science · 24 August 1907 · 117 years ago
In 1907, the Bréguet-Richet Gyroplane No. 1 made what is generally accepted as the first vertical flight, hovering about 2 feet (0.6 meters) off the ground for one minute, powered by a 45 h.p. engine. It was built by the brothers Louis and Jacques Bréguet with assistance from Professor Charles Richet. It lacked stability, any control system, and it needed four men to steady it while it hovered, so it did not represent a practical helicopter. (Some sources give the date as 29 Sep 1907.)
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