Sean Summers
WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
The Helicopter:
A 400 Year History of Scientific Innovation
Throughout history, one creation that has seemed to go relatively unnoticed is the
helicopter. Undervalued and understudied, the helicopter is a facet of the aerospace industry
that has always been overshadowed by the more well-known creation, the airplane. When did
this wacky invention come about? What useful purposes did it actually serve? Its 400 year
history is a tale of scientific innovation, engineering creativity, and the pursuit of the unknown.
1 THE HUMBLE BEGINNING
The helicopter has a history that stretches back centuries. Many historians believe that the
idea of a helicopter originated from Milan, Italy, sometime in the 1480’s [1]. Its creator was the
philosopher, artist, and scientist, Leonardo Da-Vinci. Da-Vinci had a fascination for inventing
flying machines. Many of his machines modeled the flight characteristics of birds, with a
flapping motion and wings, called
“ornithopters”; however, buried in his
hundreds of drawings was one creation
that looked nothing like the rest. It was
a machine that had a screw-like linen
wing
structure,
which
is
now
Figure 1: Original Drawing of Da-Vinci's Helicopter and a Modern Day
Computer Model [3], [9]
commonly known as the aerial screw, with a wooden standing platform on the bottom, seen in
Figure 1. Da-Vinci proposed that if the spiral was spun fast enough, the machine would
Sean Summers
WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
essentially use the momentum of the air it forced downward to lift itself. The idea of the
helicopter was born. Though it was never constructed, many models exist today.
Da-Vinci’s idea was a radical and creative start; yet, it did have a few flaws. Firstly, the
contraption allowed the floor underneath the operators to move. This meant that only half of the
power generated by the users would be transmitted to moving the air, while the other half moved
the ground underneath them; this is because of Newton’s First Law of Physics, for every action
there is an equal and opposite reaction. What would later become a concern to engineers, this
phenomenon was called torque reaction. The second flaw was that the screw design requires lots
of power in order to take flight. As of today, no full size replica has actually been flown.
Unfortunately, the helicopter wouldn’t see progress for another 270 years.
2 THE INDUSTRIAL AGE
It wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that the interest in rotary winged aircraft was
sparked again. New materials, like metals and plastics, allowed for lighter and more intricate
designs. Da Vinci’s idea of an aerial screw had been
scrapped and was replaced by a set of rotating wings,
called rotors. During the 1700’s, engineers and scientists
used spring powered systems in an attempt to master the
physics of rotary winged aircraft, countering the torque
reaction, as well as keeping the body steady. One such
invention is presented in Figure 2. Dating back to 1784,
this invention took advantage of a bowdrill system
Figure 2: A drawing of Launoy and Bienvenu’s dual
rotor model [3]
Sean Summers
WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
attached to two rotors of turkey feathers that rotated in opposite directions [1]. It was found that
two rotors spinning in opposite directions eliminated their torque reactions, allowing the body to
which they were attached to remain steady and in flight. The mechanisms became larger and
larger, until the invention of the steam engine brought about the era of full sized crafts. During
the 1800’s, the rotary winged aircraft slowly began to evolve and more closely resemble what we
consider today to be a helicopter. In fact, the word helicopter was invented during this time, in
1863, when Viscount Gustave de Ponton d'Amécourt from France combined the Greek words
helicon and pteron, meaning “spiral” and “wing” [1]. Through decades of bulky and awkward
inventions, some large contraptions were able to attain flight by the end of the 19th century, but
none with a pilot. It wasn’t until the 1900’s when helicopters gained their success.
3 SUCCESS
The first manned rotary winged vehicle to take
flight, and what is widely considered to be the first ever
helicopter, was flown on November 3, 1907 by French
engineer and bicycle maker Paul Cornu [2]. The aircraft,
seen in Figure 3, utilized two vertical rotors to
compensate for torque reaction and ran on a 24
Figure 3: The Cornu Helicopter (1907), what is
considered to be the first helicopter [7]
horsepower gasoline engine [3]. However, the flight was
only for thirty seconds at one foot off the ground. After this success, development of the
helicopter really took off. Only four years later, the first design of a main vertical rotor and a
horizontal tail rotor was published (the design many helicopters are based off of today) [1]. Until
Sean Summers
WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
this point in history, the full potential of a vertical flight aircraft had never been realized.
