$250,000 prize for human-powered flight - but the helicopter, Gamera II, has to stay in the air for a further 10 seconds to meet the standards for the American Helicopter Society Prize

The flight, by a craft built by University of Maryland engineering students, hasn't yet been validated, but the team posted a video online showing the craft wobbling into the air under pedal power, piloted by student Kyle Gluesenkamp

‘Over the last few days we have witnessed top Clark School student engineers flying an amazing craft they designed and built, resulting in an unofficial new world record of 50 seconds,’ stated Clark School Dean Darryll Pines.



‘If you want to know where to find the future of engineering and great new technologies that will make our lives better, this isit.’



The American Helicopter Society's Igor Sikorsky Human-Powered Helicopter Competition requires that a human-powered helicopter fly for 60 seconds, achieve an altitude of three metres sometime during that time, and remain with a 10 square meter area.



With its 50-second flight, Gamera II has come closer to the flight duration requirement than any other craft.

The craft's predecessor, Gamera I, first took off in 2011.



Liftoff: Judy Wexler, 24, pedalled furiously and managed to get the craft 'Gamera' up in the air

First: Maryland students believe they achieved the first human-powered helicopter flight with a female pilot

Gamera - named after a huge flying turtle from Japanese films - was designed with lightweight materials and weighed only 140lbs without the pilot.

We did it: Take-off was scheduled for Wednesday morning, but they eventually succeeded on