A film made c.1951 by the Shell Film Unit. Reviews with the use of models the history of the evolution of the helicopter from the designs of Leonardo da Vinci and Sir George Cayley's flying top onwards.

Includes footage of the Wright Brothers Wright A followed by films of various early rotorcraft/helicopter / vertical takeoff designs including the Sky Car, Breguet Gyroplane, Berliner 19081909, Oemichen 1920 and 1922, Lein WeberCurtis 1921, De Bothezat 1922, Pescara 1924, Von Asboth 19281930, Cierva C19 autogiro, Florine tandemrotor, D'Ascanio, 1936 Louis Breguet flying in BreguetDorand machine setting duration record of 63 minutes using cyclic pitch control, 1937 German FockeWulf Achgelis Fa61 twinrotor flown inside the Berlin DeutschlandHalle by Hanna Reitsch, Igor Sikorsky flying VS300 setting new World's Record, Bristol 171, Cierva Air Horse, SaundersRoe Skeeter, Fairey Gyrodyne, SudEst Ariel II FWFUF, McDonnell Model 38 (XH20 Little Henry), Bell 47, Piasecki, the use of helicopters in Admiral Richard E. Byrd 1946 Antarctic expedition and the WestlandSikorsky S51 (GAKCU, GAJHW and GALIK).

Directed by Sarah Erulkar, photographed by Sidney Beadle, with music by Edward Williams, for which Captain R. N. Liptrot acted as technical advisor.

Liptrot, who at one time was the Deputy Director responsible for helicopter research and development in the Ministry of Supply and also held Helicopter Aviators Certificate No.3, amassed a major collection of historic rotorcraft films which was presented to the Royal Aeronautical Society c.1968 after his death which is part of the Library's film collection which has now been digitised.

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