<span>David E. Steitz
<span>Headquarters, Washington<span>
<span>202-358-1730
<span>david.steitz@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 11-334
NASA AWARDS HISTORIC GREEN AVIATION PRIZE
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA has awarded the largest prize in
aviation history, created to inspire the development of more
fuel-efficient aircraft and spark the start of a new electric
airplane industry. The technologies demonstrated by the CAFE Green
Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google, competitors may end up in
general aviation aircraft, spawning new jobs and new industries for
the 21st century.
The first place prize of $1.35 million was awarded to team
Pipistrel-USA.com of State College, Pa. The second place prize of
$120,000 went to team eGenius, of Ramona, Calif.
Fourteen teams originally registered for the competition. Three teams
successfully met all requirements and competed in the skies over the
Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, Calif. The
competition was managed by the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency
(CAFE) Foundation under an agreement with NASA.
"NASA congratulates Pipistrel-USA.com for proving that ultra-efficient
aviation is within our grasp," said Joe Parrish, NASA's acting chief
technologist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Today we've shown
that electric aircraft have moved beyond science fiction and are now
in the realm of practice."
The winning aircraft had to fly 200 miles in less than two hours and
use less than one gallon of fuel per occupant, or the equivalent in
electricity. The first and second place teams, which were both
electric-powered, achieved twice the fuel efficiency requirement of
the competition, meaning they flew 200 miles using just over a
half-gallon of fuel equivalent per passenger.
"Two years ago the thought of flying 200 miles at 100 mph in an
electric aircraft was pure science fiction," said Jack W. Langelaan,
team leader of Team Pipistrel-USA.com. "Now, we are all looking
forward to the future of electric aviation."
This week's competition marks the culmination of more than two years
of aircraft design, development and testing for the teams. It
represents the dawn of a new era in efficient flight and is the first
time that full-scale electric aircraft have performed in competition.
Collectively, the competing teams invested more than $4 million in
pursuit of the challenge prize purse.
"I'm proud that Pipistrel won, they've been a leader in getting these
things into production, and the team really deserves it, and worked
hard to win this prize," said Eric Raymond, team leader of eGenius.
NASA uses prize competitions to increase the number and diversity of
the individuals, organizations and teams that are addressing a
particular problem or challenge. Prize competitions stimulate private
sector investment that is many times greater than the cash value of
the prize and further NASA's mission by attracting interest and
attention to a defined technical objective. This prize competition is
part of the NASA Centennial Challenges program, part of the Space
Technology Program, managed by the NASA Office of the Chief
Technologist.
For more information about the CAFE Foundation's Green Flight
Challenge, sponsored by Google, visit:
For high resolution photos of the challenge, visit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto
For more information about NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist and
the Centennial Challenges program, visit:
-end-
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