The two parts to the word “helicopter” are not "heli" and "copter". It is adapted from the French language hélicoptère, which originates from the Greek helix "spiral, whirl, convolution" and pteron "wing".
The first helicopter as we know them today was designed by Heinrich Focke in 1936. The first prototype of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, had its maiden flight on June 26, 1936 with Ewald Rohlfs at the controls.
On October 26, 1939, at the Argus Foundry at Thornliebank in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Ray Pullin took off in a Weir 6 helicopter with Chief Engineer, Ken Watson, in the passenger seat. This was the world's first passenger-carrying helicopter flight. The development of the Weir 6 was halted soon afterwards because of World War II.
Russian-born aeronautics engineer Igor Sikorsky emigrated to the U.S. after World War I and became known as the ‘father of the helicopter’. The composer Sergei Rachmaninoff helped him start his aviation company in 1923 with a personal cheque for $5,000.
Sikorsky designed and flew the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300, the first viable American helicopter, which pioneered the rotor configuration used by most helicopters today. The first flight of the VS-300 was on May 24, 1940.
Sikorsky's success with the VS-300 led to the R-4, which became the world's first mass-produced helicopter in 1942.
The first helicopter as we know them today was designed by Heinrich Focke in 1936. The first prototype of the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, had its maiden flight on June 26, 1936 with Ewald Rohlfs at the controls.
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| A replica of Fw 61, ILA 2006 at the Hubschraubermuseum in Bückeburg |
On October 26, 1939, at the Argus Foundry at Thornliebank in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Ray Pullin took off in a Weir 6 helicopter with Chief Engineer, Ken Watson, in the passenger seat. This was the world's first passenger-carrying helicopter flight. The development of the Weir 6 was halted soon afterwards because of World War II.
Russian-born aeronautics engineer Igor Sikorsky emigrated to the U.S. after World War I and became known as the ‘father of the helicopter’. The composer Sergei Rachmaninoff helped him start his aviation company in 1923 with a personal cheque for $5,000.
Sikorsky designed and flew the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300, the first viable American helicopter, which pioneered the rotor configuration used by most helicopters today. The first flight of the VS-300 was on May 24, 1940.
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| Igor Sikorsky in the VS-300, at the end of 1941 |
Sikorsky's success with the VS-300 led to the R-4, which became the world's first mass-produced helicopter in 1942.
The first recorded use of helicopters in combat was by the 1st Air Commando Group of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. On April 22-23, 1944, a Sikorsky R-4 helicopter was used in a combat search and rescue mission in the China-Burma-India border area.
The 1st Air Commando Group mission was a success, and the use of helicopters in warfare quickly became more common. Helicopters proved to be useful in a variety of military applications, including medical evacuation, troop transport, and reconnaissance.
The Sikorsky S-51, the first helicopter to be built for civilian instead of military use, made its first flight in 1946.
In 1948 Lyndon B Johnson used a helicopter to campaign for office. He would hover over farmers working in their fields, many who had never seen a helicopter, and blare through the loudspeaker: "Hello, down there! This is your friend, Lyndon Johnson, your candidate for the United States Senate."
Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first US president to ride in a helicopter on July 12, 1957. The President needed a quick way to reach his summer home in Pennsylvania, as Air Force One could not land at the White House. Eisenhower instructed his staff to look into alternative modes of transportation and a Sikorsky UH-34 Seahorse helicopter was commissioned.
The "Telecopter," the world's first TV news helicopter was introduced by KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles. It made its first successful broadcast on on July 4, 1958. The "Telecopter" was a Bell Model 47 whose on-board video and audio equipment communicated with a line of sight KTLA transmitter receiver on top of Mount Wilson. For several years, KTLA was the only TV station with a helicopter based TV camera crewed reporting platform.
On June 21, 1971 French aviator Jean Boulet set the world record for the highest altitude reached by a helicopter, when he piloted an Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama to an altitude of 12,442 metres (40,820 ft. However, when Boulet started to descend, the engine failed, but he safely landed the helicopter with absolutely no power. Because of his unpowered flight back to the ground, he is also credited with the largest altitude flown with an autogyro.
The AH-64 Apache, the primary attack helicopter for a number of countries, made its first flight. on September 30, 1975. The Apache originally started as the Model 77 developed by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra.