Engineers had only pursued the idea of a helicopter for their pure love of science and technology.
However, what really got helicopters off the ground had a much more malevolent intention.
4 THE MILITARY AGE
Soon after the first helicopter was flown, World War I began, which further fueled the
research of rotary winged aircrafts. The US military was in need of a vehicle to replace their
balloon surveillance craft, and they were looking to the helicopter as a solution. Furthermore, the
quality and quantity of building materials, as well as engine technology, were rapidly improving
during this time due to the war effort. Though much funding was directed toward the study of
helicopters, no successful craft was made during the war. The US Army didn’t have their first
helicopter until 1922; it was called the Jerome-de Bothezat Flying Octopus [1]. Though it was
much improved from Cornu’s helicopter in 1907, and could sustain flight, it still lacked
maneuverability and altitude. From the 1920’s to the 1930’s, fuselages were added to helicopters,
and the design of a tail rotor was catching on; the tail rotor was a new adaptation to counter
torque reaction. In just a mere 20 years, the first production helicopter was born.
The year was 1939, and Igor Sikorsky, who
would later be known as the father of helicopters,
had invented the VS-300, the world’s first fully
controllable helicopter, seen in Figure 5. It utilized
the iconic design of a main rotor and tail, and
incorporated a powerful 75 horsepower engine [2]. It
also was fitted with pontoons, making it the first
Figure 4: Sikorsky's VS-300 (1939) [2]
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WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
amphibious helicopter as well [1]. The race was now on for the best military helicopter. In 1940,
Germany released the Flettner FL 282 Kolibri, which was the first helicopter to be used in
combat [1]. It looked much like Sikorsky’s VS-300 and served many roles, like rescue, artillery
spotting, and submarine escort. Just three years later,
Sikorsky released the R-4, shown in Figure 5, the
world’s first helicopter to be mass produced [1]; in
1943, as World War II was underway, the US Army
jumped on board, ordering 29 prototypes to be built.
The realization of the helicopter’s full potential was
now catching on. In 1944, the first combat rescue via
Figure 5: Sikorsky's R-4 (1944) [8]
helicopter was attempted by U.S. Army Lieutenant
Carter Harman in the China-Burma-India theater. He was successful in rescuing three British
soldiers. The popularity of the R-4 spread worldwide, as the Royal Air Force had begun
purchasing their own.
In just ten years, the helicopter had become a highly desired commodity across the globe. It
was desired purely for its military applications, and by the end of 1950, fully functioning
vehicles were seen in Germany, Canada, the USSR, Britain, France, and the United States. The
aviation industry was booming and numerous companies, some of which are still in operation
today, were being born: Sikorsky (founded by Igor Sikorsky), Lockheed, Canadair, Mil, and
Hughes [3]. The 1950’s saw the invention of the turbine powered helicopter, further powering
the rotorcrafts and enhancing their flight capabilities. Their ability to land in hard to reach areas
and hover for long durations of time served many purposes outside the military sector. Aircraft
could now carry more than one passenger, and fly at speeds up to 190 miles per hour [3].
Sean Summers
WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
The Vietnam War saw the first fully incorporated
military action of the helicopter with the Bell UH-1
Iroquois
(nicknamed
the
“Huey”).
The
iconic
helicopter, shown in Figure 6, was used in a wide array
of missions, from medical evacuation to bombing runs.
However, the helicopter was not yet perfect. During its
rise to fame, weapons technology had also evolved;
Figure 4: The Bell UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" (1965),
serving in Vietnam [8]
heavy gun fire and missiles could easily take down the
aircraft, and in total 3,305 of the 7,013 UH-1s that served in Vietnam were destroyed [4]. In total
1,074 Huey pilots were killed, along with 1,103 other crew members. The need for an evasive
military helicopter was evident [4].
The rise of computer technology was the last development for the helicopter. Computer
aided flight controls, night vision, autonomous engine adjustment, and advanced weaponry, all
made the helicopter a serious threat from above, as well as a versatile vehicle for other nonmilitary groups. Nearly all modern societies have uses for helicopters: search and rescue, fire
control, police enforcement, news footage, an even construction.
