Clark School's Gamera Certified for World Records Human-powered Helicopter's 11.4-second Flight Officially Recognized

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Nov. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Federation Aeronautique Internationale has certified that the Clark School's Gamera human-powered helicopter team set world records earlier this year for flight duration and flight duration with a female pilot.

The FAI certified the 4.2-second flight of May 12, 2011, and the 11.4-second flight of July 13, 2011, which supersedes the first.

Gamera was designed and built by a team of some 50 students at the Clark School, and piloted by biology student Judy Wexler. The team is currently working on a new vehicle in pursuit of the Sikorsky Prize. The new vehicle will be lighter and more efficient than the original. The team hopes to have it completed this spring.

Details of the records can be viewed on the FAI web site under Experimental and New Technologies World Records/Manpowered Rotorcraft (IDs 16230, 16232, 16273 and 16274).

View the May 12 Flight

View the July 13 Flight

More Information: Previous Releases Regarding Gamera:
Clark School's Gamera Human-Powered Helicopter Team Completes Second Step Toward Sikorsky Prize With New 12.4-Second Unofficial Flight Duration
It's Official: National Aeronautic Association Awards Two U.S. National Records for Clark School's Human-Powered Helicopter Flight : Federation Aeronautique Internationale to Begin Evaluation of Flight for World Records
Clark School Human-Powered Helicopter Flies: University of Maryland's "Gamera" Takes Flight, Achieves World Record with Female Pilot Aboard

About the A. James Clark School of Engineering
The Clark School of Engineering, situated on the rolling, 1,500-acre University of Maryland campus in College Park, Md., is one of the premier engineering schools in the U.S., with graduate and undergraduate education programs ranked in or near the Top 20. In 2011, the Clark School was ranked 11th in the world by the Institute of Higher Education and Center for World-Class Universities in its Academic Ranking of World Universities. Three faculty members affiliated with the Clark School were inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2010.

The school, which offers 13 graduate programs and 12 undergraduate programs, including degree and certification programs tailored for working professionals, is home to one of the most vibrant research programs in the country. The Clark School garnered research awards of $171 million last year. With emphasis in key areas such as energy, nanotechnology and materials, bioengineering, robotics, communications and networking, life cycle and reliability engineering, project management, intelligent transportation systems and aerospace, the Clark School is leading the way toward the next generations of engineering advances.

Visit the Clark School homepage at www.eng.umd.edu.

SOURCE A. James Clark School of Engineering