Helicopters

In This Lesson

This lesson is a quick overview of how helicopters work.  It also covers Igor Sikorsky and the first helicopter in the United States.

Helicopter Basics

In essence, a helicopter uses its main rotor blades to create both lift and thrust.  If you cut through a helicopter blade, it has a similar cross-section view as that of a wing because it operates like a wing on a smaller scale.  By tilting the direction of the rotor blades, the helicopter can move up or down, or direct the thrust to push itself forward or backward.  The tail rotor is for stability, to prevent the crew compartment and main body of the helicopter from spinning, although it can also be used to steer the craft in confined spaces by allowing the body to rotate slightly.

Igor Sikorsky 

Igor Sikorsky is considered the father of the modern helicopter.  He began experimenting with the concept in 1909, and carried the idea with him when he emigrated to the United States in 1919.  In 1939 he built the first successful single-rotor design helicopter in the U.S., which is shown in the short video below.

Helicopters continued to evolve in the 1940s and 1950s, expanding into both civilian and military roles.  Ideal for lifting materials or rescue operations in the civilian sector, in the military helicopters were likewise used to move heavy equipment and perform rescue operations in addition to moving troops and providing a platform for special operations soldiers.  The Vietnam War saw a real shift in the use of helicopters in military operations, which will be explored in more detail in the next lesson.