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Couldn't help but notice the very modern looking helicopters in the March and June 1938 covers. A bit of digging reveals the first modern (large main + small ta

by ian0 8y ago

Couldn't help but notice the very modern looking helicopters in the March and June 1938 covers. A bit of digging reveals the first modern (large main + small tail rotor) helicopter was only flown for the first time the following year [1]. But I guess they must have had renderings of this design to base the art on. [1] https://connecticuthistory.org/worlds-first-helicopter-today-in-history/ https://connecticuthistory.org/worlds-first-helicopter-today...

benj111 8y ago
I look at the August one and remember very similar book covers from much more recently. I also googled when helicopters were invented and got 1936 for the FW 61. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter And the term seems to have originated much earlier. Your link says "first practical helicopter", I'm trying to match that up with the rotor and tail arrangement. The Chinook has twin rotors, works, and is a helicopter. I wonder if the fw61 just didn't get it good enough to be practical, at that time. EDIT1: Further digging has pushed back the date to 1932 for the first helicopter The TSAGI 1-ea with 2 tail rotors. http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/brat_1ea.php http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/brat_1ea.php So it would appear wikipedia is wrong EDIT2: Ok so the 1-ea is listed under 'first flights'. The FW61 is listed as the first operational, but on it's own page is described the first practical. So clear as mud. It does seem there were helicopter shaped things when this magazine came out though.
- ian0 8y ago
  > pushed back the date to 1932 for the first helicopter The TSAGI 1-ea with 2 tail rotors. I spotted that one alright - but the entire shape is quite different from the single-tail rotor versions (eg in the second pic down). Still doesn't explain how they came up with the modern design.. Though it seems Igor Sikorsky, who built the VS-300 built at least two prototype helicopters early in the century. Cant find any pics, perhaps they were of the modern design. Or perhaps he was just the first to successfully put it together but the design was well known.
  - benj111 8y ago
    Well helicopters only really came into their own when jet engines/gas turbines were developed. Maybe they were in a similar situation to todays single stage to orbit shuttle designs. The basic design has been static for over 30 years, we're just waiting for a rocket (fuel ?) to come, to make it practical. I find it quite interesting how even with something as 'obvious' (in the what it is sense, not the inventing and concept sense) as a helicopter, it becomes very hard to pin down the 'first'.
- JetSpiegel 8y ago
  > On August 14, 1932 A.M.Cheremukhin reached altitude 605m. Unfortunately, The USSR at the time was not a member of an International Aviation Federation (plus secrecy, yes!), and this record could not be formally registered.

by ian0 8y ago

benj111 8y ago

I look at the August one and remember very similar book covers from much more recently. I also googled when helicopters were invented and got 1936 for the FW 61. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter And the term seems to have originated much earlier. Your link says "first practical helicopter", I'm trying to match that up with the rotor and tail arrangement. The Chinook has twin rotors, works, and is a helicopter. I wonder if the fw61 just didn't get it good enough to be practical, at that time. EDIT1: Further digging has pushed back the date to 1932 for the first helicopter The TSAGI 1-ea with 2 tail rotors. http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/brat_1ea.php http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/brat_1ea.php So it would appear wikipedia is wrong EDIT2: Ok so the 1-ea is listed under 'first flights'. The FW61 is listed as the first operational, but on it's own page is described the first practical. So clear as mud. It does seem there were helicopter shaped things when this magazine came out though.

ian0 8y ago
> pushed back the date to 1932 for the first helicopter The TSAGI 1-ea with 2 tail rotors. I spotted that one alright - but the entire shape is quite different from the single-tail rotor versions (eg in the second pic down). Still doesn't explain how they came up with the modern design.. Though it seems Igor Sikorsky, who built the VS-300 built at least two prototype helicopters early in the century. Cant find any pics, perhaps they were of the modern design. Or perhaps he was just the first to successfully put it together but the design was well known.
- benj111 8y ago
  Well helicopters only really came into their own when jet engines/gas turbines were developed. Maybe they were in a similar situation to todays single stage to orbit shuttle designs. The basic design has been static for over 30 years, we're just waiting for a rocket (fuel ?) to come, to make it practical. I find it quite interesting how even with something as 'obvious' (in the what it is sense, not the inventing and concept sense) as a helicopter, it becomes very hard to pin down the 'first'.
JetSpiegel 8y ago
> On August 14, 1932 A.M.Cheremukhin reached altitude 605m. Unfortunately, The USSR at the time was not a member of an International Aviation Federation (plus secrecy, yes!), and this record could not be formally registered.