In 1972, the Army put out a call for a Utility Tactical Transport System, or UTTAS, helicopter. After its experiences in the Vietnam War, the Army was looking for a machine that was better able to operate under fire than the Huey. The Sikorsky S-70 was the answer to the Army’s request. It came with Read More…
During World War II, the military used helicopters for light duties that included surveying the enemy and landscape and patrolling the seas against submarine attacks. In June 1945, U.S. helicopters were used for the first time to evacuate injured soldiers from the front lines and fly them to safe hospitals. It was the first time Read More…
The engineers who built early helicopters envisioned their machines to become as commonplace as automobiles. Both Stanley Hiller, Jr., the founder of United Helicopters, and Arthur Young, who built the Bell Model 47, envisioned the helicopter to become the transportation method of choice for businessmen and families alike. This vision never became reality. Unlike small Read More…
During World War II, helicopters were still limited in their capabilities. Thus, they were not used widely, although they did see service as supply and rescue craft, particularly in China, Burma, and India. During the Korean War in the early 1950s, helicopters were still largely used in a support role. Both the U.S. Army and Read More…
Heinrich Focke was a German professor who founded the Focke-Wulf Airplane company. In the 1930s, he began working on helicopters. His research focused on the problem of how to control the rotaries. In 1932, Focke built a model helicopter, but it took 4 years for him to build a full-scale one. In 1936, Focke and Read More…