Historic First
Historic First
On November 13, 1907, the French bicycle maker Paul Cornu became the first person to rise vertically in powered free flight. His rc helicopter used two counter-rotating rotors to cancel torque. Some control was achieved by placing auxiliary paddle-like wings below the rotors, and sticks held by men on the ground stabilized the machine. Although Cornu achieved a historic first, rising about one foot (0.6 meter) and hovering for about 20 seconds, the controls were inadequate, and the craft never developed into a practical rc helicopters.
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