How It Works Magazine » helicopter

Top Five Facts: Helicopters

Jonny O'Callaghan — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:40:45 +0000

Da Vinci

The first reference to a rotor system is credited to inventor Leonardo da Vinci, who designed an ‘aerial screw’ in 1480. No full-scale variant was constructed during his lifetime.

Steamed

The word ‘helicopter’ was coined by French inventor Gustave de Ponton d’Amécourt, who used it to name his small, steam-powered rotorcraft.

Untethered

The first helicopter to achieve completely untethered flight was the Cornu in 1907, which managed to hover one foot above the ground for 20 seconds.

Fastest

The record for the fastest helicopter in the world is held by the Sikorsky X2 which, during a flyby over Florida, United States, clocked 258mph (416kph).

Phileas

The current world record speed for an eastbound round-the-world helicopter trip is 85 mph (137 kph). The record was set by Edward Kasprowicz in an Augusta A109S Grand.

Video: Helicopter opens beer bottles

Jonny O'Callaghan — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:34:44 +0000

Apologies for the dance music in the video…

An early prototype of the V-22 Osprey – 40 years earlier!

Helen — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:30:36 +0000

The world’s first vertical takeoff passenger liner.

Although regular readers will remember the incredibly hi-tech V-22 Osprey military helicopter we featured in issue three, this historic video reveals that VTOL technology in its infancy. Like the Osprey, Fairey Aviation’s Rotodyne was an aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing while carrying a large payload. Whereas the Osprey admittedly has state-of-the-art tilt rotors, the Rotodyne featured a combination of static rotor and turboprop engine – and all more than 40 years before the Osprey.

Video: Coolest gadget ever!

Robert Jones — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:13:02 +0000

For more information about the Parrot AR.Drone, including an interview with one of its designers, look out for issue five of How It Works.

Video: brain-bending video of a gyroscope in action

Helen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:36:49 +0000

A simple gyroscope demonstrates the incredible effects of angular momentum

This video illustrates how a simple child’s toy can defy everything we think we know about gravity. Discover how spinning the wheel of the gyroscope enables it to stand up on its own, balance on a piece of string, and generally appear to levitate – all due to the effects of angular momentum. This video also refers to the advanced application of gyroscopes for stability and navigation on the Mars Rover, aeroplanes, helicopters, ships, and robots. There’s also an article on gyroscopes coming up in issue three so don’t miss it.