Aerovelo is a remarkable pedal-powered helicopter that has taken to the air to win the Sikorsky Prize, an extremely challenging aviation competition that has been fought over for 33 years.
Looking like a Leonardo da Vinci sketch brought to life, on June 13, 2013, the incredible Aerovelo captured the long-standing Sikorsky Prize with a flight lasting 64.1 seconds and reaching an altitude of 3.3 metres. The competition was opened in 1980, and over the course of the 33 years that followed, dozens of teams from around the world pushed the limits of existing technology in pursuit of this once-thought-to-be impossible goal.
At the centre of the 55kg aircraft is a Cervelo bicycle frame and rear wheel bing pedalled by an extremely fit cyclist.
The 49.4m (162ft)- diameter machine is never going to be a practical way of commuting to work, but as a triumph of human ingenuity and celebration of pedal-powered transport it takes some beating.
This video below is a compilation of footage from the record flight demonstrating that the Aerovelo met the requirements if the Sikorsky Prize exceeding 60 seconds duration, exceeding 3m in altitude and remaining within a 10m x 10m box.
Flying with your own bicycle?
There are all sorts of reasons why you would want to take your own bike by plane on holiday with you rather than hire one out there. Quite apart from the familiarity of using your own bicycle and avoiding the unnecessary expense, unless your bicycle is worth £500 or less, it’s unlikely it will be covered against theft by a standard travel insurance policy. When you check in your bike as an over-sized item, the airline will give you a receipt for it and assume responsibility for its safekeeping, but rather than have to go through the rigmarole of making a claim for damage from the airline an increasing number of cyclists choose to cover the bike with a specialist cycle insurance policy. The insurer pays out for the damage and then takes it up with the airline themselves.
0 Comments View now