2 years, 6 months ago
Who developed the Helicopter
Who was the mind behind the design of the Helicopter?
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M$3 Answers
Igor Sikorsky developer of the modern Helicopter.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wD6HJbWF3F4/SbwayYpoPfI/AAAAAAAAC1g/1xg0AGa6z2I/s400/Igor-Sikorsky.jpg
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Well, by developing you are referring to ¿Who DEVELOPED the thing? Not who conceived the original idea. In that respect, we all much agree that Leonardo Da Vinci was the first person who brought the concept in the first place, 500 years ago.
Leonardo’s airscrew-operated flying vehicle was an ornithopter sketch designed in 1485-1487. Da Vinci was captivated by the concept of human flight; here the pilot was meant to be in the horizontal position.
http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2009/02/09/da-vinci-helicopter_cPb8n_48.jpg
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Many inventors flew pseudo helicopters since the beginning of the XX century, but it was Russian born aeronautical engineer Igor Sikorsky, the first person to develop the world’s first practical helicopter, the VS-300 model, which first flew in September 14, 1939, and became the first western helicopter to fly.
The Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 was a single-engine helicopter; it had a single three-blade rotor originally powered by a 75 horsepower (56 kW) engine. It was not the first helicopter to fly, but was the first successful helicopter in the United States and the first successful helicopter to use a single vertical tail rotor configuration. A modern helicopter by all means. Because it has floats, it also became the first practical amphibious helicopter. Here, Igor Sikorsky himself was doing the flying honors.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Sikorsky_vs-300.jpg
Once proven as a viable concept, the following production variant of the chopper was the R-4 model; it was the world's first mass-produced helicopter and the first helicopter to enter service with the United States Armed Forces. Was the only helicopter that flew combat during World War II and also performed the first combat rescue by a helicopter on 23 April 1944, taking four British soldiers, in the China-Burma-India theater of operations.
The Sikorsky R-4 was built between 1942 and 1944, just in time to enter WWII.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/R-4_AC_HNS1_3_300.jpg/756px-R-4_AC_HNS1_3_300.jpg
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The Autogyro was an invention of Spanish aeronautical designer Juan De La Cierva; it was for the most part an aircraft fuselage without the wings that had a free tilted rotor on top that spined freely to give lift. Since the Autogyro depended on the typical aircraft engine up front it was not considered a true helicopter but a totally new aircraft entity that required other classification.
De la Cierva developed the Autogyro during a period of 15 years with a series of concept models that explored the whole envelope of free tilted rotor flying. Two of its most important Autogyros were the C.4 model which was the first true Autogyro in history that exhibited the revolutionary idea of articulating the blades in the rotor hub, and first flew in 1923 with two different flights over the historic Madrid aerodromes of Getafe and Cuatro Vientos.
The other Autogyro was the C.30 model built in 1934. It represented the pinnacle of Autogyro design, exhibiting retractable rotor blades and its most notable characteristic, the Jump Start system (or Jump Take-off), a free tilt rotor coupled thru a drive shaft with the engine and when clutched enabled the Autogyro to practically take off from the stationary position up into the air, thus reducing the take-off run to a few meters. This was a long sought feature on Autogyros.
De la Cierva C.30 Autogyro exhibited at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Cierva-Duxford.JPG/800px-Cierva-Duxford.JPG
___________________________
Well, by developing you are referring to ¿Who DEVELOPED the thing? Not who conceived the original idea. In that respect, we all much agree that Leonardo Da Vinci was the first person who brought the concept in the first place, 500 years ago.
Leonardo’s airscrew-operated flying vehicle was an ornithopter sketch designed in 1485-1487. Da Vinci was captivated by the concept of human flight; here the pilot was meant to be in the horizontal position.
___________________________
Many inventors flew pseudo helicopters since the beginning of the XX century, but it was Russian born aeronautical engineer Igor Sikorsky, the first person to develop the world’s first practical helicopter, the VS-300 model, which first flew in September 14, 1939, and became the first western helicopter to fly.
The Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 was a single-engine helicopter; it had a single three-blade rotor originally powered by a 75 horsepower (56 kW) engine. It was not the first helicopter to fly, but was the first successful helicopter in the United States and the first successful helicopter to use a single vertical tail rotor configuration. A modern helicopter by all means. Because it has floats, it also became the first practical amphibious helicopter. Here, Igor Sikorsky himself was doing the flying honors.
