History of the Helicopter

History of the Helicopter

Flying Machines: History of the Helicopter
Helicopters were not thought of as extremely important when they were first starting to be made. People were more concerned about just getting in the air than getting vertical flight. Because, of this many of the inventors had a hard time developing a helicopter just because they didn’t have the money to buy parts. Although helicopters are much more advanced and helpful than they were when they were first made, they never would have been what they are today if they didn’t start off simple.
Early Thinking
The idea of vertical flight was first started with the Chinese flying top which was invented in 400 B.C. It consisted of a stick and some feathers that when spun would make the top fly into the air. This was the first idea of vertical flight. However, the real thinking of a machine that could fly and did not start until Leonardo De Vinci’s flying machine. His model was never made because it was ahead of his time. Even today, though, it is proven that the model would never work but it was still a first start and every great invention has to start somewhere. (Kimmet, Nash [3])
Once new engines were made it became possible to create a machine that could achieve vertical flight. Although there were a massive amount of failures, each one contributed to the ultimate success of the incredible machine we have today, the helicopter.
Key Problems
When helicopters were first invented, there were many problems. One of the problems was that because it was so early when people started trying to invent helicopters, an engine that could have enough power to lift a helicopter had not yet been invented. Steam powered engines did not have enough power and this problem was not solved until the internal combustion powered engines had been invented. ([2])
Another key problem in achieving lift of a helicopter was the weight of the helicopter itself. Many early helicopters were just too heavy to lift into the air. When helicopters...