Rotorcraft
Unmanned helo might save stranded Everest climbers
Everest Rescue Trust, a New Zealand-based charity organization, is planning to operate an unmanned helicopter to rescue stranded climbers on Mount Everest,

Everest Rescue Trust, a New Zealand-based charity organization, is planning to operate an unmanned helicopter to rescue stranded climbers on Mount Everest, starting next year. The piston-engine Alpine Wasp will be able to carry two climbers at a time. Flight tests were scheduled to start at the end of last month and continue through November at New Zealand’s 12,300-foot Mount Cook.

Auckland, New Zealand-based TGR Helicorp is developing the Alpine Wasp. It is unclear whether the company has any helicopters in service. Its Web site claims that several helicopters–including a light civil model and an unmanned combat rotorcraft– are in development. However, Trevor Rogers, TGR president and one of the founding members of Everest Rescue Trust, declined to provide any updates on these programs.

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