Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the lack of posts lately, we had been working around the clock to get Atlas finished, so that we could start flight testing.
We moved the components from the barn to the Soccer Centre in Vaughan, ON, on August 21st. It is a large indoor soccer facility that has the height and space to test Atlas.
Moving to the Soccer Centre also gave us the opportunity to finally see Atlas fully assembled, as it is too large to assemble at the barn. Everyone on the team was in awe seeing Atlas fully assembled, up until this point, we had only seen computer models of what it would look like. Needless to say it is incredibly large, while still being incredibly lightweight.
Atlas fully assembled
We spent a week tweaking parts of the helicopter, which could only be done while it was fully assembled.
Initially testing started this past Tuesday, which was also the day we achieved flight for the first time!!! At 6pm on Tuesday, August 28th, Atlas flew for the first time!! The flight lasted about 4 seconds, you can watch the video here.
There is still a long way to go before we reach the requirements set out by the Sikorsky Prize, however this is a great first step.
The whole team will be back at the Soccer Centre tomorrow and Sunday to continue testing! We will be providing regular updates on our progress via our Facebook page, and our Twitter.
Thanks to everyone for their support!
The AeroVelo Team