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The world's first human-powered helicopter by a Canadian engineer has won the Sikorsky Prize after performing a minute-long flight at an altitude of 3.3 meters fueled only by the pilot's pedaling of a modified bicycle.
The AHS Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition was established in 1980, in search for the first successful controlled flight of a human powered helicopter. The helicopter had to reach a height of three meters while hovering for at least one minute in a ten-square-meter area. The competition's $250,000 prize had never previously been awarded, with numerous creative engineers trying and failing to meet the criteria.
The AHS Sikorsky Prize challenged the technical community to harness teamwork, technical skills, and cutting edge technologies to meet requirements that were on the ragged edge of feasibility, Mike Hirschberg, AHS International Executive Director, said in a statement.
The University of Toronto's AeroVelo team pitched their Atlas helicopter against a team from Maryland University, winning the coveted prize. Dozens of students from Toronto's team were involved in the project.
The Atlas measured 47 meters across and weighed only 54 kilograms, due to its super-lightweight carbon fiber tubes, which connected the vehicle's four rotors to the bike.
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