Modern-Aviation

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Aircraft And Military Development & Applications

Helicopter Listings - Considered the Worst?

Check out the Top 20 Helicopter Reviews 2020

The Paragon of Modern Aviation

Helicopters often have a bad reputation for safety or performance, which can sometime be considered unfair, generally - the intentional ideas were innovative...and needed to start somewhere.

Today, small uncrewed drones powered by rotors or fans are a common sight on the battlefield. In addition to the attack role, their primary mission is carrying out battlefield reconnaissance, and it’s fascinating to learn that this basic idea is over 100 years old. However, it took a very long time for this technology to mature.

Petróczy, Kármán and Žurovec were engineers who worked developing observation helicopters for the Austro-Hungarian empire both before and during the First World War. At this time, the primary method of aerial observation on the battlefield was the balloon. Hydrogen balloons were dangerous, and Petróczy, Kármán and Žurovec believed they had a superior alternative.

The PKŽ helicopters relied on twin contra-rotating rotors to counter torque. The PKZ-1 was powered by a single Austro-Daimler electric motor, the PKZ-2 initially by three Gnome rotary engines of 75 kW (100 hp). When the PKZ-2 was found to be underpowered, the engines were replaced with le Rhone rotary engines of 89 kW (120 hp).

On 10 June 1918, the PKZ-2 was demonstrated to officials, despite Žurovec’s doubts about the reliability of the le Rhone engines. He was right to worry, as when the engines spluttered out, the tether handlers understandably panicked, causing a crash-landing, damaging the craft and snapping the rotors.

Petróczy, Kármán and Žurovec were engineers who worked developing observation helicopters for the Austro-Hungarian empire both before and during the First World War. At this time, the primary method of aerial observation on the battlefield was the balloon. Hydrogen balloons were dangerous, and Petróczy, Kármán and Žurovec believed they had a superior alternative.

10 - Petróczy, Kármán and Žurovec tethered helicopters