Helicopter

Helicopter The aircraft that made people’s heads SPIN It took many attempts to get a helicopter into the air. Once it got there, however, it performed aerial acrobatics that left planes in the dust.

Leonardo’s aerial screw used a revolving platform to make it rise upward. This rescue helicopter is designed to hold four crew members and up to six additional people.

Aerial screw

More than 400 years before the first helicopter flew, Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci drew plans for his “aerIal screw,” which was designed to be hand-powered by four pilots. It was never built, and modern scientists believe it would have been too heavy to get off the ground. Did you know? Leonardo’s instructions stated that the aerial screw should be made of reed, wire, and linen for the sail.

Early attempts...

Autogyro

The autOgyrO was invented in 1923 by Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva. Like a helicopter, it has a spinning rotor that keeps it airborne. Unlike a helicopter, it is propelled by the engine, and not the rotors—which means it can’t do the tricks a helicopter can.

In 1907, Frenchman Paul Cornu’s helicopter rose 1 ft (30 cm) off the ground.

Another French inventor, EtiEnnE oEhmiChEn, created a helicopter that flew 3,280 ft (1 km) in 1924.

By the way... I gave up on my ideas for helicopters for 20 years when my early attempts were unsuccessful.

How it changed the worl d The amazing maneuverability of helicopters means they can do many things that planes can’t, making them ideal for difficult rescue missions, especially on mountains and at sea. They can also do some pretty amazing stunts!

Take off!

The first practical helicopter got off the ground in the early 1930s, but it was RussianAmerican Igor Sikorsky’s VS-300 that today’s helicopters are based on. It used a large rotor on top for lift, and a tail rotor to keep it steady. It first flew in 1939, and was soon wowing onlookers. Its novel design meant that it could move in almost any direction (even upside down), and hover.

It paved the way for...

The hoverCraft, which also uses high-pressure air to create lift, was developed by Englishman Christopher Cockerell in 1956.

HOW A helicopter’s main rotor blades provide lift. The pilot can move IT WO R KS the aircraft up, down, backward, and forward by changing the rotors’ speed and angle (via the swash plate assembly) in relation to the wind. Hovering happens when the lift from the rotor equals the pull of gravity. The tail rotor stops the helicopter from spinning, and controls the left and right movement of the craft.

Sikorsky later designed the VS-44, a flying boat for passengers. Rotor mast Swash plate assembly Rotor blade

Twin-rotor helicopters, such as Chinooks, were invented in the 1960s by American Frank Piasecki.