Vance’s S-2050 aircraft fit the theme for this year’s Sikorsky Helicopter 2050 Challenge, a national competition that invited youths ages 9-16 to envision a helicopter capable of addressing global issues likely to be encountered in the year 2050. More than 500 entrants from across the United States were judged on the uniqueness of their concepts, the description of their ideas, and how their helicopter concepts could overcome a global challenge. 

“We liked Vance’s concept because it takes the idea of a helicopter delivering cargo to a higher level of functionality, namely detaching a part of the aircraft and leaving it behind as a resource for those on the ground,” said Larry Levine, a systems engineer who has worked 40 years at Sikorsky Aircraft. 

Vance said the main section of his S-2050 helicopter would slide in and out as a fully contained module to carry supplies or be outfitted as a fully functional capability such as a medical center. Heat collected from solar panels and the main rotor gearbox would help recharge the batteries that power the aircraft’s electrically driven rotor blades and on-board systems. To keep the aircraft lightweight, the high-strength steel and titanium airframe would be skinned with composite or carbon fiber panels. He imagines the aircraft could be flown autonomously with or without a crew.