Paul Cornu

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Paul Cornu in his first helicopter in 1907. Note that he is sitting between the two rotors, which rotated in opposite directions to cancel torque. This helicopter was the first flying machine to have risen from the ground using rotor blades instead of wings.

Paul Cornu made the first piloted free flight in a rotary wing aircraft at Lisieux, Calvados, France on November 13, 1907. This first flight lifted Cornu about 30 cm (1 ft) and lasted 20 seconds. This is sometimes recognized as the first (but impractical) helicopter flight. This first helicopter was powered by an Antoinette engine.

Cornu was a manufacturer of bicycles by trade.

Paul Cornu, and inventor from France makes an aircraft that is the first to take off vertically (fly straight up into the sky) without a pilot.

Full length photograph of the helicopter.

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