The Gamera project is a design endeavor being carried out by students at the Clark School of Engineering and faculty at the Department of Aerospace Engineering. It is inspired by the American Helicopter Society's Sikorsky Prize, which was established in 1980 but has yet to see a recipient.
The purpose of the project was to create a human-powered aircraft. The initial flights managed to pull off a 4.2 second U.S. national record. Even though they managed to break a few records, the team isn't satisfied and they aim for longer flights this summer.
The helicopter is powered by both hand and foot pedalling (although the amount of muscle-power required to get it off the air is a little more than the casual cyclist is probably used to).
Human-Powered Helicopters
The Gamera Project is Enviromentally Friendly and Physically Demanding
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