Once proven as a viable concept, the following production variant of the chopper was the R-4 model; it was the world's first mass-produced helicopter and the first helicopter to enter service with the United States Armed Forces. Was the only helicopter that flew combat during World War II and also performed the first combat rescue by a helicopter on 23 April 1944, taking four British soldiers, in the China-Burma-India theater of operations.
The Sikorsky R-4 was built between 1942 and 1944, just in time to enter WWII.
___________________________
The Autogyro was an invention of Spanish aeronautical designer Juan De La Cierva; it was for the most part an aircraft fuselage without the wings that had a free tilted rotor on top that spined freely to give lift. Since the Autogyro depended on the typical aircraft engine up front it was not considered a true helicopter but a totally new aircraft entity that required other classification.
De la Cierva developed the Autogyro during a period of 15 years with a series of concept models that explored the whole envelope of free tilted rotor flying. Two of its most important Autogyros were the C.4 model which was the first true Autogyro in history that exhibited the revolutionary idea of articulating the blades in the rotor hub, and first flew in 1923 with two different flights over the historic Madrid aerodromes of Getafe and Cuatro Vientos.
The other Autogyro was the C.30 model built in 1934. It represented the pinnacle of Autogyro design, exhibiting retractable rotor blades and its most notable characteristic, the Jump Start system (or Jump Take-off), a free tilt rotor coupled thru a drive shaft with the engine and when clutched enabled the Autogyro to practically take off from the stationary position up into the air, thus reducing the take-off run to a few meters. This was a long sought feature on Autogyros.
De la Cierva C.30 Autogyro exhibited at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England.
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M$
Although many minds can be attributed to the design of the helicopter, Leonardo being the least, (He only drew a design, not a working model, and his design would never have worked\flown) I think full honor's would have to go to..
'Juan De la Cierva' (1895-1936.
Who is this I hear you ask?. Listen up!
De la Cierva invented the 'autogyro' (a helicopter with NO drive to the main rotor, spins freely in air!) and the 'flapping hinge' fitted to all helicopters and enables stable flight (up until then helicopters used to 'tip over' during flight!)
The second most prolific entity would have to be 'Ivor Sikorsky' (1889-1972)
He designed the helicopter as we know it today with a large horizontal rotor at front\top and a smaller vertical rotor at the rear.
Actually wikipedia, yes the 'w' word has some very good articles (with checkable references!) starting here..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter
Also check 'Juan De la Cierva' and Ivor Sikorsky' and if you don't know about them 'Autogyro' and 'gyrocopters' you will be amazed!
'Juan De la Cierva' (1895-1936.
Who is this I hear you ask?. Listen up!
De la Cierva invented the 'autogyro' (a helicopter with NO drive to the main rotor, spins freely in air!) and the 'flapping hinge' fitted to all helicopters and enables stable flight (up until then helicopters used to 'tip over' during flight!)
The second most prolific entity would have to be 'Ivor Sikorsky' (1889-1972)
He designed the helicopter as we know it today with a large horizontal rotor at front\top and a smaller vertical rotor at the rear.
Actually wikipedia, yes the 'w' word has some very good articles (with checkable references!) starting here..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter
Also check 'Juan De la Cierva' and Ivor Sikorsky' and if you don't know about them 'Autogyro' and 'gyrocopters' you will be amazed!
images:
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M$
Leonardo da Vinci, I think he draw the first vertical flight device: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_da_Vinci_helicopter.jpg
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M$
Indeed.
Good question, but am afraid this is something the Venetian trade sailors of the 1400´s could have answered appropriately. It could be possible since we all know Chinese inventions like powder, spaghetti, silk cloth, the kite, etc came to Europe with the commerce trade initiated by people like the Polo´s and the Venetian traders.
It is very clear today that middle age Italy, on the verge to the Renaissance, was influenced by the Chinese inventions and technology that arrived at the time. ¿Who knows how many things passed thru the trade that initiated a revolution on the arts, medicine, architecture, war, gastronomy, naval construction, engineering and fashion among other fields?
It is plausible that the Da Vinci ornithopter could have been a Chinese idea that he copied.
Then is up to Igor Sikorsky to be credited for the practical controlled helicopter flight.
There is a question about the source of design of the Helicopter. Did Da Vinci see a design by another inventor then diagrammed the Helicopter using a 3D perspective? This raise the question of how many of the renaissance inventions were designed and conceived by the Chinese but published and mass produced by the European inventors.
Da Vinci design would not have flown. Therefore, Da Vinci can not be credit for creating the Helicopter.
Igor Sikorsky is credited for creating a working machine. Da Vinci's helicopter would not have flown.