Pioneers
1930 / 1940
The autogiro
evolved from earlier models during this time. While represent a great advance, could neither hover nor descend vertically like the modern
helicopter.
1930 :
ZAGI 1A also TsAGI , ( USSR )
The Aerodynamic and Hydrodynamic Central Institute 's
vertical flight department was created in 1928 leaded by
G. H. Sabinin .
The ZAGI 1A flown by August 1930, had a fuselage made
of welded tubes, a main rotor with four blades and powered by two
engines of 120 HP installed with a vertical axis.
ZAGI 1A was the first twin-engine helicopter
1931 :
Kuznetzov autogiros ( USSR )
1932 :
Kay
1932 :
Flettner FL 265 ( Germany )
1933, April :
Florine ( Belgium )
The first flyable twin tandem rotor helicopter was built by Russian-born engineer Nicolas Florine .
An interesting thing was the rotors did not counter-rotate, they were tilted slightly in opposite directions to counter torque.
1933 : ZAGI 5EA ( USSR )
Their second model had a new rotor with a diameter of 10 m with
three blades rigidly fixed to the hub. Three shorter blades ( 7 m )
were installed between the large ones. They included pitch change
hinges for ensure cyclic control and the auxiliary rotors at the
front and rear of the ZAGI 1A were retained.
Flights results were disappointing and the aircraft was abandoned
1933 :
Breguet - Dorand ( France )
Louis Breguet continues with his efforts and he built a new
coaxial gyroplane with a 420hp Wright engine
September 11, 1936.
Breguet reaches 108 km/h
1934 :
Nikolai Kamov 's
A-7 gyroplane ( USSR )
1935 : Elton Whitney ( USA )
Elton Whitney made patterns for the aluminum castings, he had a family friend, who was an expert, make the castings. In the meantime he obtained some spruce to make the fuselage and rotor blades. He was confident that it would work because he had made models, which had flown successfully.
When he received the castings, he discovered that the patterns he had made had not been correct and the castings would not fit together, so he abandoned the idea of building a full size machine, and simply made drawings of his idea.
He asked his son-in-law Rex. L. Beach who was studying Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture at the University of Michigan, to make blue prints of his drawings. Whitney sent them to the US Aeronautics Commission, and after some time he received a reply stating that his ideas were not new.
In 1939, Sikorsky produced his first helicopter with three of Whitney 's ideas incorporated, and Pitcairn came out with a new Autogiro, both had been on the commission to which he had sent his drawings to during that time frame.
1936 :
Focke Wulf Fw 61 ( Germany )
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First
practical
Helicopter
In 1938, it made an altitude flight of 11,243 feet and
cross-country flight of 143 miles.
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The Fw 61 was the first helicopter design that had really solved
the
control problems, and could be flown precisely, even indoors!
As Hanna Reitsch demonstrated February 1938 at the
Berlin 's Deutchlandhalle Stadium .
This model could reach a 122 km/h speed.
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1936 :
Weir W.3 ( Great Britain )
1938 :
Platt-LePage Aircraft Co.
 XR-1
( 1941 / 1944 )
1938, May 19 :
Comes carried out to Washington the first flight mails with an autogyro.
The regular service, carried out with a Kellet KD-1 of the Eastern
Airlines, began July 6th, but then it was abandoned for practical reasons.
1939 :
Weir W.6
- First with two seats -
1939 :
Igor Sikorsky 's
VS 300
(USA)
Igor Sikorsky 's VS 300 was the first useful single-rotor
helicopter. A design refined enough to be converted in the R-4
years later and put into production.
1939 :
Kellett KD-1B autogiro ( USA )
1940 :
Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache
Focke biggest helicopter, it was tried to use in order to free Mussolini in imprisonment
on the "Gran Sasso", but at the last moment, because of a damage, the rescue was done
with an airplane Fi 156 Storch.
First helicopter to fly the English Channel (May 1945).
1940 :
Gyrocraft Mil A-15
1942 :
Focke-Achgelis Fa 330 Bachstelze
1940/50 :
Ivan Bratukhin 's Omega, G-3/4, B-5,9/11 (USSR)
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