NASA has announced a competition for efficient aircraft

Companies-participants are invited to create an aircraft that meets the following requirements. During a trip to a distance of about 300 kilometers, the unit must move at a speed not lower than 150 kilometers per hour. However, the efficiency (defined as the number of passengers multiplied by the number of kilometers per liter of fuel) must be less than 83.

Currently, interest in the competition were several large universities and companies whose names have not yet been disclosed. The goal is that the competition will be attended by aircraft operating on biofuels and solar energy. Opening ceremony is scheduled for July 2011. Company-prize winner will receive 1.5 million dollars.

For the American space agency on this project is part of a larger program to develop a personal air vehicle (Personal Air Vehicles — PAVs). According to the agency, the creation of cost-PAV may lead to a significant portion of the movements will be done on these devices.

Such engineering competitions are a popular method for stimulating technical progress. For example, Google is one of the organizers of the competition Google X Prize. As part of this competition is invited private companies until 2012 to send a private lunar rover on the moon. The main prize — a $ 20 million