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Sunday, August 1, 2010

NASA Contest Produces Futuristic Tiltrotor Designs

Virginia Tech students Ryan Berg, Joseph Diner, Alexander Carra, Michael Creaven, Meagan Hom, Ryan Paetzell, Jason Smith, Alan Steinert, James Tenney and Bryant Tomlin took the top prize in the NASA contest for their RAFT concept. NASA
Taking second place was a team of 10 graduate students from Georgia Tech and the University of Liverpool. Georgia Tech’s Etienne Baer, Adam Cortese, Ersel Olcer, Michael Osmon, Bradley Regnier, Michael Roberts, Alexander Robledo, Robert Scott and Sahin Tetik designed the CAESAR (Civilian Aid, Emergency Search and Rescue) concept with Emma Timson from Liverpool.
A group of 28 undergraduate students from the University of Virginia came in third place in the NASA competition with its Advanced Virginia Amphibious Tilt Rotor (AVATR) Soterion.
A group of 10 Virginia Tech students won a NASA competition in June for a futuristic tiltrotor concept that looks like a “catamaran.” According to contest rules, the multi-purpose aircraft was required to rescue up to 50 survivors from a natural disaster and hover to assist rescue missions, with a range of 920 miles and speed of 345 mph. The amphibious helicopter was also required to siphon water into an internal tank and then unload it to help fight fires.

More than 100 students from the U.S. and internationally entered the competition, which was sponsored through the NASA Mission Directorate’s Subsonic Rotary Wing Project in its Fundamental Aeronautics program. A group of 10 Georgia Tech and University of Liverpool graduate students took second place for their CAESAR concept, and third place went to a team of 28 undergraduate students from the University of Virginia. (From August 2010 Rotorcraft Report)

For a video of NASA’s Immanuel Barshi at Rotor & Wing’s 2010 Safety and Training Summit, go to: www.aviationtoday.com/rw/safety_training_channel/

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