5 TODAY
The helicopters of today are extremely advanced, highly utilized pieces of machinery. Their
uses range from medical evacuation, search and rescue, news reporting, construction, wildlife
conservation, and military action. Modern helicopters can reach speeds upwards of 250 miles per
hour and can lift payloads of 22 tons [3]. Even more experimental aircrafts are combining the
Sean Summers
WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
characteristics of airplanes and helicopters, bringing about a new era in aviation that further
pushes the envelope of rotary wing engineering. The idea is to combine the long range and fast
flight abilities of the airplane with the vertical takeoff and maneuverability of a helicopter. One
such aircraft that has done just that is the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, shown in Figure 7 [1].
Known as a “tiltrotor” aircraft, this vehicle takes off with two vertical rotors, but transitions to
airplane flight by tilting its rotors forward to become
propellers. It has already seen its debut in war efforts
in Afghanistan and Iraq and is continuing to prove
its mission capabilities. Another development in
helicopter design is the incorporation of stealth
Figure 5: Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey (2005),
transitioning between vertical and horizontal flight
[11]
technology. The most current stealth helicopter is the HAL Light Combat Helicopter [5], which
features radar absorbent materials, radar deflecting geometries, and noise reduction. The other
area of helicopter innovation involves small remote control helicopters that incorporate three or
more rotors. Popularly known as “quadrotors,” these small devices are extremely quick and
nimble, performing aerial acrobatics never seen before. These small devices can also send video
feeds to their controllers. However, unmanned miniature helicopters like these are more than just
a hobby for some; they are currently being applied in military surveillance and search and rescue
missions.
6 THE FUTURE
The future of helicopter aircrafts is far from certain. With technology developing at such a
rapid rate, little is known of the capabilities or possible advances that the aerospace industry
might see. In a video produced by the US Army titled Aviation 2050 Vision – Technology for
Tactics, a sci-fi like future is projected for rotorcraft. The video claims, "Future vertical lift
Sean Summers
WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
aircraft will fly further, faster, and perform in a wider range of environmental conditions while
carrying heavier payloads. Aircraft may be manned or unmanned. Flight operations will be
automated, and the pilot will assume more of a
mission commander role." It is very likely that
the future will see the incorporation of
unmanned, jet propelled helicopters, much like
the one presented in Figure 8. Larger aircrafts
might incorporate more rotors, as seen in the
Figure 6: Aviation 2050 Vision - Technology for Tactics
(Video) [10]
video, to add larger payload capacity.
The technology and engineering of helicopters has seen a radical change over its lifetime.
Similarly to how Da Vinci’s idea was much unlike the helicopters of the 1900’s, our ideas of
helicopters today may be much different than what the future holds. It is likely the current trend
of innovation may even lead to solutions we don’t even know we need yet.
Sean Summers
WRIT 340, Warford
Illumin Article
7 REFERENCES
[1]
"Helicopter History Site," [Online]. Available: http://www.helis.com/pioneers/. [Accessed 6 Feb
2014].
[2]
J. Rumerman, "U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission," [Online]. Available:
http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Rotary/early_20th_century/HE2.htm. [Accessed 4 Feb
2014].
[3]
"Aerospaceweb.org," [Online]. Available:
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/design/helicopter/history.shtml. [Accessed 29 Jan 2014].
[4]
"Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association," [Online]. Available: http://www.vhpa.org/heliloss.pdf.
[5]
"Defense Aviation," [Online]. Available: http://www.defenceaviation.com/2010/04/indias-lightcombat-helicopter.html. [Accessed 10 February 2014].
[6]
E. Teale, "Planes That Go Straight Up," Popular Science, vol. 126, no. 3, 1935.
[7]
"Cornu Helicopter," [Online]. Available:
http://projetcornu.free.fr/img/PhotoAccueilModifiee.JPG.
[8]
R. Lemos, "The Helictoper: A Hundred Years of Hovering," WIRED, 12 November 2007. [Online].
Available:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/multimedia/2007/11/gallery_helicopter?slide=2&sli
deView=2. [Accessed 11 February 2014].
[9]
"All Spectrum Electronics," [Online]. Available:
http://www.allspectrum.com/store/product_thumb.php?img=images/EDU61002.gif&w=88&h=80. [Accessed 11 February 2014].
[10]
Aviation 2050 Vision - Technology for Tactics. [Film]. United States: United States Army, 2013.
[11]
"Edwards Airforce Base," 26 April 2005. [Online]. Available:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/34/Osprey_firing_flares.jpg/120pxOsprey_firing_flares.jpg. [Accessed 4 February 2014].