2007: Centennial of the Helicopter? Do any web search on the
history of the helicopter or pick up any number of popular books
on the subject andyou will usually find Paul Cornu credited with
the first flight of the helicopter, supposedly occurring on
November 13, 1907. Without a doubt, Cornu’s work marked a
significant advance in the design of human-carrying helicopters.
Does 2007 then carry the same meaning as 2003 did for the
centennial of the airplane and the Wright brother’s first
powered flight? If the Cornu story is closely analyzed, the
answer would appear to be an emphatic NO. There are problems
with the veracity of Cornu's claims, but there are also
significant questions of historical context that are worth
weighing. The following links present the existing evidence of
Cornu’s work and a discussion of its place in the story of the
helicopter. Engineering and Historical Analysis by Dr. Gordon
Leishman The Claims Could It Fly? A Complete Design? What is
Cornu's Legancy?