AHS International Hosts 6-Second Vertical Flight Contest

If you can successfully fly a human-powered aircraft, you could win $250,000. AHS International, the Vertical Flight Society, have created the Igor I Sikorsky Human-Powered Helicopter Competition that will award the first person to successfully fly a human powered helicopter and achieve an altitude of at least three meters and lasting for 60 seconds with $250,000.

Prof. Akira Naito of Japan currently holds the world record for creating a four-prop aircraft which reached and held an altitude of 0.2 meters for more than 19 seconds in 1994. The challenge of vertical flight has proven to be very difficult as an earlier offer of $20,000 for the first human-powered aircraft with the ability of vertical takeoff and landing remains unclaimed after nearly 30 years. We shall see if considerably upping the ante will provide the desired results.

Sources: Early helicopters | human-powered helicopters