Helicopters

A helicopter uses a whirling wing to lift it into the air. This specially designed wing is called a rotor. Helicopters have the ability to hover and land in limited spaces making them useful in transport and rescue operations.

Fast Facts:

• top speed for most is below 320km/h
• used in rescue, aerial observation, transport, construction and agricultural industry
• there are single rotor, tandem rotor and coaxial rotor helicopters
• the first helicopter was built by Louis Breguet in 1907, it lasted a minute and reached a height of 61cm
• in 1935 Louis Breguet and zrone Dorand built a coaxial rotor helicopter
• 1936 Heinrich Focke built a twin rotor helicopter that when further developed could reach an altitude of 2,300 metres and a speed of 122km/h
• in 1939 Igor Sikorsky developed the first usable single rotor helicopter