The National Aeronautic Association on Tuesday released a list of seven aviation and aerospace projects that will compete for the 2014 Robert J. Collier Trophy. The trophy, which has been awarded annually for 103 years, aims to recognize “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.” The nominees this year are: Alan Eustace and the StratExteam, Embraer Legacy 500, F-16 Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Team, General Aviation Joint Steering Committee, Gulfstream G650, Orion Exploration Flight Test-1, and the Orion UAS Team. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, March 11.
Past winners include the crew of Apollo 11, Scott Crossfield, Howard Hughes, the B-52, the Boeing 747, the Cessna Citation, the Gulfstream V, and the International Space Station. The 2013 Collier went to Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Navy, and the X-47B Industry Team for developing and demonstrating the first unmanned autonomous air system operating from an aircraft carrier.
