Igor Sikorsky...
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Manitoba Canada
Age: 72
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Are there any peers at his level? He sure started the ball rolling....
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/25-may-1889/
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/25-may-1889/
A good book was written by engineer William Hunt who worked with Igor in the early days and contributed a lot of ideas which Igor implemented.
The one mistake Mr Hunt made was the title of his book ...... Heelicopter: Pioneering with Igor Sikorsky .... he spelled Helicopter the way Igor pronounced it (Heelicopter) thus it never comes up in helicopter searches or book indexes..
I think there are still some used copies available for those who are interested in the history.
Thank you
In addition to Igor, I would think the contributions of Frank Piasecki are also more than noteworthy. The tandem rotor helicopter required a certain kind of design genius to make it work. And work it does!
Larry Bell, Stanley Hiller and Charles Kaman all come to mind as leaders and innovators in the helicopter business. Each leaving a significant heritage that originated with them directly.
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Another one that history overlooked for a long time was Jacob Ellehammer from Denmark . Around 1913 he was flying his co-axial helicopter .... his was not the first helicopter of course but he incorporated cyclic control similar to modern day machines. He was a clockmaker by trade and was a competent machinist & fabricator.
History overlooked him because there was no "proof" his machine actually flew until many years later a picture was found showing a hover demonstration in front of Denmark's Royal Family and was determined to be around 1913 - 1914
During the early 1900's he also built his own radial engine and was flying his own fixed-wing plane around 1907 ..... almost parallel to The Wright Bros first flights. However he was never looking for publicity , simply experimenting his ideas , flew on a remote level sandy beach with few (if any) witnesses.
Trivia: Aprox 1995 when the internet was full of good stuff .... the great great great grandaughter of Ellehammer was a university student ..... Danish students had their own websites and she did an excellent history site based on all Ellehammer's notes and paperwork the family had preserved. . I was in contact with her many times and encouraged and thanked her for what she did. .... Alas none of it survived , probably when she finished university her website was closed.
History overlooked him because there was no "proof" his machine actually flew until many years later a picture was found showing a hover demonstration in front of Denmark's Royal Family and was determined to be around 1913 - 1914
During the early 1900's he also built his own radial engine and was flying his own fixed-wing plane around 1907 ..... almost parallel to The Wright Bros first flights. However he was never looking for publicity , simply experimenting his ideas , flew on a remote level sandy beach with few (if any) witnesses.
Trivia: Aprox 1995 when the internet was full of good stuff .... the great great great grandaughter of Ellehammer was a university student ..... Danish students had their own websites and she did an excellent history site based on all Ellehammer's notes and paperwork the family had preserved. . I was in contact with her many times and encouraged and thanked her for what she did. .... Alas none of it survived , probably when she finished university her website was closed.
