| History tells us that the first concept of man trying to | | | | problems occurred. With a little understanding on the |
| defy gravity and actually fly was through a helicopter | | | | concept of torque and balance, all the initial attempts |
| flight. Accounts date way back 400 BC in ancient | | | | failed. Models tend to flip over. Others cannot be |
| China with a hand-spun toy made from a stick and | | | | controlled in mid-air. Many would not even get off from |
| feather that flew when rapidly spun between palms to | | | | the ground. |
| generate enough lift and then released. | | | | The break came in 1907 when Paul Cornu, a French |
| However, the very first, more realistic concept of a | | | | pioneer created a twin-rotor helicopter that lifted off |
| helicopter dates in the 15th century when Leonardo Da | | | | the ground for few seconds. That event was followed |
| Vinci attempted to produce a working helicopter | | | | by other successful tests but not until 1924 when |
| (gyroscope). This was not made into production since | | | | another French by the name Etienne Oehmichen |
| his sketch was noted to be way ahead of his time | | | | made a historic helicopter flight that lasted for 7 |
| and the period had inadequate technology and | | | | minutes and 40 seconds. |
| understanding about the nature of lift and the availability | | | | Others came to follow these two Frenchmen. Boris |
| of a machine that could create such massive lift. | | | | Yuriev and Geogrij de Bothezat (Russian), Ellehammer |
| Several other attempts had been made over the next | | | | (Dutch), Louis Brennan (Briton), Pescara ( Argentina ), |
| centuries. All these had failed but had contributed little | | | | Etienne Oehmichen ( French), D'Ascanio (Italian), and |
| advancements on the development of the helicopter. | | | | Juan de la Cierva (Spanish) are among other pioneers |
| The reason of failure? Same as that of Da Vinci's | | | | who came up with their own version of helicopter. In |
| time. From the time of Da Vinci up to the end of the | | | | 1936, with the German Focke-Wulf Fw 61 introduction, |
| 19th century, there was no adequate machine that is | | | | the concept of vertical flight became a reality. This |
| powerful enough to generate power and create lift. | | | | was hailed as the very first practical helicopter that |
| The breakthrough came when the internal combustion | | | | rose as high as 11,243 feet and as far as 143 miles. |
| engine was invented that made full-size prototype | | | | The long dream of man to fly became a reality. |
| production a possibility. But then, problems after | | | | |