I was watching the movie "Eye of the Needle" and it takes place during World War II. They had helicopters and I thought that they came around later.
2006-08-02 12:39:08 · 10 answers · asked by spackler 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Yes. the first true production helicopter was the Sikorsky R-4B Hoverfly. It first flew on 14 January, 1942, and was powered by a 165 hp Warner R-500 radial engine.
The R-4B had a single main rotor 36 feet in diameter and a single anti-torque tail rotor. The enclosed cockpit seated two side-by-side with full dual controls. Flying controls were similar to modern helicopters with a cyclic stick, collective pitch lever and rudder pedals for control of the tail rotor.
In 1943, the engine was replaced with a Warner R-550 of 180 hp and the main rotor diameter increased to 38 feet. The same year, the R-4B made the first landing by a helicopter on a ship at sea, the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill.
In 1945, near the end of the war, several R-4Bs saw active service in Burma with the Ghost Squadron. The aircraft was used as a MEDEVAC/SAR platform. Of course Da Vinci invented the helicopter in 1493!!!
2006-08-02 18:51:31 · answer #1 · answered by hookr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Helicopters in their 'modern' form have been in developement since the Wright brothers.. The father of helicopters, Igor Sikorsky, devolped the single rotor helicopter in 1939..
The Military continued to develop helicopters during WWII, but it wasn't until late 1944 early 1945 that any practical military use was 'found' and by the time it went into full scale production, the war was over.. The Helicopter became a mainstain in the military during the Korean conflct
2006-08-02 19:47:29 · answer #2 · answered by thorfin39 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they did.They were called autogyros at that time.The first true operational helicopter was used in 1945.It was used to evacuate wounded in the Phillipines after the Los Banos raid.
2006-08-06 02:41:49 · answer #3 · answered by david g 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They had gyro-planes that use a regular prop propeller for power and a helicopter like rotor for lift.
they also had prototypes of helicopters but they were not in use other than secret testing.
2006-08-03 03:17:04 · answer #4 · answered by MP US Army 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
enstrom helicopters started 60 years ago and i dont think those were the first ones. check out enstrom helicopters web site dey in the U.P. of Michigan yoppers LOL
2006-08-02 21:06:57 · answer #5 · answered by mike L 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes some prototypes but they were to dangourus to put into warfare and the war was progressing smoothly without them so the army air corps just ignored them. back then the air force was called the air corps and it was part of the army.
2006-08-02 21:50:07 · answer #6 · answered by T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they did. But practical copters did not come along until a couple of years after WW2.
2006-08-02 19:42:37 · answer #7 · answered by Albannach 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes the german army was the first widespread users of copters in the world
2006-08-02 22:00:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were at an early stage of development.
None were used in war.
2006-08-03 01:16:50 · answer #9 · answered by brainstorm 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I did some research and found this site.
http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/flettner_kolibri-r.html
They were around during WWII, but I'm not sure how widely used they were.
2006-08-02 23:09:21 · answer #10 · answered by Mary J 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