The Sikorsky S-51, the first helicopter to be built for civilian instead of military use, made its first flight in 1946.
In 1948 Lyndon B Johnson used a helicopter to campaign for office. He would hover over farmers working in their fields, many who had never seen a helicopter, and blare through the loudspeaker: "Hello, down there! This is your friend, Lyndon Johnson, your candidate for the United States Senate."
Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first US president to ride in a helicopter on July 12, 1957. The President needed a quick way to reach his summer home in Pennsylvania, as Air Force One could not land at the White House. Eisenhower instructed his staff to look into alternative modes of transportation and a Sikorsky UH-34 Seahorse helicopter was commissioned.
The "Telecopter," the world's first TV news helicopter was introduced by KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles. It made its first successful broadcast on on July 4, 1958. The "Telecopter" was a Bell Model 47 whose on-board video and audio equipment communicated with a line of sight KTLA transmitter receiver on top of Mount Wilson. For several years, KTLA was the only TV station with a helicopter based TV camera crewed reporting platform.
On June 21, 1971 French aviator Jean Boulet set the world record for the highest altitude reached by a helicopter, when he piloted an Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama to an altitude of 12,442 metres (40,820 ft. However, when Boulet started to descend, the engine failed, but he safely landed the helicopter with absolutely no power. Because of his unpowered flight back to the ground, he is also credited with the largest altitude flown with an autogyro.
The AH-64 Apache, the primary attack helicopter for a number of countries, made its first flight. on September 30, 1975. The Apache originally started as the Model 77 developed by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra.
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| An AH-64 Apache from the U.S. Army's 101st Aviation Regiment in Iraq |
The current helicopter world speed record is 400.87 km/h (249.10 mph), set by a Westland Lynx helicopter on August 11, 1986. The helicopter was flown by Trevor Egginton and Derek Clews, and it achieved the record over a 15 km course in Somerset, England.
The Westland Lynx is a British-built helicopter that was designed for the military. It is a medium-sized helicopter that is capable of carrying up to 10 people or 2,000 kg of cargo. The Lynx is also armed with a variety of weapons, including machine guns, rockets, and missiles.
The Lynx was chosen to attempt the helicopter speed record because it is a very fast helicopter. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce Gem turboshaft engines, which give it a top speed of 300 knots (345 mph). The Lynx is also very agile, which made it well-suited for the tight turns that were required to set the record.
A Boeing 234LR Chinook crashed two-and-a-half miles east of Sumburgh Airport, the main airport serving Shetland in Scotland on November 6, 1986. 45 people were killed, making it the deadliest civilian helicopter crash on record.
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| Boeing 234LR Chinook Wikipedia |
The Russian Mil V-12 was the largest helicopter ever built. It could transport 196 passengers.
The top speed of an Apache military helicopter is 176 mph — almost 20 per cent slower than a Lamborghini sports car.
The US Army tradition of naming helicopters after Native American Tribes dates to 1947 before the Air Force split from the Army in 1947. When Army General Hamilton Howze was assigned to Army aviation, he felt that helicopters were meant to attack the flank and fade away...in the tradition of the Plains Indian tribes.
Marine One—the U.S. president's helicopter—has antimissile defenses, ballistic armor, and a quiet interior, so the president needn't shout.
When helicopters kick up sand while they are spinning blades, the sand creates a static discharge from the friction of the rotor blades spinning. This generates a bright light surrounding the blades as they spin.
Helicopters are 85 times as dangerous as cars if you compare time traveled.
When country star Kris Kristofferson first moved to Nashville he made ends meet as a helicopter pilot. After trying unsuccessfully to get Johnny Cash to hear some of his songs, he finally got Cash's attention by landing a helicopter on his lawn.
The actor Sean Bean was afraid of flying in helicopters during the filming of Lord of the Rings. The crew would look down at 7:30 AM and see him fully dressed in costume climbing cliffs all by himself.
There is no single word for "helicopter" in North Korea.
The actor Sean Bean was afraid of flying in helicopters during the filming of Lord of the Rings. The crew would look down at 7:30 AM and see him fully dressed in costume climbing cliffs all by himself.
There is no single word for "helicopter" in North Korea.
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