 From 1994-1996 I spent two years
in Tokyo, Japan as a volunteer representative and missionary for the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
In 1997 I transferred to Brigham
Young University where I started my career and studies in Electronics backed
up with a minor in Japanese.
During the summer of 1999 I was
privileged to return to Japan, but this time as an intern for
Engineering
Systems CO. Engineering Systems is located in the Nagano prefecture
in the city of Matsumoto. Matsumoto is the sister city of Salt-Lake City,
UT and is surrounded by the Japanese Alps much like Salt-Lake City is surrounded
by the Rocky Mountains.
My responsibilities as an intern
were to learn to fly the one-man helicopter pictured below and program
a milling machine to carve lead alloy parts for use in radiation treatments
in cancer patients (also pictured below).
 GEN H-4; World's Smallest Helicopter
The GEN H-4 was designed by Gennai
Yanagisawa, the President and founder of Engineering Systems CO. Weighing
in at only 155 lbs. the GEN H-4 is the smallest and lightest helicopter
on the market. Powered by four GEN 125 engines (40 horsepower), the GEN
H-4 has enough power to carry a pilot weighing up to 200 pounds.
Milling Machine; Cancer Radiation Treatment
Medical products and treatment
methods are continually improving with the help of technology and machines
like this one above. By programming this milling machine it assisted radiation
treatment by carving a mold, which was used to make a lead alloy part that
would focus the radiation in the area of a patient's body containing the cancer
and nowhere else. Engineering System CO. has designed
and built over 400 different products since their establishment in 1971.
The GEN H-4 was a dream of the president's ever since he was a little boy.
In 1989 he began designing a one-man helicopter after making his money
in designing extremely efficient 2-cycle engines for weed eaters, chain
saws, etc.
The first of his designs looked
like the helicopter shown in the photo below:
This model lacked in enough power to
carry a human being. Extensive tethered testing was done on a crane to
prove that the concept of counter-rotating rotors powered by 7 lb. 2-cycle
engines would actually fly. The development continued for 9 years before
the first GEN H-4 prototype was produced. Soon thereafter in 1998 it was
shown at the Oshkosh AirVenture air show. In 1999 was when I came into
the picture as the first American and only the second person to ever fly
the machine. Since then the development and improvements have continued.
Today the GEN H-4 is for sale to customers that are interested in doing
further flight testing and research of the capabilities of the GEN H-4.
To learn more about the GEN H-4
check out the company web site at:
www.engineeringsystems.co.jp
And for those interested in purchasing
a GEN H-4, the US distributor's site is:
www.acecraftusa.com
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