How Much Do You Know About Helicopters?

Helicopters are able to take off and land vertically, which no other flying craft can do. They're also able to fly in different directions.

Helicopters get their lift and thrust from spinning rotors. These rotors have two or more blades.

Helicopters have a small rotor in the tail which counters the torque effect. This stops the helicopter from spinning in the opposite direction from the propeller.

In order to lift heavier objects, some helicopters have two horizontal rotors - coaxial rotors - that spin in opposite directions. However, not all helicopters are designed this way.

Helicopters are the most useful for rescue situations. This is because they're able to access hard-to-reach places.

Helicopters are useful in all of the above situations. They're also great for aerial photography and military activity.

All of the above are limitations of helicopters. For long-distance travel, you're best off with a fixed wing aircraft.

Vertical flight was actually invented in China in 400 BC. Children played with flying toys that created lift when spun.

In the 1480s, Leonardo da Vinci designed what looked like the first helicopter. It was described as an "aerial screw."

The first working helicopter flew in 1923. The inventor and pilot was Juan de la Cierva, who died believing that helicopters would never be practical.

The fastest speed record for a helicopter is around 400 kph, by the Airbus Racer. This translates to roughly 250 mph.

The longest distance traveled by a helicopter is 3,562 km. That translates to roughly 2,213 miles.

Helicopters are great for fighting fires. They carry large tanks known as helibuckets which are filled with water.

Hovering is the most difficult skill for helicopter operators. It's particularly difficult to keep steady with gusty winds.

Quadcopters have four rotors, and are also known as quadrotors. The small ones are popular among amateur enthusiasts and the military.

A common nickname for helicopters is "chopper." "Dragonfly" is another.

There was a craft called a helicopter in 1861. The only problem was that it could not get off the ground!

When the engine stops, the rotors continue to spin. This means that a helicopter can land safely even when the engine dies.

There are over 50,000 helicopters in operation today. This includes military helicopters.

The nut that holds the main rotor to the shaft of the helicopter is called the "Jesus nut." One pilot famously said, "Jesus, if that nut comes off...."

The Russian helicopter MIL Mi-12 Homer was known for how much it could lift. It could haul 40,205 kg to a height of 2,255 meters. That's 97,455 pounds lifted to 7,398 feet!

The helicopter was first used for a rescue in 1944. Helicopters have saved more than 3 million lives since then.

Aside from being called choppers, helicopters have many other names. These include helos, whirlybirds and copters.

The famous helicopter crash in Chechnya resulted from too much weight. There were 147 people on board, which greatly exceeded the helicopter's capacity of 85.

The advancing rotor blade is sometimes able to exceed the speed of sound, but the resulting performance is not that great. That being said, helicopters are still slower than airplanes.

Helicopters are designed to withstand their very high vibration. If they weren't designed so well, the vibration would break them apart.

Helicopters are often used for photography and film. In fact, some of your favorite shots in movies have been filmed in a helicopter.

Helicopters are also known as VTOLs, or vertical takeoff and landing crafts. They are technically a type of airplane.

To control the direction of the helicopter, the pilot uses a foot pedal and two pitch sticks. He/she also gets to wear cool headphones!

Specifically, it took 29 days, 3 hours, 8 minutes and 13 seconds to circle the Earth in a helicopter. It was accomplished by H. Ross Perot Jr. and J.W. Coburn.

NASA is studying the possible use of helicopters on Mars. That would be one hot chopper, for sure

Helicopters generate a tremendous amount of air, and this air lifts them into the sky. Its rotors are kind of like "spinning wings."

The first steam-powered chopper was invented in 1843 - in theory anyway. William Henson patented the idea.

Helicopters are great for carrying all these things and so much more. They are used for delivering supplies during wartime, as well.

Although most aircrafts are incredibly safe, helicopters experience slightly more crashes than airplanes do. But that shouldn't deter you from flying in one!