The first "green prize" for aviation is being offered under the 2008 General Aviation Technology (GAT) Challenge, sponsored by NASA and the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) foundation.
Scheduled for August in California, the Challenge offers a purse totalling $300,000 for four prizes: community noise, fuel consumption, safety and speed. The event follows the 2007 Personal Air Vehicle contest.
The green prize offers a maximum of $50,000. To win, the aircraft must score the highest "equivalent miles per gallon" (MPGe), factoring in fuel price, fuel density and payload carried.
The prize floor starts at 30MPGe for a two-seat aircraft carrying a 180kg (400lb) payload and averaging at least 87kt (100mph, 160km/h).
To win the noise prize, the aircraft's footprint must be less than 64dBA in a flyover at a minimum airspeed of 104kt. The $50,000 safety prize will be awarded for handling qualities that make the aircraft safer and easier to fly. The Challenge will finish with the CAFE 400 race.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
