The Helicopter

A helicopter is an aircraft with spinning blades on top. The blades are called rotors. As they spin, they push air down and lift the helicopter up. Helicopters can fly forward, backward, and sideways. They can even stay still in the air.

Early Flying Ideas

Leonardo da Vinci drew a helicopter idea in 1493. But it was just a sketch. The first real helicopter to fly well was made by Igor Sikorsky in 1939. He was a Russian inventor who lived in America. His design is still used today. Early helicopters were loud and shook a lot.

A helicopter flying high above a coastal town.
A helicopter flying high above a coastal town. (SC National Guard / Wikimedia Commons)

How We Use Them

Helicopters are very useful. They can take off without a runway. This helps them land on roofs and boats. They carry sick people to hospitals. They also help rescue people from mountains and seas. News teams use them to film traffic and fires from above.

Fun Facts

  • The word helicopter comes from Greek words meaning spiral wing.
  • A helicopter can fly sideways and even go backward.
  • The biggest helicopters can carry trucks and tanks.

Did You Know?

Helicopters can hover in one spot in the air. Most airplanes cannot do this.