Helicopters in WWII?

[eveled]

I never heard of helicopters in WWII before. Evidently they were very difficult to fly. Amazing!


https://www.military.com/feature/20...ed-modern-helicopter-combat-missions.html?amp

These are the 2 helicopters mentioned

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_R-4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_R-6

 

[reuben_j_cogburn]

the first chopper rescue happened in the pacific near the end of the war.... actually it may have been the CBI theater... I watched a documentary about helicopter development on the history channel back in the early 2000's.... it may be on YT.....
sikorski's first flyable chopper liked to go sideways but not front or back.... needed some tweeking... scary part was they were almost always open cockpit designs......

 

[Yaworski]

If you watch the historical document, "Where Eagles Dare," a helicopter is flown to the castle.

 

[MaxMan]

I always thought Korea was the first use of helicopters. Not too old to learn

 

[Wyandot Jim]

The Germans also had helicopters in WWII

The concept of helicopters during World War II might sound like something from a science fiction novel, but Germany was already exploring the possibilities of rotorcraft. While most nations focused on conventional aircraft, Germany pushed the boundaries of aviation by developing some of the earliest functional helicopters. These machines were not designed to replace fighter planes or bombers but were meant for specialized missions like reconnaissance and naval support. Although their deployment was limited, they demonstrated the potential of vertical flight, paving the way for post-war helicopter advancements.

 

[Jeepnik]

There were a number of attempts but it was until Igor invented the system to change the blade pitch as the rotor turned that it became viable.

 

[Cofaler]

The lift capacity must have been crazy when you consider the weight of the big brass balls of the pilots...

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I worked for a man that was involved in what he called rotor aircraft during WWII.
He had some interesting stories.