Buch, Englisch, 148 Seiten, Hardback
In Pursuit of an Aviation Milestone
Buch, Englisch, 148 Seiten, Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-62410-620-0
Verlag: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Four distinct versions of the aircraft (Gamera I, Gamera II, Gamera IIXR, and Gamera IID) evolved during the program with increasing refinements in design, fabrication, and testing. Each version incorporated improvements that helped to obtain better performance, lower weight, and skilled innovations for improving the stability of the helicopter. Gamera still holds world records for human powered flight endurance of 97 seconds and height of 10.5 ft, approved by the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, World Aeronautical Federation), as well the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Gamera project excited the imagination of a great number of people and was covered by several national media outlets including print, television, and social media. The Gamera project was subsequently transformed from a human powered helicopter to a solar powered helicopter.
This technical history is accessible to a general engineering audience at the college junior level. The concepts of helicopter aerodynamics, aeromechanics, and composite structures are explained using a minimum of jargon, without oversimplifying the explanations.