (July 12, 2013). "Human + Helo - How AeroVelo Won the Prize". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2013-07-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ Jason Paur (July 11, 2013). "Canadian Team Claims $250,000 Prize for Human-Powered Helicopter". Wired. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  6. ^ "U of T engineers make history with first human-powered helicopter". ctvnews.ca. July 11, 2013.
  7. ^ "AeroVelo Officially Awarded AHS Sikorsky Prize!". aerovelo.com. July 11, 2013.
  8. ^ "AeroVelo Team Wins AHS International's 33-Year-Old Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition". AHS International. July 11, 2013.